Biffy Clyro: 'We’d love to headline Glastonbury'
Watch our interview with Simon, James and Ben
Biffy Clyro have told Kerrang! Radio they want to put their name in the hat for headlining The Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.
The ever-genial Simon, James and Ben dropped by Kerrang! Radio Towers for a chat last Friday morning (23rd September) when Jake Thomson asked them if they have any remaining ambitions left.
“We always try and look forward,” Simon explained. “We’d love to headline Glastonbury or something or play our own stadium show just to say officially (puts on a voice) ‘we are a stadium band ladies and gentlemen!’.
“I guess we try and live in the moment and enjoy what we’re doing as much as possible, which is why we’re still here doing this. We’ve never had a five-year plan or too many things that we’ve hinged our hopes on. We’re reticent to say (what our ambitions are)… oh, I’ve just said two things there!”
James added: “It’s a strange mix of being really proud of what we’ve done and how far we’ve come but at the same time not really wishing to think about it! You become all too aware of where you are so we slightly bury our heads in the sand and just enjoy it.”
Biffy last played Glastonbury in 2011 when they appeared on the Pyramid Stage ahead of Morrissey and headliners U2. Guns N' Roses are currently the bookmakers' favourites to headline the Worthy Farm extravaganza.
Hear Biffy on Kerrang! Radio
Elsewhere in our interview, Simon also admitted they were blown away when their seventh album ‘Ellipsis’ brushed aside all the “pop nonsense” to take the album chart top spot this summer.
“Yeah (it was) unbelievable! “We’re not too big to say that we really appreciate that,” he told Jake.
“It’s not why you make the music but it sure as hell makes you feel good when you hear it especially with the way the charts are these days y’know it’s just so full of the same pop nonsense, it was quite nice to edge some of that out.”
Simon also spoke about the effect streaming is having on the charts, saying: “People listen to a song 180 times in a row, when you’re really young you just press repeat.
“For us, the art form of the album and everything, we inhabit a different space to that. It’s kind of up to the bands and the artists to make people still be interested in albums and things – to make sure every song on the album is the best thing you’ve ever done and don’t just put fillers on there.
“Drake has apparently just broken the number one record, longer than Wet Wet Wet (‘Love Is All Around’) or something and I don’t think I’ve even heard the song. That’s where the disconnect is… that’s when you know it’s a wee bit weird, y’know ‘who’s listening to this stuff?’”
You can watch the full interview with Simon, James and Ben below where they also speak about the struggle of getting back in the studio and initial writers’ block, how ‘Puzzle’ elevated their career, their influences, early career, how music can transport you through time, playing their biggest headline show in Glasgow, their upcoming arena tour and more.