Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro Artistfacts

  • 1995-
    Simon NeilVocals, guitar, piano1995-
    James JohnstonBass1995-
    Ben JohnstonDrums1995-
  • The Biffy Clyro trio - Simon Neil and twin brothers James and Ben Johnston – have been friends since they were 7 years old. They share a close-knit bond that has been integral to their longevity.
  • Before becoming Biffy Clyro, Simon Neil and the Johnston twins formed a band called Skrewfish in 1995. They later moved to Glasgow to pursue music seriously, eventually signing with Beggars Banquet in 2001.
  • The origin of Biffy Clyro's name has been a topic of much speculation, fueled by humorous and contradictory explanations from the band. The most popular tale involves Simon Neil and Ben Johnston imagining novelty merchandise for Cliff Richard, including "Cliffy Biro" pens. This idea eventually morphed into "Biffy Clyro."

    The band has also jokingly claimed it refers to a Finnish footballer, a spy named "Biffy," or that it's an acronym for "Big Imagination For Feeling Young 'Cos Life Yearns Real Optimism."

    Pulling from the Pearl Jam playbook, the band likes keeping their name shrouded in mystery.
  • Simon Neil's songwriting often reflects personal relationships, with albums like Puzzle focusing on family, Only Revolutions on his wife, Francesca, and Opposites on the band's dynamics.
  • Biffy Clyro's biggest moment in mainstream pop culture came when their song "Many Of Horror" from the 2009 album Only Revolutions was transformed into the winning single for The X Factor 2010 winner Matt Cardle. The track was retitled "When We Collide," and it became the UK Christmas #1 single.

    The band found this amusing but somewhat uncomfortable. Simon Neil admitted they hadn't fully considered the implications until fans voiced their concerns.
  • Simon Neil has numerous tattoos, including "God only knows what I'd be without you" from The Beach Boys song "God Only Knows" tattooed on his chest as a tribute to his wife. It was the couple's first dance song at their wedding.

    Other tattoos include references to the band's albums, such as a puzzle piece for Puzzle and artwork from Infinity Land.
  • The first song bassist James Johnston learned to play was "Till There Was You" by the Beatles. He learned it with his brother Ben and his father on Christmas day.

    "Ben had just got a set of timbale drums and I had got my first bass," he recalled to Artist Direct. "I'm not sure what my dad thought Ben would do with the timbales but I was really happy with my bass. We jammed all day and I remember my mum had to plead with us to come for Christmas dinner."

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