
The protagonist is eventually appearing on talk shows after finding an abundance of success: “So I’m on BBC2 now, telling Terry Wogan how I made it”. The chorus of “ You will find me in the matinee / The dark of the matinee / It’s better in the matinee / The dark of the matinee is mine” was originally inspired by Hardy remarking that the dark of a matinee performance was a utopian environment to play in. The song sees the songwriter walking home from Bearsden Academy in Glasgow, imagining a better life in the future, before eventually being shaken from this fantasy by its own ridiculousness. The dueling guitars play effortlessly off each other, the drumming is eclectic while still providing a solid foundation, and Kapranos’ vocals are, as always, dominating and attention-grabbing. ‘The Dark Of The Matinée’ has become a mainstay of the band’s live set, and it’s one that fully encapsulates everything that was unique and brilliant about their sound ten years ago, and still is now. From that moment, it was obvious that Franz Ferdinand were onto something special. The smooth, vocal driven track doesn’t really seem all that special – not until the frenetic, up-tempo guitar interjects one minute and four seconds in. The powerful and overtly confident track was the driving force behind Franz Ferdinand’s early and dominant success, but the album is so much more than just ‘Take Me Out’. It is a riff that would be constantly imitated by an array of bands inspired by the Glasgow-based pioneers. The four friends were quickly signed to independent label Domino Records, and released their first EP, Darts Of Pleasure, at the end of 2003, before moving to Gula Studios in Sweden to record the album that would start it all.Īlthough ‘Darts Of Pleasure’ would also be the first single, it was the now-renowned riff featured on ‘Take Me Out’ that kick-started Franz Ferdinand’s success. Fellow friend Bob Hardy was taught the bass guitar by the frontman, while guitarist Nick McCarthy befriended the trio after returning from studying jazz in Germany. It all began at a party in 2002, when Kapranos met drummer Paul Thompson and sparked a close friendship. It is the frantic, catchy guitars, imposing drum and bass combinations, confident vocals, and complex, intriguing lyrics that combine to form the wholly unique and, at the time, revolutionary sound of Franz Ferdinand – one that would be constantly imitated, and still influential to bands today. Not bad for a band that only wanted to make girls dance.ĭespite the lead singer and guitarist’s simple aims, the album is much more than just music that you can dance to.

The record would go on to sell over 3.6 million copies worldwide, win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, sweep the Hottest 100, cement the band’s riffs and unique sound in popular culture, and contribute hugely to the revival of the post-punk genre. You can help WikiHero by expanding it.Five months later, Franz Ferdinand’s debut album would be released, catapulting the Scottish foursome to the forefront of the Brit indie rock scene, and quickly becoming recognised as a modern classic of the genre. This Guitar Hero I Songs article is a stub. Guitar Hero (2nd Tier) Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (2nd Tier) The song is pretty easy, but the repeated string of notes may be confusing.
