As far as I know, the the biggest NYC venue headlined to date by Biffy Clyro is the 500-capacity Gramercy Theater. I’ve seen them there, and in considerably smaller spaces, too — the Studio At Webster Hall (capacity: 300) and Bowery Electric (capacity: 200). And Biffy absolutely lays waste to rooms that size. I can’t think of any band in any genre that plays with more intensity, certainly none that does so while playing such intricate music. Of course, part of the reason why Biffy blow the doors off tiny rooms in the States is because they’re accustomed to headlining arenas in the UK. The Scottish band are fucking superstars across the pond — they’re the top-billed act at both Leeds and Reading festivals this summer, they were named the Best British Band by NME, and their new album, Opposites, went to No. 1 on the UK charts. I’ve written a bunch about the band and album here already — it’s one of my favorites of the year. The album opens with my favorite track, “Different People,” which starts quietly and builds to a Bastille Day-level climax. Biffy chose not to play it when I saw them last (at Bowery Electric in December 2012, where they were previewing Opposites), but it’s a big part of their current set. We’ve got a new clip of the band doing the song at the O2 Arena in London. That place holds 20,000 people, and Biffy’s performance feels every bit as massive as it does in the 200-capacity basement, and they fill the space just as impressively. Watch.

Opposites is out now via Warners.