Gig Review: Franz Ferdinand at Manchester Academy 1, March 6, 2009
Or, the gig where Justhipper posts a rant and Franz Ferdinand actually take the time to respond*
I was really looking forward to seeing Franz Ferdinand live again, especially after we didn’t bother on the last go round because we couldn’t stomach the idea of seeing them at the MEN Arena. Seriously, I was looking forward to this – enough to break out of my blogging lethargy.
I really wanted to go down to the Academy 1 tonight and have a great time and write a glowing review of Franz Ferdinand’s live performance. I can’t, however, because I can’t actually tell you much about what they were like. I couldn’t see anything and I couldn’t tell if they sounded any good.
What? You ask – you don’t know how they sounded? Nope. I was there, and I can’t tell you if they played a decent show or not because the sound system was so woefully inadequate that all I could hear for most of the gig was drums and a little bass. They might have played “Matinee” or “Take Me Out.” I don’t know. They might have played “40′” and “Do You Want To.” I don’t know. They might even have played “Darts of Pleasure,” “Shopping for Blood” and “Eleanor Put Your Boots On.” I really can’t tell you because I could make out very little of the gig.
I honestly may as well have stood in a crowd of people in my front room and listened to their albums through the wall on a blown speaker.
At least it barely lasted an hour before I could come home, sit down and be very irritated.
About four songs in to this joke of a gig, Bricking Chick got really hacked off at not being able to distinguish one song from another so she went to complain to the sound guy. He told her to “Fuck off.” So she went to complain to the venue manager. What did the venue manager say? Well, for starters, Bricking Chick wasn’t the first person to complain about the sound that night. The venue manager said that they never got complaints about the sound yet had 3 before the end of the first song. The venue manager also said that the problem was that bands had to pay a little extra for use of the venue’s sound system – a new sound system that was installed when the renovations took place just over a year ago. This new sound system is really good. Except Franz Ferdinand didn’t have enough respect for their fans or care enough about putting on a good show for people who paid £20 a ticket + booking fee + postage to shell out the extra few pounds for an adequate sound system and instead brought their own rinky dink piece of shite that was not fit for purpose.
Thanks Franz Ferdinand – for the complete lack of respect and for the most disappointing gig I’ve seen in a long time.*
I want my money back.
*EDIT – I’ve changed the H3 to reflect the fact that Alex Kapranos has had the courtesy to come on here and explain the band’s position. It’s really top of him to take the time out of his day to do this for us. It’s clear that the band did think long and hard about the sound at the gigs – sadly in this instance the crappy acoustics of the Academy 1 let everybody down.
Your time is much appreciated Alex, and we’re looking forward to seeing you play at T in the Park in a couple of months.
March 7th, 2009 at 3:41 am
don’t know where you were standing but I was near the front stage right and sounded fine to me. sorry you thought it was shit.
March 7th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I was also near the front. They sounded Ok to me.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I was about a third of the way back and they sounded fine to me too. Instead of finding people to whinge at about the sound, did it occur to you to move a bit closer to the front?
March 7th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Ummm…1,000 people in the place – not all 1,000 can stand at the front.
I am 4′10″ and it’s very hard to describe how frightening and unpleasant it feels to be surrounded by people so tightly that you can’t tell which way is the stage and which way is out and all you can see is backs – not heads, BACKS – and you’ve got elbows hitting your head from every direction. I really couldn’t “move a bit closer to the front.” I wasn’ *that* far back though – maybe 1/3 of the way?
The sound was simply shit. The Ledge had to use £170 bespoke earplugs (which he only gets out in toilet venues and for noisy bands like Fucked Up) to stop the pain of the bass and drums bouncing off the walls (although his earplugs filter out the shit so the sound was ok for him once he did that – I shouldn’t have to pay £170 for special earplugs on top of th £20 for the ticket in order to enjoy the gig).
I was getting that throbbing annoyance of the reverberation coupled with the height of the crowd around me muffling the sound because I’m a foot lower to the ground than everyone else.
But – with a decent sound system neither of these things is ever an issue and it hasn’t happened in the Academy since before the renovations – and we’re in that place quite a lot.
March 7th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
totally agree about the reverb. when I saw vampire weekend it was out of control, seemed better last night but yeah don’t need to feel like I’m being stunned while watching a gig
I have bigger issues with academy 1 than the sound. the layout is crap, creates major people traffic problems. why did they make the floor totally flat with such a low stage, I’m tall and it annoys me that I can’t see much, the floor is sticky/disgusting, people who work there are rude
really all of the academies are totally rubbish venues for all sorts of reasons
March 7th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Yeah the traffic issue inside is a pain. The reverb thing happens all the time in the Academy 2 but I haven’t experienced it in the Academy 1 since they did all the work. I saw Bloc Party from about the same spot a couple of years ago. I had no view but the sound was perfect and I really enjoyed the show.
I don’t mind Club Academy too much or the venue formerly known as The Hop & Grape though.
Some of the newer “Academies” are really good – the one in Sheffield and the one in Leeds that used to be the T&C were both brilliant – and in Leeds the view was not bad even though the night I was there, I got in very late and was nowhere near the front. The one in Birmingham, however, is a death trap. Wall to wall people and no way out of the crowd, people tripping over me for 3 hours straight and horrible sound.
March 7th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
This review has completely omitted to discuss what for many is the burning issue: the tightness of their trousers.
I’ve only seen The Ferdinands once, way way back, and was amazed they could put on such a performance in such constricting trouserware. “This is what it must have been like seeing The Beatles at The Cavern” I remember thinking.
Gigs: it’s not all about sound quality, you know. Do FF still sport the “If I don’t take these off soon, I’m going to delicately expire” look, or have they settled upon something more comfortable now they’re lardy old veterans on their – what? – seventh or eighth album?
March 7th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
can confirm trousers remained tight. it is amazing considering how much they jump around on stage. must literally peel them off afters
March 7th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Justhipper, I’m 5ft. I must say I did not get to see much of the stage either and I was squashed like a tomato. But my boyfriend did pick me up a few times so I could see.
Oh gosh, the floor was disgusting after the show and when we were leaving.
Other than that, I could hear perfectly fine.
March 8th, 2009 at 4:43 am
I’m sorry that the sound was not what you were hoping for. It’s something that is often the case with bigger venues, where flat walls can cause ugly slap-back and and bass traps can distort the sound. Having said that, I’ve always thought the Academy in Manchester was one of the better larger venues.
As for the PA: well, the reason that we didn’t use the in-house PA is that we spend a lot of time and a hell of a lot of money getting together the best possible rig that we can, and then tour with it. We spend more on the rig than we would if we used in-house PAs, because the sound is always better and more consistent that way. Parker, our sound engineer is extremely dedicated and spent 8 hours in that venue tweaking the system before we even sound-checked. He is one of the best engineers in the world and I’m surprised that you felt this way. Oh, and he’s far too mild-mannered and English to tell someone to ‘fuck off’. A raised eyebrow maybe, but definitely not a ‘fuck off’.
I agree with you that the sound is always better at a wee gig – for me the ideal is still when the only PA is a small one used for the vocals and the amps and the kit aren’t mic’d up. It’s raw and exciting, but if we’d tried to play the academy like that, then *no-one* would have heard anything. It’s a big place and we invested a lot in the PA system. To say that it was “the gig where Franz Ferdinand treat their fans like shit in order to save a few bucks” is simply untrue. We have a hell of a lot of respect for our fans and only ever want the sound to be the best it can be. From the stage, it was a fantastic gig – the audience were amazing, totally into it and giving us back such a great energy. That’s what makes a gig memorable for us. It doesn’t happen if the sound system is shit.
Oh, Yeah, Diana – yes we do usually have a group trouser peel-off after a gig. It helps you come down from that adrenaline buzz.
March 8th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
@Tim You’re right, it’s not always about the sound – the sound at Ra Ra Riot wasn’t great (it never is in the Night & Day, is it?) but I could see – and I could hear enough of the right instruments to make up for it. At the Academy 1 when you can’t see anything (and for all I know FF were naked on stage) and the sound is terrible – you may as well not have bothered.
@Hena – Welcome to gigs
People were hurling pints from where we were stood into the thickest part of the crowd. That’ll be why the floor was a mess. You know people are having fun when the beer starts flying. It’s always pretty messy in that venue though. It’s great when you’re at the front at those shows.
@Alex Kapranos – If it is indeed you or a representative of the band, thanks very much for the explanation as it’s very much appreciated. We have been following the band since we first saw you at the Academy opening for Interpol and we’ve always enjoyed the shows – hence the disappointment!
It was fairly obvious, though, that the speaker stacks were a lot smaller than usual. We could hear nothing but drums and a little bass for most of the show. I have exaggerated a bit – obviously (I usually do) – but when I could not recognise old singles like “Matinee” and “Do You Want To” until the chorus (or second chorus on one track) then it doesn’t make for a great experience.
Your sound system may have worked fine in some venues, but the guys at the Academy 1 have a sound system they know works well when the room is full whereas you soundcheck in an empty room. When the sound was as bad as it was for us stood where we were then it really does spoil the entire night – I can cope with either seeing OR having decent sound which is usually my choice in venues as the sound is always worse at the front – but having neither is a waste of my time and money.
At least we know the same problems won’t happen at T in the Park. I won’t be able to see – I rarely can at festivals – but the sound and the atmosphere in the crowd there always make it enjoyable.
March 8th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I think you must have a problem with your ears! I started at the front, then was rigght at the back for the last half of the gig. The sound was fine, the same as all their previous gigs i’ve been too. We were sooo luck that they played Lucid Dreams. I think the seccond time they have EVER played it live.
Great Gig!
March 8th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
They played “Lucid Dreams”? Honestly, there were a couple where Bricking Chick and I couldn’t tell what was going on – particularly early on – and a few old classics that it took ages to recognize because of the reverb.
Much of the show sounded like the speakers weren’t loud enough for the size of the venue and so somebody had turned them up to the point of distorting the sound – and causing only the drums to be distinguishable in the mix.
OK, I’ll acknowledge that maybe the band did do their best and maybe they brought their own sound system in good faith – not realising how bad the Academy 1 truly is for acoustics and that the venue sound system accomodates for that – but quite frankly, I go to enough of these shows, and enough shows at that venue, to know when the sound is worse than usual – and it was fucking terrible on Friday night.
March 8th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Both my mate and I thought the sound was fine, we were about halfway back from the front. However, this is not the first gig at the Academy 1 since it was redeveloped I’ve been too where I’ve either read, heard or experienced sound issues, specifically bass issues that make your heart feel like it’s going to explode.
March 9th, 2009 at 12:37 am
It was fine standing at the back… Also surprisingly good on the balcony too. I thought it was really good to be honest!
March 9th, 2009 at 2:37 am
It is me – I don’t know how I can prove it, so you’ll just have to take my word for that. The size of the speakers is not really relevant, surprisingly. If you peer behind the screens at the speaker stacks at a big festival you’ll be surprised by how physically small they actually are. Parker did explain the theory to me once – it’s something to do with lots of small cones moving further back and forward is more powerful than a few big ones moving a wider space of air less… I’m not doing him justice, but I hope that makes sense. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that we brought that PA in because it’s better, even if it may appear to be physically smaller. If you think the Academy is bad, then you should try going to the NEC or, even worse, the SECC. I do love the shared experience of a gig with all of those thousands of people, but the sound is never beautiful.
Mikey, we played that version of Lucid Dreams for the first time in Glasgow the night before. It’s a sort of hybrid of the two versions that we recorded with a new breakdown section. I reckon it will evolve further over the next few shows and by the time we get to the festivals we should have incorporated the full electronic section. The reaction was great – I’m glad we’ve finally got a version together to play live that we’re happy with. It’s definitely in the same zone as Outsiders and This Fire.
Did any of you go back to Big Hands for a drink after the show? We ended up there – it’s such a good bar, reminds me of Nice n Sleazy in Glasgow.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Justhipper, Well it was my first gig. So didn’t know what to expect. Nonetheless, I loved it. Keep up the good work, FF!
P.S – I loved all the jumping around on stage.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I don’t think the reviwer and I were at the same gig there was nothing wrong with the sound from where I was and the band were amazing. You can’t say that they don’t care about there fans that’s rubbish they play as tight as anything and manage to squeese all of their amazing hits into one show and don’t spend half the gig telling us their opinion on the world like some bands do. I wondering if maybe you should give up reviewing gigs and consider something that would be more suited to you.I’m 5″4 and so it was hard for me to see a lot but I made the effort to move so that I could. (I HEART ALEX AND HIS TIGHT PANTS)
March 9th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Yeaaah. I met Alex after the gig, he seemed like a nice guy. I told him it was my first gig and I got squashed.
March 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
@Alex – Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I’ve changed the heading to reflect what you’ve told us. It’s nice to know what we think means enough to you to take the time to explain stuff to us.
I’ve been in both the NEC and the SECC and really don’t have any desire to go back to either location. It had nothing to do with the sound though – they’re soulless, horrible venues.
About the only big venue-type gigs I can stomach any more, to be honest, are at festivals because the atmosphere is so different.
Haven’t been in Big Hands in a while – we avoid it when the students are around as it gets a bit rammed but I have a soft spot for any bar that plays Nick Cave tracks for a Saturday night crowd. We go into Nice n Sleazy everytime we’re in Glasgow though – it’s ace.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
was at Big Hands BEFORE the show. not that it matters, I’m just devasted I missed the post-show trouser peel-off session
March 9th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
that’s devastated. obviously.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I agree with the author of the piece, I was rather disappointed with the sound myself. Still a good enjoyable gig (stood second row next to the speakers on the left side (from the audience’s perspective) so maybe it was just the place that ruined it. The new songs seemed to be alright generally, but a few of the old ones were very very disappointing indeed, The Fallen being the worst by far. It seemed to me that the band themselves got a bit confused there at some point. Outsiders was another low point, being my favourite tune by far.
I went to their summer gig at a festival in Estonia, and while being outdoors and everything, the sound there was a lot better. I was stood in basically the same position (front row that time, as I was actually one of the first people at the stage just 30 min before the band were supposed to start).
Still worth every penny though, should they come again, I’ll be there, probably again at the front, yet avoiding the moshing of the middle.
March 9th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
@ Alex “yes we do usually have a group trouser peel-off after a gig. It helps you come down from that adrenaline buzz”
…
next kyte video please.
March 9th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Alex, dont listen to that idiot, friday was the best night of my lisf and it sounded fine, you were fantastic! Meeting you after was great aswell, you really make sure that every fan feels apreciated (however thats spelt) Franz Ferdinand are the best band ever!
March 9th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
best night of my life i mean
March 10th, 2009 at 1:09 am
I think it’s lovely that Alex took the time to respond to your complaints, most bands wouldn’t even bother trying to explain themselves when faced with such criticism. I have to say I didn’t find any problems with the sound, although I was at the barrier, so I guess my opinion isn’t really objective or helpful. Still, I had a really great time at the gig, one of the best ones I’ve been to – I would happily pay to see them again.
March 10th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
[...] the sound system appeared to be. She could barely identify any of the songs. On Saturday she posted a review of the gig that was scathing to say the [...]
March 10th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
i dont know what your talking about, the three of us were there and it sounded brilliant, i could here every song perfectly i think that you should get your hearing checked soon, i also dont think it is fair to blame the band for your lack of persistancy in your ears. the live recording cd recorded that night sounded amazing, sorry but your very wrong!
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March 10th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
the sound was shit? you should have gone inside the venue xx
March 10th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
What did everyone think of Soft Pack? Anyone? x
March 11th, 2009 at 2:03 am
Soft pack were okay. Not too bad. Could grow on me if I listen to their material a few times.
March 16th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I’m quite surprised about all these comments.
But its clear the venue has issues further back because i thought the sound was perfect where i was (about 1/4 back).
I’ve been to gigs before which don’t even get that right.
To be honest, i thought the visuals, show, performance sound and appreciation of the fans by were all fantastic and i’m not even the biggest of FF fans, i took my girlfriend.
P.S I thought Soft Pack were terrible until perhaps the last 2 of their set. They need to work on their writing and their front man on his charisma.