Hangin in the W.C.: FRANZ FERDINAND
March 23, 2004
Easy Street Records In-Store Performance, 6 pm
The Crocodile Caf, 11 pm
Seattle, the W.C.
All you history geeks, war freaks and people with a brain, identify
20th century Franz Ferdinand as the Archduke of Austria whose
assassination in 1914 started World War I and changed the world over.
All ye gadgees out there who love music will know that 21st century
Franz Ferdinand is the up and coming band who is rocking horse shite.
In plain English, Franz Ferdinand, the Scottish post-punk pop quartet,
will rock you hoarse!
FF may be good lads with generous and good hearts but there are tigers lurking underneath their moppy heads and tight trousers.
Franz
Ferdinand (FF) is Glasgow, Scotlands gift to the world. New Music
Express (NME) magazine inaugurate FF as the band that will change your
life. The hype and press surrounding this band is tremendous. KEXP, one
of the best listener powered stations that anyone around the world can
stream on the internet at www.kexp.org, plays FF several times a day.
Franz Ferdinand is on deejay John Richards 10 Top Records of 2004 list.
They are huge in Europe. They were the hottest show at Austin, Texas,
South By SouthWest (SXSW) music festival in mid-March. They sold out
The Troubadour in Los Angeles and The Crocodile in Seattle. This is
their first US tour and after taking Europe by storm, they have now
come to take us.
See, these boys have been playing together
for only two years. We are having a fanastic time. We been mucking
about for years as friends so this is great for us lead singer Alex
Kapranos tells me when I asked about how they were handling their
growing schedule and increasing fame, as he signs the record I just had
to buy after being blown away by their powerful sound at their in-store
performance at Easy Street Records in the Queen Anne neighborhood of
Seattle.
Alex, lead guitarist Nick McCarthy, bassist Bob Hardy, and drummer Paul
Thompson are four of the most gracious musicians Ive met in my life. I
am impressed with their sweetness and sincerity. I chat them up for 10
minutes as they sign fans CD booklets, posters, and necks. Yes, necks.
When I tell them that I am going to review the show, Alex offers to put
me on the guest list. Wow! Nick also adds the three guys whom I met
while waiting in line; Ewan and Mark are fellow Weegees and by chance,
found out FF was playing while looking for a good record store and a
show to see while passing through Seattle. What lucky devils!
FF added at least a dozen other uber-fans. They are so incredibly open
and genuinly kind. They even offered the Scots a ride to Vancouver that
night on their tour bus. Barry! I am in love with these Scottish
Sweethearts!
They become a reckoning, beckoning, teasing, and
pleasing creature when they swing their instruments and bodies around
the stage.
As promised, our names were on the list and we got
to see another explosive performance. FF may be good lads with generous
and good hearts but there are tigers lurking underneath their moppy
heads and tight trousers. They become a reckoning, beckoning, teasing,
and pleasing creature when they swing their instruments and bodies
around the stage.
They played a ferocious 45-minute set of all the songs on their
self-titled record. The Seattle audience stood there gazing mutely at
the boys in the beginning of the set, but by the end of the show,
people were tapping their feet, shaking their heads and yes, some were
shoogling, Scottish slang for dancing (look at slang glossary end of
article.) FFs charming banter between songs disarmed the normally
reserved Seattle crowd and by the end of the night, the placed roared
in adoring applause.
The band came out to meet their fans right
after the show. Alex thanked me for coming out to see them. What? Alex,
thank you for having bonnie manners and a super fantastic heart. FF has
opened me up to rock coming out of the UK. These darling men are
redefining what it means to be a noble hearted rocker in the 21st
century. Bloody right!
I highly recommend that you go out and
buy the Franz Ferdinand album today and if you are in the UK, you will
have the opportunity to see them live in April and May. Bloody lucky
devils. The album introductory song 'Jacqueline' starts off deceptively
slow and sweet but 15 seconds in, the rolling staccato of guitars
thrusts you lustily on a trip to debaucheryville. Hey, "It's always
better on holiday,
So much better on holiday, That's why we only work when we need the
money." These are songs about seduction, sexy girls and boys, eyes that
say so much more than words, and losing yourself to love's trapping
obsession. I've listened to this album for the last three days and
every song is a perfect blend of rock power and sweet, deceptively
simple, sexy lyrics. This album is "destroying so sweetly" my ears, my
mind, my heart, my soul! "Now, There is a fire in me, Fire that burns,
This fire is out of control!"
So, my new friends, Franz
Ferdinand, "You are the latest contender, You are the one to remember,
You are the villian who sends a Line of dark fantastic passion." I do
hope that you surrender to the love and adoration that will continue to
shoot towards you like "poisoned darts of pleasure." I look forward to
seeing you guys again in the W.C. this June. Congratulations on the
Epic record deal. May yer lums reek lang and weil!
Ok, come back
again to read another exciting installment of Hangin in the W.C. next
week with the Queen of Rock n Roll, Joan Jett, and Brit rockers, The
Cooper Temple Clause. Rock hard, be generous, and make your dreams come
true.
Cheers, Valeria Valiente
Need more info on FF?
Franz Ferdinand's website: www.franzferdinand.co.uk
Their label, Domino Recordings Co. Ltd. website: www.dominorecordco.com
Domino Records also puts out other rocking albums by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Quasi, Sebadoh, Elliot Smith and more!
New Musical Express website: www.nme.com
Franz Ferdinand 2004 UK headline tour:
12 April--QMU, Glagow, UK
13 April--QMU, Glagow, UK
15 April--Academy, Liverpool, UK
16 April--Ambassador, Dublin, Ireland
17 April--Leadmill, Sheffield, UK
18 April--Rock City, Nottingham, UK
20 April--The Blank Canvas, Leeds, UK
21 April--Academy, Birmingham, UK
26 April--Concorde, Brighton, UK
27 April--Waterfront, Norwich, UK
29 April--Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, UK
30 April--University, Manchester, UK
01 May --Brookes University, Oxford, UK
02 May --Anson Rooms, Bristol University, Bristol, UK
04 May --Pyramid, Portsmouth, UK
05 May --Astoria, London, UK
06 May --Astoria, London, UK
07 May --Coronet, London, UK
More dates to be announced.
Glossary of Scottish slang used in article; don't hate me if I mangled your fine idioms. I'm American!
gadgees: people
rocking horse shite: something rare and hard to find
mucking around/about:hangin out
Weegees: Someone from Glasgow
Barry!: Splendid!
shoogling: dancing
bonnie manners: good manners
May yer lims reek lang and weil: Good luck!
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