Glasgow’s Franz Ferdinand have been around for almost a quarter of a century, and a commanding performance on their return to Cardiff showed anyone encountering their live show for the first time – these reviewers included! – the error of their ways. The night began with a tight eight-song set from Home Counties, a Reading band promoting their second album Humdrum. Their bouncy guitar-synth sound went down well, and they will doubtless benefit from exposure to sold-out crowds such as this one.
Having breezed through England on tour, this evening Franz Ferdinand set the tone, with an opening career-spanning trifecta: The Dark Of The Matinee from their eponymous debut album, followed by 2013’s Love Illumination and Night Or Day from last year’s The Human Fear.
There have been line-up changes over the years, but frontman Alex Kapranos is at its heart, captivating the audience throughout. Sharp-suited and in black and white spectator shoes, you can’t take your eyes off him: one minute there’s an acrobatic jump, next an Elvis-like podium pose, then melodramatically on his knees like Father John Misty – but it feels authentic.
Bassist Bob Hardy, Franz’s other remaining original member, operates with calm assurance as he prowls the stage, regulating the danceable rhythms in tandem with ever-smiling drummer Audrey Tait. Dino Bardot brings panache on guitar and glam via his leopard-print boots, and Julian Corrie adds another dimension on keys and occasional guitars, along with an impressive range of gymnastic poses.
There’s always been a hint of early Roxy Music in Franz Ferdinand’s style and they’re much more than an old-school indie band. Hooked shows their dance credentials with its hard, synth-driven groove (think Benny Benassi’s Satisfaction) and Kapranos even reaches for his bouzouki on Black Eyelashes, a song from the latest album which references his Greek heritage.
The roof is expectedly raised with their two biggest chart hits, Do You Want To and Take Me Out. The group have the audience on a string well before the four-song encore, during which there’s time for Franz Ferdinand to conduct their devoted fans through the anthemic This Fire.
Franz Ferdinand + Home Counties, Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 8 Mar
words KARL ELLIS & ALI ELLIS photos KARL ELLIS
