VIDEO: Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil speaks out on Black Lives Matter protests

9 June 2020, 09:32 | Updated: 9 June 2020, 09:36

Simon Neil talks about the Black Lives Matter protests

The Biffy Clyro frontman has discussed the recent political events and why he's "almost pleased to see these protests happening".

Simon Neil has spoken out about the Black Lives Matter movement and why he feels "encouraged" by the protests.

The Biffy Clyro frontman recently released Tiny Indoor Fireworks with the Scottish rockers and when asked by George Godfrey if he sees some of the themes he was talking about coming to life, he replied: "We're overdue a reset of the institutions and things that have been set for hundreds of years.

"This is the time to reset. The coronavirus gave us that opportunity anyway, but I'm almost really really pleased to see these protests going on. I'm pleased to see slave owners statues toppling. Why should people have to put up with that side of white people's history?"

He added: "We need people to stand up and say 'this needs to change,' because we can't just sweep it under the rug or say next week we'll go back to normality, because there's no such thing."

Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil speak to Radio X about the Black Lives Matter protests. Picture: Radio X

The Mountains singer continued: "We've got such a unique opportunity to change almost everything that's wrong in this world.

"It's horrible that it takes such extreme violence. In fact, the violence has always been going on. It just so happens in the age of camera phones that we're seeing it and it's horrible."

"What I find most encouraging is there's so many young people," mused the rocker. "There's so many people of every ethnicity and creed protesting and that is how we know that things need to change. It's not like someone protesting from their perspective. Everybody has the same perspective now, and I just think if we don't embrace the change right now, we don't stand a chance".

The rocker also reflected on his music, and how he almost feels like it shouldn't take any precedent during the current events.

"At this moment in time, things do feel more important," he revealed. "And that's my whole life, my music. I love it. It's everything. It's the reason I get up in the morning, but seeing this now, [...] we've been ignorant to it for so long and we need to listen to what these people have to say..."