LIVE FROM THE PIT: Biffy Clyro and Soft Play

Monday nights in January aren’t exactly known for their excitement. Especially right after New Year’s, when most folks are still shaking off the last bits of holiday excess, too much turkey, too many drinks, not enough sleep. I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting much. But walking into the Motorpoint Arena for Biffy Clyro, something felt different. It was like Nottingham had been holding its breath, waiting for this moment, fifteen years since the band last played here. In band years, that’s practically an era. The buzz in the air was real, not just hype. These guys have already shown they can own massive stages, headlining Download Festival twice. Now, three decades and ten full-length albums deep, the Scottish rock veterans are back on the road, touring last year’s album, Futique. It comes after some rough patches for the band, but the new songs aren’t weighed down; they’re about starting fresh, rekindling old connections, and figuring out what still keeps their fire burning.

First up came the punk duo SOFT PLAY, kicking things off in the most unexpected way, the arena speakers suddenly filled with the gentle, choir like strains of the classic hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. For a split second, it felt like we'd wandered into a church service instead of a rock gig, almost serene, almost funny. Then, without warning, it smashed straight into their own ferocious track, All Things, pounding drums and snarling energy. At the peak of the chaos, drummer and vocalist Isaac Holman leaned into the mic and bellowed, “How the fuck are you doing, Nottingham?!” It was a Monday night, sure, but plenty of people had clearly shown up ready to lose it. Tracks like Mirror Muscles and Isaac Is Typing… followed, and that's when the first real mosh pits erupted down front, bodies flying, grins everywhere, the room properly coming alive.

Midway through their set, SOFT PLAY’s Isaac Holman dives right into the thick of the crowd, surfacing somewhere deep in the pit. Grinning like mad, he shouts out to the sea of faces: “People always used to yell at us; Oi, where’s your bassist, you Cockney wankers?" The place erupts in laughs and cheers; he's owning the old digs head-on, turning the joke back on the doubters while reminding everyone why this two-piece duo packs such a punch. Classic Soft Play raw, funny, and totally unapologetic. By the end, the Monday blues were long gone, and the place was ready to explode.

The trio from Kilmarnock deliver a striking entrance that's worlds apart from the standard arena rock routine. Right from the start, the entire stage is shrouded in cascading white drapes, forming this enormous, dreamlike fortress effect. When they kick off with A Little Love, the band members first show up as towering, shadowy outlines behind the cloth, ramping up the anticipation until the track reaches its explosive peak halfway through; at which point the fabric dramatically falls away, exposing a vast, tiered setup complete with staircases and elevated platforms that let the performers roam and command the space. Hunting Season rolls in next, illuminated by those sweeping, epic lights, setting the stage for Simon Neil to rip into the iconic, razor-edged riff of That Golden Rule. The energy surges with pulsing strobes and those powerful, live violin flourishes slicing through the intensity. Deeper into the gig, the production for Space gets wonderfully atmospheric, complete with visuals that make it seem like rain is actually falling over the crowd.

In the realm of massive venue spectacles, this just hammers home what fans have known forever: Biffy Clyro nail it with style, originality, and real sophistication every time.

The setlist was a proper celebration of everything Biffy: old favourites, deep cuts, and a solid chunk from the new album Futique. They opened strong with some heavier newer stuff that got the pit going early, then dropped into the classics. Biblical was ridiculous. Simon stood up on that staircase, the whole arena singing back so loud it drowned him out for a second. Proper spine tingling moment. The closing run was pure euphoria. Bubbles into Many of Horror, the confetti cannons went off, the place lost its mind, and 10,000 people screaming "We are Biffy fucking Clyro!" together is one of those things you don't forget. Simon's final shout of "Have a great 2026!" before they left the stage felt genuine, like he meant it. Biffy aren't trying to rewrite rock history every night, they just deliver massive, heartfelt anthems with a connection that still feels genuine after all these years. From a quiet start to total pandemonium, this was the perfect kick off to the year.

Words and Photos: Kieran Atkinson