Simon Neil

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Simon Neil

Background information
Birth name Simon Alexander Neil
Born August 31, 1979 (age 27)
Origin Flag of Scotland Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar
Years active 1995 – present
Label(s) Beggars Banquet
14 Floor
Associated
acts		 Biffy Clyro
Marmaduke Duke
Website www.biffyclyro.com
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Stratocaster

Simon Alexander Neil (born 31 August 1979 in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland) is a Scottish vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter best known for his work in the band Biffy Clyro.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early life

Simon Neil was born and raised in Kilmarnock, Scotland. He spent much of his early teens listening to bands such as Nirvana and Weezer and in 1995, when he was 15 years old, he formed his first band called Screwfish, with him on guitar and schoolfriends Ben and James Johnston on bass and drums, respectively.

“ At that point we probably sounded like every other band who’d ever heard Nirvana. We were just discovering distortion pedals, really. Then we went slightly more punky for a bit. I guess it takes a while to work out exactly what you want to do. At the start you just want to sound like your favourite bands, but after a while you realise, maybe you could become your favourite band. ”

[edit] Biffy Clyro

Main article: Biffy Clyro

After changing their band name to Biffy Clyro, they played their first gig as the support for a band called Pinkross at a local youth centre. In 1997, the trio moved to Glasgow, where Simon studied electronics with music at university. By then, Simon's musical tastes had expanded greatly; one of his greatest influences being Fugazi. The band was soon discovered by Dee Bahl, who became their manager, and helped them release their first independent release; a single entitled iname in May 1999. The band then recorded and released an EP entitled thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow through Stow College's Electric Honey record label. After being spotted playing the unsigned tent at T in the Park 2000, they were signed to Beggars Banquet.

[edit] Trivia

  • Has stated that Biffy Clyro lyrics often come from phrases he writes down in a notebook he keeps by his bed.
  • Supports Ayr United F.C..
  • Has stated that if he didn't do music, he'd probably want to be a footballer.
  • Has said he wants the songs "Since You've Been Gone" by Rainbow and "Black" by Pearl Jam played at his funeral.
  • Studied Film and TV for a year at the University of Glasgow before leaving to pursue music full time.
  • Plays in the Marmaduke Duke under the pseudonym, "The Atmosphere".
  • Sang backing vocals on early releases for both Sucioperro and Aereogramme.
  • In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, he stated the "Songs That Changed His Life" were:

[edit] Equipment used

The following is a list of musical equipment used by Simon Neil.

[edit] Guitars

  • Fender Stratocasters – Various different Mexican models, including White, Red, Sunburst (with neck pickup & controls removed), Black, and Metallic Blue.
  • Fender 1960 Custom Stratocasters – Fiesta Red, Frost Metallic, and White.
  • Fender 50s Stratocaster Relic
  • Fender Telecaster Deluxe – Sunburst
  • Fender Telecaster Custom '62 – Sunburst, Japanese model
  • Gretsch White Falcon – Double Cutaway, G6136DC Model
  • Patrick Eggle New York – Red

[edit] Effects pedals

  • BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
  • BOSS DS-1 Distortion
  • BOSS HM-2 Heavy Metal
  • BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone
  • BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay
  • BOSS LS-3 Line Selector
  • Marshall Guv'nor

[edit] Amplifiers

[edit] Other

Biffy Clyro
Simon Neil | James Johnston | Ben Johnston
Discography
Albums: Blackened Sky | The Vertigo Of Bliss | Infinity Land | Puzzle
EPs: thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow
Singles: "iname" | "27" | "Justboy" | "57" | "Joy.Discovery.Invention"/"Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" | "The Ideal Height" | "Questions and Answers" | "Eradicate the Doubt" | "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake" | "Glitter and Trauma" | "My Recovery Injection" | "Only One Word Comes To Mind" | "Semi-Mental" | "Saturday Superhouse" | "The Conversation Is..."
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