Franz Ferdinand bassist talks tours, traditions and The Traitors.
Get ready for guitar riffs, high-energy beats and infectious hooks. The Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand are bringing their signature sound to Dubai, UAE. We caught up with bassist Bob Hardy and chatted about fears, fame and the future. Take yourself out – the event takes place on 13 December at Coca-Cola Arena, and tickets are available now.
Franz Ferdinand was formed in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Bob grew up in Bradford and was exposed to music through his family. He recalls: “My first exposure to music was the stuff my dad played in the car, and it was Queen’s Greatest Hits a lot. Then Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen and The Beatles. When I chose my own musical taste, I went heavily into Queen – early 1970s Queen. I was obsessed. Then I got into a bit of metal, prog, Nirvana and grunge.”
While Bob is famous for his music, he originally wanted to pursue art. He attended the Glasgow School of Art, and it was here that he met his fellow bandmate and future frontman, Alex Kapranos. He explains: “When I was about 16 or 17 years old, I got into British indie music. Belle and Sebastian were a huge band for me and part of the reason I moved to Glasgow – they opened up that whole scene. I then got into Arab Strap, The Delgados, Mogwai, and a bunch of other artists on the Chemical Underground label.”
From Glasgow to global success
Franz Ferdinand’s rise to fame sounds like something out of a rock and roll storybook. The group played their first gig in 2002, released their debut single Darts of Pleasure in 2003, and performed at Glastonbury in 2004. Looking back, what stands out from that whirlwind period?
“It was such a crazy time,” he laughs. “Everything was new. When you have new experiences, time seems to expand. You look at the dates and realise all that happened in the same week. It’s like a lifetime’s worth of experiences in a week.
“Because of the whirlwind nature of it all, it felt like anything was possible, because so much mad stuff was constantly happening. Travel was a huge part of it too, and we got to go to so many places for the first time. Suddenly, we were going everywhere. You’re in Rome one minute, San Francisco the next, then Tokyo. It was mad, but really nice.”
Touring traditions
Today, Franz Ferdinand has played all around the world, from Australia to America, at festivals ranging from Coachella to Latitude. When he’s on tour, Bob takes his sketchbook and paints in hotel rooms. He is currently reading More Die of Heartbreak by Saul Bellow, listening to Home Front, and loves The Traitors.
Over the years, Franz Ferdinand have collected postcards from wherever they perform, and Alex is known for doing yoga before shows. Bob adds, “In recent years, our tour manager has taken a photo of us before we go on stage. He’s been doing this for about 250 gigs now.”
So, what can audiences expect from their debut show in the UAE? “Going to a country for the first time is always exciting. I’m just going to turn up and go where my feet lead me. Our shows and crowds are high-energy. We feed off each other – it becomes a virtuous circle.” And, with more performers playing in Saudi Arabia, could this be on the cards for them? “No, I don’t think so,” he answers matter-of-factly.
Fears and the future
The Franz Ferdinand tour ties in with the group’s latest album, The Human Fear. The record was largely recorded live, giving it an organic feel. So, what makes him scared? He answers: “In a very Darwinian sense: snakes. I’m absolutely terrified of them. They freak me out. If you’re suddenly somewhere and there’s a creature you don’t recognise, that freaks me out.”
One of the tracks, Audacious, includes the lyrics “there’s no one to save us” and feels apocalyptic in the current political context. He explains: “The most audacious thing you can do is simply keep going. Everything in life can be seen as audacious. Still going on tour 20 years into a music career feels audacious to me. And it’s not just for performers – just turning up every day, being present, is an audacious act.”
So, for a group called Franz Ferdinand, a name with unmistakable historical resonance to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, what is the role of the artist? “It’s more than entertainment. My way into music has always been through lyrics. It’s about taking an emotion or a situation and synthesising it into a song. My favourite musicians do that – Leonard Cohen, for example. Simple lyrics but so much depth, and his performance adds even more. Pointing out everyday things and revealing them to be extraordinary – that’s the role of an artist.”
Franz Ferdinand: long live the kings of rock.
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