The Captain Meets James Johnston (Biffy Clyro)

Lee sits down for a chat with the bassist from Biffy Clyro to find out what it's like being in such a successful rock band and of course to talk about gear!
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⏰ Timestamps ⏰
» 0:00 Introducing James Johnston!
» 0:50 Being in a Band with your Brother?
» 5:36 About Bass?
» 11:40 What's Your Role in the Band?
» 15:40 What Makes You Happiest?
» 22:32 Let's Talk Gear!
» 25:10 Getting an Album Sound Live?
» 27:38 Your Basses?
» 28:50 Amps
» 32:15 Producing?
» 40:12 Back to Basses!
» 44:20 Pedals!
» 51:25 Thanks For Watching!
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#bass #biffyclyro #bassguitar

[@stephenfleming8030]

This boy is being a little too modest... I did FOH for Biffy (at Ruby Tuesdays in Irvine 1997) a handful of times...when they were 15 years old...and they blew everyone else away. They were monstrously talented even then. But talent aside, my band did the UK toilet tour the same time as Biffy, and I can absolutely assure everyone that they were the hardest working band out there. They toured hard, and constantly. Their perseverance and commitment to their fans is simply second to none. If you're a musician/songwriter, you cannot have anything but admiration for these guys, regardless if you like rock or not. The work ethic and commitment is everything in music, and they have that and the talent in spades.

[@nedim_guitar]

It shows! Great band!

[@Simto]

MON THE BIFF!!!! Would never have imagined any of the Biffy lads on here! Great to see!

[@stuartmiller5724]

All this talk about 3 piece but no one is mentioning their 4th touring member, Mike vennart. Currently of empire state bastard and formerly of oceansize. The man’s a legend.

[@bluesful]

You're also forgetting Richard "Gambler" Ingram.

[@davidparsons97]

​@@bluesful Mike and Gambler are very important to live sound and keeping it sounding big. Would be interesting if they were brought into the creative process for 1 album.

[@nedim_guitar]

​@@davidparsons97 Nah, then our wouldn't be Biffy Clyro.

[@MsScoby78]

I could listen to James talk about anything and everything for hours and days on end.

[@Paul-D]

Crazy he would mention Steve Albini as someone who he wants to work with as since this was recorded he has passed away!

[@liamhemmings9039]

What a great interview. James is really thoughtful and interesting.

[@AaronKoskelainenBass]

Love James! Wish they had someone who knew more about Biffy as the interviewer! Could have asked about some of the great basslines like A Whole Child Ago for example

[@oscarskjoldan]

AWESOME!!! Just clicked this, but I have ALWAYS wanted to hear more from James and his bass playing!

[@MartinBix]

Great to not only to see a bass player being interviewed, but such a great player and bloke as James. Awesome stuff!!

[@dmac3316]

Thanks for the vid, I really enjoyed it! I saw Biffy Clyro at a club show a couple years ago in Toronto and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Great stuff!

[@tob564]

The Vertigo of Bliss is one of the best rock albums ever made - both in terms of music and sound.

[@ashg231]

What a brilliant, down to earth guy! Always enjoyed Biffy's music so was nice to see one of them on here, fantastic interview as always Cap, bringing out the best of the guest!

[@BenMeecham]

I've always been a Biffy fan and this was such a great interview! Such a shame James will never get to work with Steve Albini now, RIP x

[@kevinbridger2989]

So..turns out I'm a latent Mogwai fan!.. cheers James 😉. Loving the Biff since TJ's in Newport around 94?? (Still got the t-shirt Simon flogged me post gig!) Bloody nice blokes as well as an amazing band ✊

[@keithb5612]

Waiting for Mogwai on this series Lee🙏

[@iananderson8233]

Fascinating 👍

[@krisoliver6202]

3 of the nicest guys in music and in general. Always have a rapport with fans and interviewers, and not to mention their music and live performances are absolutely brilliant.

[@8Music]

Great band, love them.

[@neilspake]

I continue to bill myself as the biggest Biffy Clyro fan in the US. My great friend, Dave McGeachan , of DF Concerts based in Glasgow, will hopefully back me up on that one. SO great you had James on the ‘show’, Lee!

[@klausfritsch4350]

Nice guy, have to listen to that band again.

[@nedim_guitar]

I missed this! Got a tip of this video on Philip McKnight's latest live stream. I love Biffy Clyro! I got into them in 2014, and in March this year I really got into them again, so much that I haven't listened to anything else since then. And now it's June. Well, I did listen three or four albums by other artists this week, but that's a drop in the ocean. It's as if I had so much Biffy to rediscover.

[@williamharrod6686]

These are my favourite shows. Would love to see more british artists on here. When you see your hero's on stage, you dont consider they're also gear nuts as well. You just enjoy the music. But its nice to hear what they have to say along with what gear they're into.

[@defmu3825]

great band, great guy!

[@MattSwain1]

Biffy are one of those bands that I’ve been aware of for years, and I have friends who are big fans and yet I don’t think I’ve ever listened to any of their music for no particular reason. I’m going to put that straight once I’ve finished the rest of the interview

[@ToddTheJoker]

same here, never listened to them

[@onlyforthecomments]

You're seriously missing out. I was the same a few years ago and had them pigeonholed as some sort of stadium rock type band so wasn't that interested. I am now a massive fan and happy to admit that I was clueless until I started working through their back catalogue 🤣

[@dogdirtaudio]

What a nice chap

[@RishPanjeetJr]

I love Biffy Clyro!

[@egnbigdave]

Funny how you go full circle with gear. My first "propper" bass rig was a Washburn Axxess XS-4 into a Trace 7215 SM in the early 90's. Now having gone through almost everything (Ampeg, Warwick and Orange bass amps and Fender, Warwick, Spector, Musicman, Gibson bassses) at the end of my playing days I dug out that old Washburn and picked up a Trace Elliot GP12SMX...

[@damianrf6309]

This country. Scotland.

[@ArthurDent33]

Life the universe and everything

[@willgoodchild4343]

Great band, met them a couple of times and super nice guys as well as being annoyingly talented 😂 they are always great live from the small bar venues to arenas.

[@LukeBass1000]

39:04 Golden Rule you say? 😉😏

[@davedavem]

I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Biffy. Where does Mike Vennart from Oceansize fit in?

[@JoshuaBatch]

He’s their touring 2nd guitarist. If you see photos of a left handed fella jumping around on stage, that’s him.

[@8Music]

Get John Squire on

[@hankinho175]

well... mr Mike Kerr from Royal Blood has to come on the show now, doesn't he???

[@jimboc669]

Guys a twat so hopefully not

[@nigelsmith721]

They're a rock band, apparently

[@ToddTheJoker]

Looks and sounds a bit like Ewan McGregor and Ron Weasley's love child!

[@stoneysdead689]

LOL- That's hilarious because it's true.

[@ToddTheJoker]

@@stoneysdead689 I know right? lol

[@nigelsmith721]

I've always maintained that if Biffy were from LA instead of Kilmarnock they'd be global megastars. And they'd probably be arseholes too. Thankfully, they're neither of those things. EDIT - some of the comments to this video are mindboggling.

[@xngr]

He had all his stuff up and running but there's no playing? Such a shame.

[@FLGamer-iu3pd]

First comment lol

[@joshoptical]

Second!

[@danharding9136]

Like Lee. But that was pretty awful for the most part. James kept it going

[@69spiros]

he cant even play a single note(exept 31.26) LOL.....but he hung the bass all the time.....strange

[@thebaneofyourexistence.3377]

Eh

[@stoneysdead689]

@@thebaneofyourexistence.3377 He thinks it's odd that he sat by his bass, plug in and ready to play, through the whole interview, but never played anything.

[@stoneysdead689]

I can't stomach musicians who try and pretend as if FX pedals play for you or something- as if it's cheating somehow- how stupid. Some of the best bands/musicians in the world used tons of FX- Hendrix, Tool, King Crimson, you name it- they used FX. FX are tools- that's it, and without someone who knows what they're doing with them- they sound horrible, and ppl don't react well to them. So, this idea that some song is only popular due to an effect used- is b.s. It's popular because ppl like the song, the effect used is only a small part of that. Don't believe me? Use the same effect and write us a hit then- what are you waiting for? All you need is the pedal- right?