Franz Ferdinand Light Up at The Gardens
Australian bands ‘Delivery’ and ‘Teenage Dads’ opened the night, supporting Franz Ferdinand on their 2025 tour, performed in celebration of the band’s latest release, The Human Fear. Fans had waited a long time for the return of this much-loved Glasgow group, and not even Melbourne’s weather could keep them away. Braving the cold and rain, more than 4,000 fans, young and old, turned out to support the band. The energy and atmosphere were strong from the outset, carrying through until the encore.
The current line-up features Alex Kapranos (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Bob Hardy (bass guitar, backing vocals), Julian Corrie (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Dino Bardot (guitar, backing vocals), and Audrey Tait (drums, percussion). Kapranos and the band delivered a solid, well-paced performance, playing with the tightness and confidence you would expect from a group of their experience.
The setlist delivered a strong spread of favourites, including: The Dark of the Matinée(2004), 40’ (2004), Michael (2004), Take Me Out (2004), Jacqueline (2004), This Fire (2004), Do You Want To (2005), Walk Away (2005), Outsiders (2005), Build It Up (2005), Ulysses (2009), No You Girls (2009), Night or Day (2009), Right Action (2013), Love Illumination (2013), Evil Eye (2013), The Doctor (2013), Hooked (2013), Bar Lonely(2013), and Audacious (2013).
“Right Action” was sharp and well-delivered. “Take Me Out” (2004) had the strongest crowd reaction, with the audience singing along. “Do You Want To” (2005) was another clear favourite, and “This Fire” (2004) kept the energy high.
By the end of the night, no one was thinking about the weather. The band and the crowd were clearly having a good time, and the show had the familiar tone of a group that has built a strong connection with Australian audiences.
