
"We just wanted a place where we could play, put on art shows, and screen films, and we knew there were places that were abandoned and free," Kapranos told Interview Magazine in 2004. Soon, the band was contacted by students at the Glasgow School of Art to play their first gig in a house to about 80 people.Īfter their initial show, the band decided to keep pursuing unconventional places to play, eventually moving into an old jail house they dubbed the Chateau to practice, host parties, play gigs, and even live. So it was in 2001 that Franz Ferdinand-named after former Archduke of Austria-formed with a solidified instrumental lineup. to a degree.Īfter initial practices at McCarthy's house, he and Thomson decided to switch instruments, as Thomson was a much more proficient drummer. I'd never played an instrument." After drafting Thomson to play guitar, after the drummer sold his kit due to the rising popularity of drum machines in modern Scottish bands, the lineup for the band was complete. Hardy told People Magazine, "I was in art school, and Alex and I worked as chefs together. Hardy was convinced by Kapranos to take up the bass, even though his interests lied more in the realms of art. Before a fight could truly break out, Kapranos asked McCarthy-an accomplished pianist and double bass player in school-if he played the drums. McCarthy, somewhat of a renowned thief from Munich, was spotted stealing some of Kapranos vodka, resulting in near fisticuffs. But Thomson's time in that band was fleeting-they released one album with Thomson in the band-when his old friend Kapranos contacted him about a new project intended to make "songs girls can dance to" with his new friend Nick McCarthy and school chum Bob Hardy.Īccording to the band's official biography, Kapranos first met McCarthy at a mutual friends house.
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Booking the first gigs by Glaswegian bands like the Delgados and Mogwai, Kapranos was an integral part of the emerging Glasgow scene.įollowing the breakup of Yummy Fur, the only future member of Franz Ferdinand to pursue any kind of musical success was Thomson, who formed the electro-punk band Pro Forma, singing and playing drums, in 2000. Though Kapranos' bands reached varied amounts of success in Glasgow, he really made a name for himself as a bartender at The 13th Note, and as a promoter at The Kazoo Club and the 99p Club. The Blisters), and also contributed to the recordings of the band Urusei Yatsura. Before his appearance in Yummy Fur, Kapranos was a member of Scottish bands the Amphetameanies, Quinn, and The Karelia (a.k.a. After Sexy World was released, Kapranos, then going by the name Alex Huntley, joined the band on bass, later switching to guitar before the bands' demise. Thomson joined in 1997, and appeared on the bands last three albums. Headed by John McKeown, Yummy Fur started in 1992, and released numerous albums, including Night Club and Sexy World. Thomson was the drummer for art-rock combo Yummy Fur, who bore a slight resemblance to bands like the Fall and Wire. Though the trajectory of Franz Ferdinand into the public eye seemed to come out of nowhere, the members of the band-vocalist/guitarist Alex Kapranos, guitarist/vocalist Nick McCarthy, drummer Paul Thomson, and bassist Bob Hardy-paid their dues working odd jobs and playing in other Glaswegian bands, before some of them even met one another.

Armed with razor-sharp hooks, danceable rhythms, and a flippant style and flair that hearkened back to the days of the Beatles, the boys stormed the world's airwaves with bombastic tracks like "Take Me Out" and "Darts of Pleasure" (from their self-titled debut), ushering in a slew of post-punk inspired groups destined to prove that, once and for all, rock was indeed not dead. One of the surprise successes of this era was a Scottish band of four well-dressed songsmiths known as Franz Ferdinand. Soon, rock was again a viable source of entertainment for mainstream music fans, and bands outfitted with guitars and drum sets started taking the crown back from groups with choreographed dance moves and songs intended for a pre-teen audience. Come the new millennium, however, rock and roll seemed to start kicking back, bolstered by the newfound success of bands like the White Stripes and the Strokes. In the late 1990s, the world of mainstream pop was dominated by teen-pop groups like the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync, as well as hip-hop and R&B.

Website-Franz Ferdinand Official Website. Box 47039, London SW18 1WD, United Kingdom, website. Addresses: Record company-Domino Recording Co., P.O. Members include Bob Hardy, bass Alex Kapranos (born Alex Huntley), vocals, guitar Nick McCarthy, guitar Paul Thomson, drums.
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