Franz Ferdinand Give Springsteen a Run for His Money at Glastonbury

Posted on Jun 28th 2009 9:11AM by Stephen Dowling
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Franz Ferdinand, a band who burst from Britain into a grateful world in 2004, are not a band hamstrung with lack of confidence. But going on stage while Bruce Springsteen was single-handedly re-inventing rock 'n' roll can't have been easy.

But ask anyone who has seen Franz live: this is a band capable to taking hold of any situation, be it echoing arena or diminutive club (they road-tested new album 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' in smaller venues earlier in the year).

If Alex Kapranos and his bandmates were miffed at having to rival stadium rock's patron saint, it didn't show.

No mistake, Franz Ferdinand came to turn heads. This headlining Glastonbury Other Stage set was taut and muscular. "Come on, make some noise!" yelled Kapranos after 'The Fallen.'

'Take Me Out' was dark and menacing, its opening buzz sounding heavily reminiscent of '80s Kiwi legends The Clean, while '40 Ft' was turned into a singalong, Kapranos urging the crowd to down out the Boss with their "la la las."

Paying tribute to the late Michael Jackson, Kapranos and team laid into the drumkit, Kapranos yelling "Cha mon, mother f---ers!" to the baying crowd. That's certainly one thing Springsteen left off the setlist.