Ayrshire rock band Biffy Clyro brought Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions to a dramatic close after thrilling a huge crowd at the Royal Highland Showgrounds over the weekend.
The band opened the latest instalment of the Summer Sessions in glorious weather, with frontman Simon Neil and drummer Ben Johnston leading the performance. Bassist James Johnston was absent as he continues his break from performing due to his mental health.
Biffy Clyro were supported by Edinburgh band Swim School, who got the audience moving several hours before the headline set. Essex group Nothing But Thieves followed with an hour-long performance featuring songs including Amsterdam and Welcome to the DCC.
A high-energy headline set
When the main event began, Neil and Johnston were joined on stage by guitarist Mike Vennart, keyboardist Richard Ingram and bassist Naomi MacLeod.
The group launched into The Captain and That Golden Rule, before moving through a set packed with songs from their catalogue. During Who’s Got a Match, Neil appeared with a flamethrower, adding a striking visual moment to the performance.
Another dramatic sequence came during Space, as an RAF A400M Atlas flew over the stage while the song reached its peak.
The regular set ended with two of Biffy Clyro’s biggest hits, Black Chandelier and Mountains. The response from the crowd prompted the band to return for a four-song encore.
Fireworks bring the show to a close
Neil began the encore by serenading the audience with Machines. The band then played Wolves of Winter, Bubbles and Many of Horror to finish the show.
The final song was accompanied by a fireworks display that lit up the night sky across the Showgrounds, providing a spectacular ending to the Ayrshire group’s appearance.
After the gig, Biffy Clyro thanked the Edinburgh audience for attending their summer shows. The band described ending the large UK dates in the city as a privilege and thanked everyone who came along.
“Cheers to you, Edinburgh. Ending these massive UK summer shows with you was a privilege. Thank you to everybody that came down.”
The performance means the Ayrshire band’s latest major summer appearance ended with a headline set that combined familiar songs, guest musicians and large-scale production at one of Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions events.