Franz Ferdinand at Fillmore, Minneapolis (20 Aug 2022)

NME’s “Best British Group” Franz Ferdinand are on a “greatest hits” tour, in support of their greatest hits album Hits to the Head (Domino Records). The Scottish group headlined the Fillmore in Minneapolis on Saturday, August 20th.



Opening the show was Matthew Dear, playing some tracks from his Preacher’s Sigh & Potion: Lost Album (Ghostly International) … his first LP since 2018.



As you can see from the setlist, he played a minimalist version of “Hikers Y”, the second single from the new album. If you’re wondering about the song, it’s about isolation, and very much a song about Matthew Dear. He described it as, “I hear the dark of night in my voice and delivery. This song comes from the isolation of being a musician alone in a studio after midnight.”



The loneliness of the song reflects what you’re seeing on stage: a sole Matthew Dear, producing the audio, and loops, and adding in the live vocals.



What can I say about Franz Ferdinand that haven’t been said? The Scottish band is one of our favorite bands, and with their ability to write really catchy songs, the band had numerous hits in the UK. Unfortunately, only a few of those songs were beloved in the US… but let me tell you, those who found those Franz Ferdinand songs, they swear by it. They love it, and you can see the evidence at the Fillmore show, where everyone is singing and dancing to all the hit songs.



We’ve always loved the band… but it wasn’t until we attended Popscene in Toronto, Canada, when we realized how Franz Ferdinand was. The dance club would play “This Fire” and almost immediately, the audience was dancing and singing in sync to the song… that was same atmosphere at the Fillmore show.

Setlist

As you can see from the setlist, all your favorite FF songs were played, including “Take Me Out”, “This Fire”, “Do You Want To”, and “The Dark Of The Matinée”.

If there is a Franz Ferdinand tour that you absolutely cannot miss… it’s this Hits to the Head tour. This will have all your favorites, so bring your dancing shoes.



Remaining Tour Dates: