Biffy Clyro // The Futique UK & Ireland 2026 Tour // Live Review // The SSE Arena // Belfast
2026, how did we get here? And more importantly, just nine days in, and the world has gone to shit. Can I have that refund, please?
But alas, in the midst of the chaos that is a fresh-faced 2026, we have an absolute beauty coming at us in the form of Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro at The SSE Arena on a BALTIC Friday night in Belfast. I get my ass down early as we have three bands on the bill this evening, which is unusual in itself as with these larger shows it’s generally a headliner and one support, but tonight we are being treated to two quality supports in Detroit Hardcore band The Armed and UK Boy Band Soft Play (Not Really a boy band, but yeah, a boy band) anyway so I had to get my cute out from the stick and into the city sharpish in tea time traffic to get there for the earlier that usual start.
Mission accomplished via McD’s on the way down, parked at The SSE around 6ish and chilled till the doors opened at 6:30. The Armed was hitting the stage at 7 pm. One fatal mistake was not wearing a coat or hat as the SSE was Baltic! And even worse when you get inside, as it’s a bloody ice-rink, so Jesus wept! But before you know it, 7 pm rolled around, and we (The Togs) were escorted into the pit awaiting The Armed’s arrival on stage. Quite unassuming, these cats step onto the stage and unleash unholy hell on all who gathered and fought their way through tea-time Belfast City traffic to be here to soak up all that tonight was going to offer. These guys hit hard, a short and sweet set as enough to tell you everything you needed to know about Detroit Hardcore, the weight and depth of their songwriting takes no prisoners. The Armed have been doing their thing since 2009 and have a revolving door of collaborators who step in and out of the band with various releases over the years, their most recent offering ‘The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed’ was their sixth studio album showcasing their angst front and centre as the USA descends into chaos and the feelings from within through artists like The Armed express their frustration the best way they can, musically, artistaclly through their brutal expression, hefty riffs and enigmatic live performances. Cool to see in the flesh, but a nightmare to capture live through the strobes, but we lived to tell the tale, and The Armed lived to melt the faces of a Belfast audience, a great start to the night.
Photography by Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
A short breather and we have UK rockers Soft Play up next, and wow! What an energy, what a vibe and those riffs, bring it on! I love that visceral experience of seeing an artist live for the very first time, and even more so when they take your breath away. Soft Play did just that, a duo with a huge sound that captures the imagination from the off, with drummer and frontman Isaac Holman standing behind a small kit providing a backbone to the riffage and guitarist Laurie Vincent slamming out glorious lines, it was just food for the soul! These guys just banged out a selection of songs that were magnetic, you couldn’t take your eyes off them, the thick gnarly riffs against Isaac’s drum work and vocals just created this killer vibe that captured the imagination of all in the room. We are well overdue for new music from these guys, and with their last offering ‘Heavier Jelly’ landing in 2024, I will be waiting with bated breath for new music coming to see where these two manics will take us next.
Photography by Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
Before you know it, we are being escorted once again to the pit for the arrival of the majestic Biffy Clyro. It hasn’t been too long since they were last here in the city playing this very venue, but we’ll certainly not be complaining about that. Tonight, we have them on the opening night of their UK and Ireland Futique Tour. The band dropped their latest album in September of last year and unleashed it live here tonight before a nine-date run across Ireland and the UK. The band had set up a pop-up Tattoo and merch store in Belfast before the show, and looking at footage on media social, it was well received. I see this happening more and more, and I don’t know if it is a response to venues taking a cut of merch sales or just an additional way to gain further exposure, but whatever works for the band and helps maintain the industry for the artists can’t be a bad thing. Biffy’s new album Futique is a play on two words, ‘Future and Antique’, and we get that vibe as the band has a large curtain in front of the stage as they kick off their show, with projections of puppets being displayed on the fabric, when that drops the band themselves are underneath further fabrics as they open with ‘A Little Love’ and as a tog standing in the pit we all kinda look at each other wondering when we’ll get the opportunity to actually shoot the band. Around halfway through, the fabric is lifted, exposing this glorious scene behind them, with raised platforms and musicians showing us the scale of the production in 2026. You have ladies playing string instruments up high, a keyboard player off to the left, their new bassist, Naomi McLeod, behind Simon Neill, and an additional guitarist, Mike Vennart, to the right, with their drummer, Ben Johnston, of course, on his own raised platform above the guys below. The visuals are glorious and challenging as a photographer, but there are always moments that let you capture the very essence of the band live.
Simon has boundless energy as he thrashes his strat, planted centre stage; he takes every opportunity when away from the mic to burn off all that angst and pent-up energy, crossing the vast space to connect with everyone he can. The setlist is sizeable, with a good few tracks from the new album mixed in to keep the band feeling fresh, while of course feeding the appetite of those long-time dedicated fans who demand the classics as well as deep cuts from their various albums over the years.
Everything you love about Biffy is here in droves, the charm and charisma and musicianship that brings these songs to life on the live stage, what a band, what a show and what a visual feast all enveloped in one performance. It’s a joy to see a band grow exponentially over the years, from club shows and humble beginnings to the vast arenas that are dotted across the country, now booming to the soundtrack of Biffy Clyro. So many here tonight will have been on that journey with them, they will almost feel like they have done the miles with them as they spread their wings and sow their seed from country to country, building on their last visit and wondering where their next adventure will go.
The setlist, packed with all their bangers and the band stretching their musical muscles with the new album, tossing out songs like candy, the crowd eating up up as they do, the arena is absolutely rocking, such things are subjective but there was more than enough bangers in this one to send home a hoarde of happy Clyro fans with twenty plus tracks ripping their hearts apart.
What a way to kick off 2026, there are some killer bands due to cross the pond to visit us this year, so get out there, embrace the chaos and dance like nobody is watching. Onwards and upwards.
It would be remiss of me to talk about anything music without acknowledging the loss the local scene has experienced this weekend with the news of the passing of one of our local legends, Daniel Zanker Ovalle of Elder Druid, and so many other projects over the years. Loved by so many, a gent of the local scene and a great loss for all who knew him. Our thoughts go out to all his family and friends at this very difficult time.
Photography by Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
