Franz Ferdinand Review
Franz Ferdinand, is a constellation of four young and talented musicians. They became famous after their second single-release in 2004, `Take Me Out´ from their debutalbum `Franz Ferdinand´. The Band‘s musical genre is something between indie-rock and britpop with post-punk elements of the late Seventies.
Their debut was a success in Great Britain and as a result of this, they became famous all over the world. In `Chateau´, an inofficial meeting point, of the Glasgow-indie-scene, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Paul Thomson and Robert Hardy had their first gigs. The reason for the German influence on the bandname and some of their songs is Nick McCarthy who visited a highschool in Bavaria. He also studied the piano and contrabass there. The name is german-articulated and is based on the Austrian-Hungarian archduke Franz Ferdinand.
In 2005, one year after their first, the second album `You Could Have It So Much Better´ was released. It was not as experimental as `Franz Ferdinand´, but it also became a top-ten-seller. Their third CD, `Tonight:Franz Ferdinand´ was published in 2009. With using synthesizers, their sound was a bit different, although the style did not change. The band added extraordinary elements, like banjos or human bones used as drumsticks. Franz Ferdinand wanted to produce a dancealbum and it worked.
On the 11th of December 2009 they had a gig in the Bank Austria Mall at the viennese Gasometer. The title of the concert was Franz Ferdinand and Special Guest. The unknown guest was a German band with the name `1000 Robota´. The three guys from Hamburg played about half an hour, then stopped and left the stage. Probably because the audience wasn‘t too interested.
With a delay of only ten minutes Franz Ferdinand stormed the stage. A loud and clear `Guten Abend´ (`Good Evening´) and the song `No You Girls´ filled the hall with great mood. After the first song Nick saluted and spoke to the crowd, in perfect german. He told the people that this was the last gig of the `Tonight:Franz Ferdinand´-tour and that the band was looking forward to come back home. The crowd was cheering and the show started. The bandmembers, who all were dressed in tight clothes played one song after another. During the second song (`The Dark Of The Matinee´) the background, which was only a big bandbanner, changed into a screen with flashing light elements, on which different scenes were projected.
Franz Ferdinand were performing songs of their current album as well as their classics, like `Take Me Out´ or `This Fire´. `Lucid Dreams´ was played as an extended 15-minutes version as the final song. After about an hour the four played a 10 minutes long extra on one drum kit. After that the band left the stage without a word.
After loud and neverending encore screams of the crowd they entered the stage again. With beer bottles in hands they went on playing. Older songs like `Michael´ and `40‘´ were played in special mixed versions and also a new song which has not been published yet was played.
The final performance, `Lucid Dreams´ was most impressive. Nick was playing the piano and Alex switched in the middle of the song, from guitar to synthesizer. The screen was playing back live-pictures of the crowd and the band. Every single bandmember presented himself with his original instrument leaving the stage one by one. Afterwards they came back on the stage to bow out. The hurricane of applause was so loud, that it seemed 20.000 people were celebrating instead of nearly 5.000.
During the whole concert people were dancing, singing and looking for the best possible positions to see the stage. But something was missing between the band and the crowd. Franz Ferdinand is one of the best liveacts in the world, but on this gig, despite of the great show, the `certain something´ was not totally present. Last sommer they played on the `Volt Fesztivál´ in Sopron in front of 30.000 people and the show seemed more impressive and energy loaded. Maybe it was the point of exhaustion of the long tour.
But they are still worthwhile and Franz Ferdinand are still one of the best liveacts all over the world. A stunning and highly recommended two hours show!
REVIEW BY SAMUEL KISS & LAURA M. ZODER
IMAGES BY SAMUEL KISS
(ISSUE 19)