Festivities begin at Brixton tonight when Leeds four-piece Pulled apart by horses take the Academy stage. Without doubt the heaviest act on the bill, they thrash out their incendiary post-hardcore with tightness and venom, prompting excitement in the gathering crowd. The basis for the mounting hype around this band is plain to see in their live show and their passion – expressed in frenzied shout-singing and angular guitars – is unfazed by the cavernous venue in front of them. Suffice to say their growing reputation was not at all harmed tonight.
Manchester Orchestra hail from Atlanta, Georgia and the more radio-friendly end of the rock spectrum. Their catchy, angst-wrought indie goes down very well as the venue fills to capacity, boasting singalong choruses I found myself humming on the tube home. Their set is tight and energetic, and it surely won’t be long before they’re headlining venues like the Academy themselves. Before amiable frontman Andy Hull leaves the stage, he pays tribute to the headliners with an a cappella take on ‘Mountains' which wins him plenty of friends amongst the appreciative crowd.
The anticipatory silence before the headliners take the stage is punctuated by the now-familiar fans’ chant of ‘mon the Biffy!’ from the diehards down the front, and the excitement builds to fever pitch as the curtain is dropped to reveal an impressive futuristic backdrop. The Ayrshire trio have a live reputation perhaps only matched on these shores by Muse and they sound amazing tonight as opener ‘That golden rule’ gets things going in explosive fashion, with an impressively seizure-unfriendly light show adding to the visual spectacle.
Biffy are known as a hard-gigging band, and their long, almost relentlessly energetic set – a truly moving rendition of ‘Machines’, with Simon Neil dueting with the audience is the only respite – is testament to the work ethic that’s brought them to where they are today. A decent handful of the hits – ‘Who’s got a match?’ is a particularly fist-pumping moment – pepper a setlist that draws heavily from 2007’s brilliant Puzzle. As the trio finish with ‘Mountains’ and the sweat-drenched crowd begin to filter out, there’s that special feeling of deep satisfaction coupled with ear-ringing exhaustion that follows the best kind of gig.
