WORDS AND IMAGES ALAN BRYCE
In support of their 6th album, Franz Ferdinand closed out their current tour with two sold-out nights at the O2 Empire Shepherds Bush, before heading to their final show in their hometown of Glasgow. Opening the set with “Night or Day”, the second single from their latest album, The Human Fear, the band demonstrated why they’ve been at the forefront of popular music for over two decades. Their energetic start continued throughout the show as they took the audience on a journey through new material and their illustrious back catalogue.
Alex, dressed in a neat, dark suit and shirt, made full use of the sizeable O2 stage, sounding as good as ever. As an elder statesman of UK rock music, he showed no signs of slowing down. The band has undergone a couple of lineup changes over the years, with founding member and guitarist Nick McCarthy stepping aside in 2016 and drummer Paul Thomson following suit in 2021. Dino Bardot on guitar and Julie Corrie on keyboard, both joining in 2017, recorded the 2018 offering ‘Always Ascending’ and have remained permanent members since. Audrey Tait, who joined on drums in 2021, initially toured the previous material before contributing as a writer and drummer on this latest album.
The performance was polished throughout, showcasing not only talented musicians but seasoned performers. There was a consistent level of energy, with a constant back-and-forth between old, new, and classic tracks. The set included nine tracks from their 2025 offering, such as “Black Eyelashes”, “Everydaydreamer”, “Audacious”, and “Hooked”, where opening act Master Peace joined Franz on stage to add his vocal prowess. The high-energy performance was wholly appreciated by the audience.
Noteworthy was the variety of languages and accents among the audience, singing and chatting between songs. Franz Ferdinand isn’t only a UK icon, but also has fans and followers from far and wide who travelled to London to witness this triumphant return to the Shepherds Bush Empire stage. All in all, 21 perfectly performed songs, including anthems and hits. I was left realising that Franz Ferdinand is as important, influential, and exciting as they were when they debuted in 2003. I look forward to what they do next and will be following and watching in anticipation.
SET LIST
1/ Night or Day
2/ Walk Away
3/ Everydaydreamer
4/ The Dark of the Matinée
5/ Bar Lonely
6/ Do You Want To
7/ Audacious
8/ Evil Eye
9/ Build It Up
10/ Michael
11/ Ulysses
12/ Black Eyelashes
13/ Jacqueline
14/ Love Illumination
15/ Take Me Out
16/ Hooked
(with Master Peace)
17/ Outsiders
Encore:
18/ Cats
19/ The Fallen
20/ The Birds
21/ This Fire
(with band introductions)
FOLLOW FRANZ FERDINAND
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
