'WE'VE GONE THROUGH EVERY CLICHÉ — DEATHS, BREAKDOWNS, ADDICTIONS'

Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro have survived since the age of 15 without a single change in their line-up—it's been an emotional rollercoaster, but now they just want to celebrate.

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Biffy Clyro might well be British rock's most grounded titans. A trio who met aged eight, started playing music together aged 15 and, in the 30 years since, have scaled hurdle after hurdle — decimating Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage this summer with a career-peak penultimate headline set and landing their fourth No1 shortly after with 10th LP, Futique — the essence of the East Ayrshire group has remained remarkably un-starry throughout.

There have been no lineup changes and no gossipy tabloid headlines; they all still live in Scotland as a purposeful way to keep their “male egos” in check away from the hubbub of the London industry. Which is why, when frontman Simon Neil begins reminiscing about the band’s recent afternoon out at north London party institution Rowans, you can imagine the piss taking going on within camp. “We did daytime karaoke, got a little bit half cut, sang our own songs — all in the spirit of promoting the show,” he caveats. And how was that...? “It was exhilarating!” Neil grins. Turns out even if you're in Biffy Clyro, it can be a pretty thrilling experience listening to Biffy Clyro.

The show in question happens next July, when the band — completed by twin brothers James and Ben Johnston, on bass and drums respectively — will upscale their karaoke sesh by about 10,000 times for the biggest headline gig of their career to date, around the corner in Finsbury Park itself. Neil is characteristically humble about the milestone. “I remember Oasis playing Finsbury Park. It was a fantasy gig that normal musicians didn’t ever do, so to finally have that in our calendar is really [crazy],” he enthuses. But realistically, it doesn’t feel like such a stretch for the group.