Simon Neil
Background information
Birth name	Simon Alexander Neil
Also known as	The Atmosphere
Born	August 31, 1979 (1979-08-31) (age 27)
Origin	Ayr, South Ayrshire Scotland
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1995 – present
Label(s)	Beggars Banquet 14th Floor Roadrunner
Associated acts	Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Website	www.biffyclyro.com
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Stratocaster

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

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Biffy Clyro 2.2 Marmaduke Duke 2.3 Other 3 Personal life 4 Musical equipment used 4.1 Guitars 4.2 Effects pedals 4.3 Amplifiers 4.4 Other 5 Notes

Early life

Simon Neil was born and raised in Ayr, Scotland. He began playing violin in 1984 at age five. He spent much of his early teens listening to bands such as Nirvana, Weezer and Pearl Jam. In 1992, at age thirteen, he attended his first concert, Metallica at the SECC, Glasgow on 27 October.

Career

Biffy Clyro

Main article: Biffy Clyro

Simon Neil formed Biffy Clyro in 1995 at fifteen years old recruiting Kilmarnock-born Ben Johnston and someone known only as Barry on drums and bass respectively, calling themselves Screwfish. Barry was soon replaced by James Johnston, Ben's twin brother, and Biffy Clyro was effectively formed. In 1997, the trio moved to Glasgow, where Neil studied Electronics with Music at the University of Glasgow. He also Studied Film and TV for a year before leaving to pursue music full time. By then, Simon's musical tastes had expanded greatly; one of his greatest influences being Fugazi. In 2000, the band were spotted at the Unsigned Bands stage at T in the Park by a Beggars Banquet representative. Soon after, the band was signed to the independent Beggar's Banquet.

Biffy Clyro have since released four albums, signed to a major record label, and toured relentlessly. Neil has stated that Biffy Clyro lyrics often come from phrases he writes down in a notebook he keeps by his bed. The band's erratic and sometimes strange song titles are said to come from skewed conversations and are sometimes very tenuously linked to the lyrical content.

Marmaduke Duke

Main article: Marmaduke Duke

Neil plays with JP Reid of fellow Ayrshire group Sucioperro in Marmaduke Duke, under the pseudonym "The Atmosphere", which has so far only released one album, The Magnificent Duke, in 2005.

Other

Neil sang backing vocals on early releases for both Sucioperro and Aereogramme.

Personal life

Neil is currently engaged to his fiancée, supports Ayr United F.C., and has stated that if he didn't do music, he'd probably want to be a footballer. Neil has also said he wants the songs "Since You've Been Gone" by Rainbow and "Black" by Pearl Jam played at his funeral.

Musical equipment used

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

Guitars

• Fender Standard 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 Standard – USA model, three tone sunburst.
• Fender Telecaster Custom '62 – Japanese model, three tone sunburst, can be seen in the music video for "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies".
• Gretsch G6136DC White Falcon – White, can be seen in the music video for "Folding Stars".
• Patrick Eggle New York – Red.
• Gibson Flying V – used in the studio for "Pause It And Turn It Up"
• Gibson Les Paul Junior – used in the studio for Puzzle.
• Various acoustic guitars

Effects pedals

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

Amplifiers

• Marshall 1959SLP Head and Marshall 1960A Cabinet (x2)
• Peavey Classic Head and Peavey Classic 1x15 Cabinet
• Peavey Delta Blues Combo (x2)
• Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x10 Combo (x2)

Other

• Ernie Ball "Skinny-Top, Heavy-Bottom" strings
• Dunlop Nylon Black 1mm Picks

Notes