In the middle of their recent set at The Anthem, Franz Ferdinand performed “Audacious,” one of the new songs from The Human Fear, which constituted half the show. Lyrically, “Audacious” was a call for perseverance in the face of adversity, and not only is the catchy tune a message for our times but also perhaps an appropriate song for a band that very smartly grown and adapted since its extraordinary self-titled debut album in 2004.
Franz Ferdinand started out as a quartet formed organically from their experiences in Glasgow. After producing several excellent post-punk albums, the lineup shifted in recent years, dropping two founding members and adding three new members. In the process, frontman Alex Kapranos has emerged as a savvy bandleader, merging musical elements past and present to form a powerful quintet. Joined by bassist Bob Hardy, Alex recruited guitarist Dino Bardot (an associate from his ’90s association with Yummy Fur), keyboardist Julian Corrie, and most recently drummer Audrey Tait.
This exciting lineup continued the ascent of Franz Ferdinand as the band continued to sell out the 9:30 Club on its visits to DC, leading to their largest headlining performance to date at The Anthem on April 7 in support of The Human Fear, the band’s sixth studio album. Julian, who was close at hand to Alex during the show, co-wrote several of the songs for the new album; the entire band are justifiably energized by the recently penned songs, which sound very much like Franz Ferdinand songs while adding some adventurous melodic experimentation to the mix.
Watch the official music video for “Audacious” by Franz Ferdinand on YouTube:
Franz Ferdinand are on a tight schedule for the first leg of their 2025 North American tour (a second leg follows later this year), and they faced the inevitable question of whether to once again sell out the 9:30 Club for a night or even two or move to a larger venue. They already knew The Anthem after opening The Pixies there in 2023, and so it was a no-brainer to bring the Scots there for their own headlining gig. They sold out the seats and then nicely attracted about a 3/4 capacity crowd for the general admission floor, which was ideal for Franz fans, many of whom wanted a little elbow room to dance the night away.
And dance they did, beginning with a few tunes from The Human Fear including opening number “The Doctor,” single “Night or Day,” and standout track “Build It Up.” Laced along these new numbers were big fan-favorites, including an early showing of “The Dark of the Matinee” from Franz Ferdinand (2024) and “Evil Eye” from Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013).
After The Human Fear, Franz’s debut album received the most love as the band soon played “Jacqueline,” which they dedicated to fellow Scots Mogwai, who were performing in a sold-out show across town at 9:30 Club. (As always, the beat drop for “Jacqueline” was a highly anticipated moment, and you could feel the audience collectively hold their breath!) Well, Alex actually dedicated it to the folks who chose to see Franz Ferdinand at The Anthem! He then dedicated “Audacious” to those fans who made a decision to see Mogwai instead.
Franz Ferdinand then blew the roof off with a smashing performance of “Michael,” and they kept the focus on those debt album bangers as they capped the main set and hunkered down for a substantial encore that ended with a red-hot version of “This Fire,” a Franz hallmark. But to start the encore, the band pleased the crowd with a surprise performance of “Ulysses,” the only cut to appear from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009). Everyone responded with a lusty singalong to the “la, la-la-la-la” of the chorus.
Watch the official music video for “Ulysses” by Franz Ferdinand on YouTube:
Thought the show, Alex Kapranos’ warm and friendly voice truly hooked the crowd, and he gave us the sense of a worldly and wise friend who dropped in for an evening across his travels as an international man of mystery. Plus, the man can still make an impressive leap to punctuate a line! Julian was jubilant as he bounded from keyboards to guitar, and Dino stole the spotlight with several great guitar riffs. Although a step outside of the spotlight, Bob kept the rhythms flowing on bass, and Audrey won the day at the drums with those distinctive Franz Ferdinand dance beats.
You might call him “Audacious,” but Alex Kapranos has built a wonderful band and crafted a fantastic set of tunes that make for must-see live music.
Catch Franz Ferdinand on tour!
Here are some photos of Franz Ferdinand performing at The Anthem on April 7, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson. (And keep scrolling for photos of openers Telescreens.)
Here are some photos of Telescreens opening Franz Ferdinand at The Anthem on April 7, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
