Are you guys excited?!
Good good, alright ladies and gentlemen will you please welcome to stage Alex Kapranos.
How ya going?
- Pretty good. - Can I take you back to the very beginning because as I
understand it Franz Ferdinand started in a kitchen? Tell me how accurate that is
It's pretty accurateBob Hardy our bass player and I used to
work in a kitchen. I was a chef and he was a kitchen port or a dishwasher we
both used to be the last people to leave the kitchen of the restaurant because I
would always do the desserts and he would always have to wash up the dishes
from the desserts so as we were waiting for the last couple you know there's
always that last couples hanging about at the end like having a romantic meal
and dragging it out a little bit too long we'd be waiting in the kitchen for
them to finish and as we were doing that we'd be playing music to each other and
talking about this imaginary band that we were going to get together and that
eventually became Franz Ferdinand - How much cooking brandy was consumed in that
A lot, yes, there was a shelf that had all of the the sort of spirits and wine and
stuff that was used in the cooking of the desserts and we just used to neck
that every night.
[Franz Ferdinand - 'This City'
When you're up on a stage, what is the art of making sure that everybody in the
room is is with you? - It's like prison psychology, you know, if you want to be
the tough guy when you go to jail you've got to bring down the biggest bully in
the prison you got to bring down the toughest guy and it's like that when you
go on stage as well you've got to look for the the most resistant part of the
audience there's no point winning over the people
in the front who are gonna be into it already, you gotta get the people at the
back who are unsure you gotta get them, you gotta win them.
[Franz Ferdinand - 'Do You Want To']
When I first start playing in bands when I was young, like when I was a teenager I
used to be terrified. But I had this revelation like we got drunk and
did the karaoke one night and I sang. I totally ripped it up, I was amazing, I was
just so good. - Please tell me video of this!
- Ohhh, it was before cell phones with cameras and that so doesn't exist but it was that
realisation just know I can be totally free doing this even though it was like
a trivial saying like just a fun thing to do that moment it just became really
just clear how I could do it and and you didn't need to be afraid you just needed
to enjoy it and if you enjoy it then you know other people probably are too.
Franz Ferdinand - 'Feel The Love Go'
Love it, bro.
Of all the different songs that you've been involved in the
creation of what has taken the longest amount of time? - You know, I can't remember.
The funny thing is a lot of the songs that take the longest are the songs that
don't make it to the finished record. - Yeah, why is that I've heard a bunch of
musicians inside this over the years. Why do you reckon that is?
It's 'cause they're rubbish [laughs] if it's taken that long it's probably not a good song
in the first place or you're the version that you're doing it's just not right.
I think spending too long on anything in the studio is the enemy of a good of a good recording.
[Franz Ferdinand - 'Always Ascending']
This is gonna sound weird right because it sounds like a eulogistic question but
obviously you got plenty years left on on Franz right? But what do you want
Franz to be remembered for? Do you think about it in those terms?
It always changes when a band either splits up or dies, you know. A really hulkingly huge
example it's in our minds recently is Bowie.
I love Bowie like when I was growing up totally worship Bowie. But the way
that he is perceived in the public, general consciousness now is such a
contrast to see how he was perceived in the early 1990s, when he was not
perceived enough generally a favourable light. People don't like to completely
idolise an artist or turn them into that sort of like mythical status until they've
gone because at that point you know that they can't cock up any further.
Out of curiosity, you met David Bowie, how was that moment?
Awe-inspiring and farcical in equal parts.
We did a gig in in New York and he came at the dressing room and he was kind of
in disguise he had a cap on and sort of round John Lennon sunglasses and a big
moustache. Wearing a full Adidas tracksuit. He looked amazing.
- Adidas tracksuit? - Oh yeah, yeah.
- Bowie in an Adidas tracksuit? - He looked incredible. He could
sense that we were a little intimidated so he was trying to break the ice a
little bit so he he kind of didn't have an impersonation. He said "Hey,
who's this?" and then he sort of put on an American accent and sort of said
"Hey guys, how's it going?" We were like
"I don't - know David. Who is it?" and he was like "It's Courtney Tyler-Tyler" and
we were like "Who's that?" [laughs] the guy from The Dandy Warhols all right okay yeah so
yeah it was a little bit just a little bit it was a little awkward.
[Franz Ferdinand - 'Take Me Out']
- You're excited to get on stage later today? - Yeah, I can't wait, I can't wait, yeah.
When you get up on stage how is that moment when you realise that everyone
knows every word to your songs and singing along? you see them the most
You see them the most magical moment is the moment when you walk from the side of the stage onto the
stage. It's the most thrilling moment in the world, it's absolutely incredible.
Yeah, best place in the world.
[Franz Ferdinand - 'Take Me Out']
- Ladies and gentlemen, round of applause for Alex! - Hey, thanks everyone. Cheers.