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.

Only live is it that dancey numbers like Hooked and Bar Lonely really find their voice as great tunes that should not be overlooked. This is a common mistake with Franz Ferdinand; it should not come as a surprise that a fair portion of the crowd was likely only present for the inevitable and exhilarating rendition of Take Me Out, which is by far the band’s most popular song.

Rather than simply sticking to the tried and true recipes of their former glories, as is often the case with old bands going through the motions, it was pleasantly surprising to see most of the night dedicated to the new LP. Fans of their earlier work were not to be disappointed, however, with the entire encore comprising a dazzling extended jam of This Fire. 

The Human Fear is not necessarily essential listening, though you will receive a copy of it with a reasonably priced £20 ticket. On stage, Franz Ferdinand are a force to be reckoned with. After all these years, they have lost none of their love for performing and that is reflected in their joyous work ethic.

On tour with dates in Britain March 5-7. See: franzferdinand.com.

The Human Fear is released by Domino Recording.