Biffy Clyro are set to hit the Christmas number two* slot in the UK chart next week following the adoption of their recent single ‘Many of Horror’ by Matt Cardle, winner of ITV’s X-Factor show on Sunday.
Renamed ‘What We Become’ (the song’s bracketed sub-title), the tune was covered on the TV show by Cardle, a 29-year-old former decorator from Essex, who despite mauling the song in a second take after winning the competition, proved to be the only contestant who could carry a tune in a bucket.

Meanwhile, Biffy, and songwriter Simon Neil, have resolutely made “no comment” on the version, or its earning potential (former Electric Honey labelmates Snow Patrol are believed to be fairly comfortably off following a cover of ‘Run’ by Leona Lewis, or someone).

However, it’s been estimated that publishing royalties could be as much as £25,000. Which is roughly £25,000 more than Cardle, signed on a standard X-Factor contract, is likely to make.

*Christmas number one will be occupied by the celebrity-packed version of John Cage’s ‘4.33’. Unless, of course, a late surge of sales of the original Biffy version of the tune overtakes it…