Franz Ferdinand frontman shares the weird things that happen to famous bands
The rocker behind one of the most enduring hits of the noughties had bailiffs chasing him and fans demanding cash at the height of his success.
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has revealed the shock detour the Scottish band’s career almost took at the height of their fame 20 years ago.
The art rock outfit was chasing the success of their break-out single Take Me Out and self-titled debut record around the globe when they were asked to represent Greece at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.
Kapranos, who celebrates his Greek heritage on the track Black Eyelashes from this year’s album The Human Fear, said fate intervened in them knocking back the opportunity to compete in the singing Olympics as the singer eventually selected, Helena Paparizou, went on to win.
“I love Eurovision. I love Greece. I love playing music. But the combination thereof, I didn’t think was going to work,” Kapranos said.
“I felt really chuffed that we were asked, but I always feel that for me, Eurovision is a spectator sport.”
Kapranos and the band are touring Australia for the first time in seven years. Aussie fans were early adopters of the band with Take Me Out soaring to No. 1 on the 2004 Hottest 100.
Franz Ferdinand toured here often from 2004 to 2010, and Kapranos recalled how he was almost declared bankrupt when he finally got home from two years of living on the road in support of their debut album’s success.
“I remember coming back and having to push the door of my flat open because of all of the mail,” he said.
“A lot of it was like final demands for electricity and gas bills and they were sending the bailiffs around because I literally hadn’t been home to pay the bills.”
Hilariously, among the final notices in the pile of mail was a stack of “begging” letters.
When the band started in Glasgow in 2002, Kapranos was working as a chef and didn’t think twice about listing his personal address when registering a Franz Ferdinand domain.
When the band blew up worldwide, fans tracked him down via the official band website.
“A lot of that mail was some very, very crazy letters, so many begging letters, like people saying they wanted to buy a new car so could I send them some money. Things like that was so, so weird,” he said.
When Franz Ferdinand first played here in 2004, the shows were overrun by excited Scottish expats who sang loudly in thick accents.
Now Kapranos cannot only discern the variations in the Aussie accent at shows but suggests the audience in each city has its own personality.
“I don’t need to tell you that Melbourne and Sydney have different personalities. And so does Perth,” he said.
“Melbourne’s the hip one, isn’t it? Sydney is urbane. And my brother-in-law lives in Perth, so I’m going to muscular, that’s what Perth is. I’m very impressed with him because he just ran a marathon and I could not do that.”
Kapranos said it has taken him this long to get over the “impostor syndrome” he suffered after the band blew up so quickly and were catapulted from playing in tiny pubs for years onto the world’s biggest stages.
He recalled walking the red carpet at the 2005 Grammys where they were nominated for three awards and wondering “are we supposed to be here?”
“That was bizarre. So pretty much everybody in the audience is famous, and recognisably famous. You look out and there’s Barbra Streisand sitting next to the guy from ZZ Top.
“We walked up the red carpet, which was green, behind James Brown and in front of Hulk Hogan. If you’re going to get impostor syndrome, it’s going to be between James Brown and Hulk Hogan on the red carpet.”
Franz Ferdinand open their tour in Perth on November 26, then Live at the Gardens in Melbourne on November 28, Brisbane Riverstage on November 29, Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul on December 2 and On the Steps at the Sydney Opera House on December 3.
Originally published as Franz Ferdinand frontman shares the weird things that happen to famous bands
Huge blow for Aussie music festival
