Franz Ferdinand
Live @ Il Covo - Bologna - 13 Marzo 2004

THE REVIEW

I enter among the last ones, I'm one of the lucky ones. I reach the concert hall and with friends, we get lost in chatter until the beginning of the performance, accompanied by a background that ranges from Pavement to The Radio Dept. Franz Ferdinand walk through the crowd and take the stage. It begins. They open with Cheating On You. Surgical, engaging, party-like. The songs are played to perfection, but they easily acquire their live dimension, which makes them even more appreciated and leads the audience to revelry.

When Take Me Out starts, everyone tries to let loose in dancing, a feat made difficult by the crowd, and they sing at the top of their lungs. B-sides and new songs are performed, which, while mirroring the style already expressed on the record, achieve more than decent success. The Dark Of The Matinee and Michael are the most exhilarating moments of the concert, with their sharp riffs and catchy melodies, also beautiful are the performances of 40 Ft., Come On Home, Tell Her Tonight, and Jaqueline, truly stunning, and which live render a hundred times better than on the record.

The concert concludes with an exhilarating Darts Of Pleasures and its wonderful finale, with that "Fantastisch" echoing loudly. Franz Ferdinand would have finished, but the audience, not letting them off the stage, forces them into an encore: This Fire was the only song of theirs missing from the lineup. Everyone satisfied and going home with a smile. The rhythm section was extraordinary (the drummer has been playing for no more than six months and is truly phenomenal), great vocals and guitars supported by a more than adequate bass. The acoustics were good as well, considering the size of the hall. I feel sorry for those who didn't manage to get in: they missed an event!