
Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
6:04 PM 22nd January 2025
arts
Review
Franz Ferdinand - Still In Prime Condition With Triumphant Manchester Return
![Franz Ferdinand]()
Franz Ferdinand
When Franz Ferdinand rose to prominence over twenty years ago, the Scottish band brought a much-needed boost to the indie-guitar rock scene with their brand of melodic songs laced with barbed wire hooks and youthful exuberance.
Their new album,
The Human Fear, the first release in seven years, is possibly one of their best to date, a point that the band led by Alex Kapranos seemed to agree with; most of the new album was played in the concert at Aviva Studios in Manchester, which was also being filmed for a screening on Amazon Prime.
The band was always a visual one; the extra addition of the various film cameras gave Kapranos an excuse to exaggerate his rock star poses even further. Every opportunity to raise his hands in the air or to take up a classic position with his guitar was exhausted as he and the rest of the band, dressed in black and orange, added an extra flair—due to their art school college background.
Opening with
The Doctor, a track that blended the melody of Sparks with the electropop of Kraftwerk, Franz Ferdinand appeared to have the same enthusiasm as when they first started, with the energy levels never dropping throughout the show.
Throughout, Kapranos was the master of swagger and confidence, though guitarist Dino Bardot and Yorkshire-born Bob Hardy contrasted well, always there but never taking the spotlight, Bardot providing yet another infectious guitar hook and Hardy plodding away on bass.
The Dark of the Matinée provided a throwback to earlier successes, with new tracks like
Audacious proving that there is still a good reason to get excited about the band in 2025.
“When I was growing up in my parents house in Glasgow, I used to listen to many bands from Manchester; one in particular stood out,” Kapranos shared as Johnny Marr, The Smiths guitarist and co-songwriter, walked on stage to join the band to aptly play
Build It Up.
![Alex Kapranos is joined on stage with Johnny Marr]()
Alex Kapranos is joined on stage with Johnny Marr
It only seemed right that the band should play one of The Smiths tracks, as Marr struck the opening chords of
Bigmouth Strikes Again, the absence of Morrissey, The Smiths lead singer, didn't matter—Kapranos delivered a powerful performance and likely couldn't believe he was sharing the stage with one of his guitar heroes.
Wisely following the unexpected appearance with
Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand’s biggest hit to date, all that was left was for yet another new track,
The Birds, with the band adding yet another feather to their cap on a night where the impression given was that it looked like a long way off from this fine rock band being knocked off their perch.