Franz Ferdinand
The Dome, Brighton | 17 March
For a time during the mid noughties it was impossible to leave the house without being greeted by either the sound or image of Franz Ferdinand. They, along with musical comrades The Futureheads and Bloc Party, were key motivators in a British guitar explosion that saw lopsided haircuts and angular riffs pushed to the fore.
Ten years after the release of their self-titled debut they stand on stages minus the buzz and deafening hoohah that surrounded their early days, but instead as a group of four prepped and primed to deliver a performance that for its hundred minute duration kept the audience tight within their collective grasp.
In monochrome themed outfits and with a backdrop of projected images flickering behind them, the four power through a set that twists and turns its way through their four album catalogue. While material from last year’s Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action including Evil Eye and Right Action are met with a warm embrace, it’s no surprise that glimpses of that decade-old debut herald the best connection with tonight’s varied crowd. The foot-stomping chorus of Take Me Out and the lively Michael have soundtracked thousands of drunken fumbles and many more hazy nights spent at indie discos, so it’s little surprise that these three minute bursts of sharp guitars and sharper melodies hit hard. Just like the band’s equally angular singer, the material has aged extremely very well.
Alex Kapranos and Co. may not reach the heady heights of past successes, but there’s little doubting that these now musical veterans possess a timeless appeal.
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Words: Nathan Westley
Photos: Mike Burnell
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