HAVING rearranged their set times to allow Northern Ireland supporters to watch Saturday's match, Biffy Clyro took to the gargantuan Belsonic stage in Belfast's Titanic Quarter at around 9.30pm.
While the spirits of some football fans had been dampened earlier in the day, the disappointment of Northern Ireland's defeat soon wore off; supporting sets by Lonely the Brave and The Vants had the audience raring to go, and by the time the headlining Scottish rockers appeared, those in attendence were ready for an evening of mosh pit fun.
Referencing the result, frontman Simon Neil assured us, "Music makes everything better", before joking, "Our music makes everything better".
Biffy Clyro may have been playing together in some form or another for over twenty years, but the huge crowd at Belsonic was testament to the level of mainstream success they've recently achieved (particularly in the wake of having 2010 X Factor winner Matt Cardle cover their hit Many of Horror).
The trio kicked off their show with the blistering Wolves of Winter setting the tone for an energetic performance against the looming, impressive backdrop of the shipyard.
Next up was a high octane version of Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies, followed by the crowd-pleaser Biblical; Neil injected real anguish into the lyrics "Baby if you could, would you go back to the start?
Take any fresh steps or watch it all fall apart again?" As the sun started to set, Biffy launched into the funky riffs and stop-start percussion of Born on a Horse, and early highlights came in the form of fan favourites Bubbles and Black Chandelier.
New songs from the band's forthcoming seventh studio album, Ellipsis, introduced a new dimension to the set - the gentler, melody-driven 'Rearrange', for example, segued neatly into perhaps the best song of the evening, Machines.
Towards the end of the gig, The Captain, Mountains and Many of Horror had concert-goers bouncing up and down - it's little surprise that Neil was able to thank his Belfast fans for being "better and louder" every time Biffy Clyro visit.
