Some bands you listen to sound completely different now compared to their debut records; think Pablo Honey vs A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead. Other bands broke through with a particular sound, and have stuck with that formula throughout their career; Franz Ferdinand would be a prime example. The upbeat indie dance sound that propelled them into the mainstream after the release of their self-titled debut in 2004 still permeates the new songs played from the upcoming as-yet untitled 5th album. So whether you enjoy that sound goes a long way towards determining if you will enjoy tonight’s show. Judging from the huge crowd that fills Metropolis almost to capacity, plenty still do…and everyone certainly does.
With a new album in the works, many bands choose to use their stage time to play a plethora of new songs that largely fall on deaf ears, ears which respond only when they hear something they recognize. Tonight, Franz Ferdinand don’t make that mistake. With only 4 new songs featured in the 17-song set, the show has a definite Greatest Hits feel, and when you’ve had as many hits as Franz Ferdinand have, it makes for quite the party.
The band bound out on stage and begin with frontman Alex Kapranos singing the familiar opening verse of Jacqueline almost completely unaccompanied except for a few strokes of his guitar, before the song explodes into life with the timeless line “it’s always better on holiday, so much better on holiday, that’s why we only work when we need the money!” It’s hard to think of many better album openers than that song, even 13 years later. No You Girls keeps everyone moving, and then the sound drops out entirely at the end of the second verse for the crowd to howl “I mean I need to love!”
New song Paper Cages follows the tried and tested Franz Ferdinand formula of driving bass and perky riffs, and is every bit as catchy as what went before, before the classic The Dark Of The Matinée thunders around the room. Alex fires a brief “merci mes amis!” into the crowd, and follows that up with Evil Eye, Do You Wanna, and another song song, Lazy Boy.
Alex dazzles with his Francophone skills as he takes advantage of an extended breakdown on The Fallen to introduce the band entirely in French, which unsurprisingly is greeted with a cacophony of cheers, the loudest of which are reserved for a resounding “nous sommes Franz Ferdinand!!!” They follow that up with a furious rendition of Michael, as both Alex and drummer Paul Thomson duel lyrically on the chorus.
New song Huck & Jim, with its stop-start drum beat constantly changing pace, is a highlight of the songs played, before merging into breakthrough single Take Me Out which sets the place off once more, before that too melts into the moody bass-driven stomp of Ulysses to close out the main set in resounding fashion.
The band re-emerge after a few moments and kick off the encore with the gentle twinkly riff and soft vocals of Stand On The Horizon, which soon explodes into life. New song Always Ascending initially suggests a departure from the usual sound, with Alex accompanied by a piano over somewhat spacey effects, before eventually kicking into life with those more familiar bouncey riffs and beats. Love Illumination and a storming This Fire close out the show in a furious manner, and both Alex and crowd alike bellow “BURN THIS CITY!!!” at the top of their lungs.
Franz Ferdinand may not be the most experimental, innovative band in the world, but 13 years after bursting onto the scene, they still write great songs, release great records, and can throw one heck of a party in a packed-out room. So why change anything? Like the old adage says, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And the Franz Ferdinand live show definitely ain’t broke.
Setlist
Jacqueline
No You Girls
Paper Cages
The Dark of the Matinée
Evil Eye
Do You Wanna
Lazy Boy
Walk Away
The Fallen
Michael
Huck & Jim
Take Me Out
Ulysses
Stand on the Horizon
Always Ascending
Love Illumination
This Fire
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Arianne Bergeron
