Franz Ferdinand have been going strong since their debut record launched 20 years ago.
It has been all systems go for the rockers lately, with no signs of slowing down – with a sell-out Scottish tour, shooting a new music video and their sixth studio album The Human Fear set to launch in the new year.
The group have been filming the promo for their latest single Audacious at the iconic Glasgow Barrowland, where they are also scheduled to perform next spring.
But their meteoric rise to success wasn’t always so smooth-sailing according to frontman Alex Kapranos, who recalled a toe-curling memory from their first headline show at the venue in 2004.
Alex, 52, told What’s On Scotland: “I drove down from my flat in Dennistoun with my guitar in my car, which at the time was a banger.
“We did sound check in the middle of the afternoon and when I went to leave there was a big queue already formed.
“I got in my car and started my engine… Except it didn’t start. It basically broke down in front of everyone trying to get in to the Barrowlands. I thought ‘what the hell am I going to do?’
“I had to ask everybody in line for a bump start… Probably the greatest moment of that year.”
Another person who was sure to keep Alex’s feet on the ground is his dad.
“The funny thing is when the family come here, they sit over at the mixing desks. I always see my dad really clearly and he’s always getting into it in time to the music.
Getty Images“It’s really nice but at the same time it brings you back to being like, five years old in a nativity play. It completely pierces the bubble of rockstar aura you have around you.”
He added: “My dad was terrible for reading absolutely everything about the band and quoting it back to me. ‘I see you’ve fallen out with Liam Gallagher again.'”
Franz Ferdinand recently unveiled the music video for their latest single Audacious, inspired by what goes on backstage at a show.
Bob said: “People think of backstage as this incredibly exciting place where anything can happen, magical almost. Which is what it is, obviously. We wanted to step it up a level and really run with it.
“In other words, what our backstage is like.”
Alex said: “In the Barras we’ve had some amazing parties here after gigs.
“There’s a bar through a little door downstairs and a little dancefloor down there,” Bob added.
One festival the pair miss is T In the Park, which ran between 1994 and 2016, mostly at Balado Airfield in Kinross.
Alex said Franz Ferdinand’s first show at T in the Park will stay with him forever.
“One of my most vivid memories,” he said. “When I’m lying on my deathbed, about to disappear, that’s what will flash before my eyes. The most astonishing experience I’ve ever felt. A great festival.
“Over the years we’ve been to festivals all over the world and each one has its own atmosphere and character. I can’t think of one as intense as T In the Park.”
Bob added: “It was very special. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day something similar happened again. I don’t have any inside information whatsoever. It’s what we’re missing at the moment.”
Franz Ferdinand will perform at Strathpeffer’s Spa Pavilion, on September 26, Stirling’s Albert Halls on September 27 and The Venue in Dumfries on September 28 before performing at Glasgow Barrowland on March 25, 2025.
The Human Fear will be released on January 10 2025.
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