Franz Ferdinand Takes Us Out for a Night In Glasgow
An intimate and sweaty evening at the Barras Barrowland Ballroom with the stench of cigarette smoke and booze permeating the air, perfectly describes a night in the trenches of Glasgow’s effervescent music scene. Franz Ferdinand is no stranger to our cornucopia of Scottish venues, so much so that they will find themselves back at the SWG3, on 13 August.
Touring their newest studio album, The Human Fear, the band has managed to keep a relevance in the cultural zeitgeist for over twenty years. Their setlist was a seamless blend of high energy newer tracks and nostalgic rock melodies that even someone unfamiliar with their discography would be able to sing off hand.
The crowd was a mixture of young and old, indie 20 year olds and divorced dads alike. As the opening chords of Bar Lonely, reverberated through the hall, it was clear that the audience was in for a good time. With surprisingly no iPhone’s in sight, it felt as though everyone was being transported to a simpler time when gigs were about embracing the culture of the moment. People thrashed to Do You Want To, and Audacious, threw their drinks in the air, took their shirts off, and climbed on each other’s shoulders.
The band’s frontman, Alex Kapranos, was the consistent subject of a singular fluorescent white spotlight that contrasted with the constantly changing multi color illumination of the rest of the band. He egged on the crowd eagerly anticipating their most famous tune, Take Me Out.
No corner of the Barras was left untouched by the pulsating guitar riffs, invigorating bass drum, and the jumping crowd that was on the verge of bursting through the floor of the 3 story venue. It was as though the ground itself was moving as they sang, “You say you don’t know, I say ‘Take me out.’” Lyrics that could be heard through the solid brick walls as this reviewer finished the end of her cigarette, the song aesthetically aligning with such behaviours. It was undoubtedly the most engaging track of the evening before an encore setlist of 8 tunes that fed off of the everlasting high.
Jacquelin was another crowd pleasing tune that made an appearance for hungry fans. Darts of Pleasure and The Fallen, engaging additions that were unlisted on the setlist as well. As each song seemingly flowed into the next, everyone was so engrossed in the all consuming aura that it came as a shock to the system when the melody halted and the gig came to a crashing end.
As the house lights came up, and the viscosity that stained the floor became abhorrent to those standing on it, the unspoken energy was that this hoard of people would be back for another round come the end of the summer. This sense of nostalgia and loyalty, the indisputable reason that Franz Ferdinand continues to grace Glasgow with their presence.
