Biffy Clyro at The Danforth Music Hall

To say that Biffy Clyro’s Toronto show at the Danforth Music Hall was exceptional would be an understatement. The band is currently on a global tour in support of their latest album, Futique, which has once again exceeded the expectations of fans and fans alike–so let’s talk about that for a second before we dig into how Biffy F***ing Clyro took us to another, very special place in their live performance.

NME went so far as to say that the album draws on a “Bowie-esque European sheen for a vulnerable yet life-affirming blast,” and we could not agree more–this is a statement piece that sees the band at a new height in their career. Now, they are building on that hype with a nothing-short-of-awe-inspiring and motivating live performance, which I’d have to give an 11/10; it is rare to sit in an Uber ride home after over a decade in this industry, and a lifetime of showgoing, feeling absolutely reinvigorated and motivated. That happens only a handful of times in the life of a melomane, and this is a show that will not fade in an aging memory.

Biffy Clyro’s 10 studio albums are all stunning in their own individual rights, and the band’s sonic versatility and growth is something in itself. Still, there is a certain level of connection when fans and the band connect in person in those dark, steamy rooms that surpasses what recorded songs can achieve on their own. The band have outdone themselves with this album and the experience they are bringing to stages across the earth.

Specific musicians, whom I like to refer to as bleeding hearts, pour their souls into their craft and share their most raw experiences with the world. Biffy Clyro and Frank Turner do this in similar ways–delivering (to quote the latter) positive songs for negative people to the world, and healing countless souls along the way. For the unaware, ‘Positive Songs For Negative People’ is an album by Frank Turner–the title of which is said to have come from a drunken conversation with an old friend, who I theorize may have been the likes of lead Biffy Clyro vocalist Simon Neil.

This type of music builds a connection with listeners that transcends what words can express, and experiencing that live creates an environment of collective healing that music-heads cherish deeply. There are not enough words of gratitude and appreciation which can be passed back and forth between a band and their fans to truly do justice to how absolutely essential this is.

It is one thing to sing about forgetting “how good it can be to feel alive,” and another to put your heart out on the floor every night and deliver that feeling to audiences. You can feel the authenticity of it in the vocal delivery, every pluck of a string, every beat of the drums, every hit of a key, every movement on-stage–put simply, it hits different. On the other end, you can hear it in every chant, the hands clapping thunderously without prompt–along with the beat, not waiting for the song to end to applaud, but clapping along with the music, and you can see it in the faces of the audience members, completely present, and these days, a refreshing lack of device presence.

From their wicked debut album, Blackened Sky, to the breathtaking marvel of an ever-present album that is Futique, Biffy Clyro continues to deliver records that cannot be listened to without evoking strong emotion and are a special treat for the album lover in the age of singles. As a long-time listener, but first-time Biffy F***ing Clyro audience member, I gotta say… my only regret is not having made it to a show sooner.

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Be sure to check out Live Nation Ontario to see all of the other great acts that they will be bringing to Toronto this year.