Live Review

A band as huge as Glaswegians Franz Ferdinand has a reputation that pre-empts them, by rights you expect them to put on a good show. And thats precisely what they did last night at the Hammersmith Apollo, hidden in the dimly-lit backstreets of West London.

Bounding onto the stage amid a fiery red backdrop, lead singer Alex Kapranos, with trademark vocals beyond his years belted out new album tracks from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, their latest album that was three years in the making.

Merrily making music to an ethereal backdrop of cats eyes, fires and neon signs, the bands desperate yet triumphant power riffs put them up there as one of the greatest bands of the Noughties. Newcomer Ulysees has a bit to much la-ing for our liking, but I can forgive that on account of the drama the track creates. The bands new direction seems to be leaving pop behind in its youth, jerking and shaking around the stage as if to almost get rid of an old skin.

Franz Ferdinands set was an energetic burst of classic tracks old and new as they slotted in favourites like 40 Ft and Michael, as well as Take Me Out as the fans embarked on some serious football ground-stylee chanting. Not a soul stood still at the Apollo, the building itself was no doubt bouncing around to the strong-as-you-like hooks and foot-stomping back catalogue with more attention on the first two albums rather than the January 2009 release.

The ever-enthusiastic crowd were a mixture of graduates from yesteryear, wholeheartedly reliving their lackadaisical student days as they belted out the lyrics to the anthemic Take Me Out from the offand what appeared to be the cast of Skins pushing themselves against the barriers toward the front. Packed in like the proverbial sardine, it was clear to Allgigs.co.uk that FFs appeal is still strong across the ages and its incredibly hard to believe that so many of the songs tonight were getting airplay five years ago.

As one of the pop worlds best showmen of the moment, Alex led into the last track of the encore, This Fire. The crowd chanting desperately, raucous drumming and on-stage mayhem ensued as five people descended on the drum kit to bash out finale of finales, a clich perhaps these days, but nevertheless a feat sure to impress even the most cynical members of the audience.