Franz Ferdinand, 
The Dome, Liverpool

IT is always a delight to see bands of a certain age perform with the same enthusiasm that sprang them into the spotlight decades prior. Though frontman Alex Kapranos may not be as agile as he was in his thirties (he can only leap so high these days), this undoubtedly applies to Franz Ferdinand.

On tour to support the release of their new album, The Human Fear, Franz Ferdinand journeyed to Liverpool on Saturday. Inside the adapted church-interior of the Dome, the Glaswegian quintet appeared before an eclectic crowd of die-hard fans and relative newcomers, before grooving through a similarly eclectic set of oldies and newer tunes.

Live, Franz Ferdinand bring an energy that makes up its sparsity on their new album. While a return to form from previous releases, it has to be said that something of the charm and punch of their first couple of efforts is missing. On an album all about fear, Franz Ferdinand ironically avoid taking many risks with their production.