Biffy Clyro, Soft Play & The Armed, Utillita Arena Cardiff, 18.01.26
First gig of 2026 for me and its Scottish Rock Giants Biffy Clyro with support from the punk rock duo that is Soft Play and the hardcore madness that is The Armed, lets get stuck in!
First up is Detroit's own The Armed (6), having had a good listen the week previous of this collab bands back catalogue was interested to see what sort of performance I was going to get from a band that has produced so many different styles and tones on different releases, from walking onto the stage that tone was set with crazy energy from all members.
A wall of hardcore heaviness hits your face and doesn't let up through the bands entire set. we get lots of bouncing riffs and nasty growls from the frontman. We get a few songs from the bands latest release 2025s The Future Is Here And Everything Needs To Be Destroyed, notably the gut turning song Kingmaker which smashes you on the head with screams and a half time riff that makes you want to throw down the fists and stat stepping.
A lot going happening on stage that your eyes are all over the place, we get saxophones and instrument changes with female vocalist also running off stage to join the crowd for them to crowd surf her back to the barrier to finish off the song with the audience. Like falling off a roller-coaster at a great height and speed but also having your headphones on listening to some awesome post hardcore madness.
After a little break we are back for the next band, Soft Play (7). Getting to know this band recently I am already very impressed with the music and passion these two men from Kent display in the releases they have so far, so was quite eager to see how they pull it off live. Isaac Holman, drummer vocals and many other instruments, comes to the stage with guitarist and all things stringed Laurence Vincent and we get straight into the first track. I am not the best on the genre of punk but I do like plenty of bands that would be certainly considered punk so I can only judge what I see and what happens over the next 40 mins is nothing short of a really fun set. Quite heavy metal riffs burst through at times from Soft Play on a few of there songs.
Having started back in 2012 (then as Slaves) Soft Play have a good mix of older songs and some great recent songs also, one being that stood out for me was the marching dirty punk anthem that is Act Violently, its a gritty sounding guitar and perfect drum breaks with vocals that have all the grunt of someone barking orders at you from behind a drum kit would. A very enjoyable set, both really great stage presence considering there being only two members they filled the stage and then filled the crowed by both jumping over the barriers and making a nice gap going all the way back to the sound desk, talking to the audience and asking for some pits to open up on the next song.
While jumping back on stage Isaac says how amazing it is to be playing such a big place in Cardiff because "last year we played The Globe in Cardiff to nobody" and that its so amazing how things can change so quickly, Humble and very thankful for the reception the get Soft Play bow out with a bow to everyone. Really enjoyed watching the set and while not being my regular genre of choice to listen to this was British punk I can get behind.
Biffy Clyro (8) up next with their Futique Tour, named from the bands latest release of the same name. We get a big stage covering sheet to start the set which only falls down when the first song kicks in, that song being A Little Love from the bands latest album release, a song that everyone is singing at the top of there voices including me as being a fan for a while of the Scottish rockers I was really impressed with the new songs on record and now live also. In addition to the front sheet that falls down we are then witness to the entire band covered up with what looked like tee pee white shapes over them that is lifted when the chorus kicks in and the roar from the crowed is deafening over the music, this rammed arena in Cardiff tonight is pumped and ready for Biffy Clyro to share in some good times.
If I look at the set in whole it is a good mix up until the last few songs of new material from the latest album and some older classic songs like Who's Got A Match from 2007s album Puzzle, the last few songs being complete sing along bliss with the band saving many of their hits for the end of the set. This is a band that I would happily agree with anyone giving them the highest accolades to contributions to British Rock music and rock music in the world, from forcing you to sing along to their songs by being so dam catchy with smooth vocals from Simon Neil to forcing you to headbang with chunky riffs and backing melody's to get swept up in a dream with, what a great set from a band I have never seen before but always wanted to.
Such at ease on stage but with all the energy and aggression that makes you feel lost in the moment of a song. We get the standard pyro and smoke bursts from stage but a little extra and thinking outside the box half way from the stage and sound desk we get white tape strips hanging from the celling with a projection of what is being filmed on stage blown up from the sound desk so it is visible on the strips which I thought was a cool element to add to an already incredible lighting show. The last few songs as I said are just pure Biffy Clyro classics with the last two in the set being Bubbles and Many Of Horror, the atmosphere by now was just electric, every single person in the arena is in full voice and it is something I feel very happy to be a part of, excellent performance and a great show that if you still can get out and see them.
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