Being music fans here at Goldenplec, sometimes we spend our free time going to see bands with absolutely no intention of reviewing but on leaving feel compelled to share our thoughts. This is exactly what happened this weekend when I ventured west to check out Franz Ferdinand in Galway’s famous Róisín Dubh, before heading down to Limerick and Dolan’s Warehouse.
Having taken two years off from live performances, Glasgow’s finest made the decision to ease themselves back into the live scene and to test out new material with a mini Irish tour taking in Galway, Limerick and Cork. Having played venues such as The Olympia and The Point on previous Irish visits, it may have seemed like an odd choice to play such small venues; yet these venues were the perfect location for road testing brand new, never before heard material.
Kicking off in Galway with Cheating On You, the band showed they had lost none of their energy nor showmanship in their long absence from the live scene. Engaging with the crowd throughout the set, Alex Kapranos was ever the charismatic frontman, joking with fans about requests and at one point requesting the crowd’s assistance to remember the first verse of Walk Away. Debuting three new songs, Trees & Animals, Right Thoughts and Fresh Strawberries, it was clear Franz have decided to take a step back and return to their original guitar hook laden sound. A reworked version of Can’t Stop Feeling, including a disco back beat, gave a chance to pay homage to disco queen Donna Summer by including a chorus of I Feel Love. Drummer Paul Thomson told the attentive audience this week marked the tenth anniversary of the band’s first gig and I’m sure everyone in attendance will agree this was the perfect performance and venue to mark the occasion.
Saturday night in Limerick saw the band debut another new track, Brief Encounters. Definitely a stand out amongst the new material, the track is catchy from the offset with a signature Nick McCarthy synth followed by an undeniably Franzified guitar rift. Shaking off any nerves that may have been present the previous night, the quartet delivered an unbelievably confident performance ending the night with the explosive This Fire.
There was a sense that these gigs, in years to come, will be talked about in an almost revered way; they were a privilege for all those who were lucky enough to attend. Franz Ferdinand are clearly a band back on top form and, although it’s early days, the new material sounds fantastic and is exactly what fans want. Their live performance is as good as ever, if not better. If you get the chance to see the boys at a festival over the summer make sure you don’t miss out!
Galway Setlist
Cheating On You
Do You Want To?
Trees & Animals
Tell Her Tonight
Right Thoughts
No You Girls
Matinee
Walk Away
Fresh Strawberries
WTICSFIFL? Midnight! (Can’t Stop Feeling/I Feel Love)
Take Me Out
Ulysses
Auf Asche
Michael
*****
Outsiders
Jacqueline
Limerick Setlist
Cheating On You
Do You Want To?
Tell Her Tonight
Right Thoughts
No You Girls
Matinee
Brief Encounters
Walk Away
Fresh Strawberries
WTICSFIFL? Midnight!
Take Me Out
Ulysses
Trees & Animals
40’
Outsiders
Jacqueline
*****
Michael
This Fire