LIVE REVIEW: Franz Ferdinand

This article is copyright of The Scotsman and used with their permission for this purpose only.

Franz Ferdinand

SWG3, Glasgow

****

Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand have always been steeped in the post-modern spirit of their art-pop idols, Roxy Music, Talking Heads, ABC, Pulp, and former supergroup collaborators Sparks (their 2015 album FFS is an underrated gem).

These are bands who sincerely love disco-friendly pop while operating behind a veneer of arch self-awareness. When done right - and Franz Ferdinand at their best get it absolutely right - the results of that approach are often rather glorious.

There was a whole lotta glory to be found at this sold-out homecoming party, held outdoors during the last sticky gasp of the summer heatwave. 

The set was packed with all their bangers: The Dark of the Matinee; Michael; Do You Want To; and, of course, Take Me Out (such is their assurance as live performers, the energy levels never subsided after the played that with 30 more minutes still to go).

But Franz Ferdinand are no mere '00s nostalgia act. Two of the standout tracks were plucked from recent album The Human Fear. Bolstered by a guest spot from rapper Master Peace, Hooked can comfortably take its place alongside the crowd-pleasing hits, as can the traditional Greek music-influenced Black Eyelashes (scissor-kicking frontman Alex Kapranos is half-Greek).

And I suppose you have to admire them for stubbornly refusing to correct the "So I'm on BBC Two now, telling Terry Wogan how I made it" lyric in The Dark of the Matinee, despite having presumably been told countless times over the years - by people like me - that Wogan never had a chat show on BBC Two, and that they could've easily replaced it with "Radio 2" instead.

But that's Franz Ferdinand for you. They shimmy to the beat of their own dance floor-filling drum.

THE HUNT FOR BIBLE JOHN + LINDISFARNE'S GEORDIE GENIUS: THE ALAN HULL STORY + SCOTLAND'S BEST DOG

This article was originally published in The Courier on 20th November 2021.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

The Hunt for Bible John – Monday, BBC Scotland, 9pm

The notorious serial killer known as Bible John murdered at least three women in late '60s Glasgow. To this day his identity remains a mystery. 

It’s a horrifying case, but this two-part series doesn’t wallow in the grisly details. On the contrary, it’s a sensitive and responsible piece of work; a serious endeavour that places the murders in vivid sociohistorical context. 

It unfolds in a dismal post-war environment blighted by extreme poverty and violence, where working-class kids lived for the freedom of dancing at the weekend. Busy dancehalls such as the Barrowlands were where Bible John found his victims. 

The series also provides fascinating insight into the working methods of '60s crime reporters and the terminology they used. 

The Princes and the Press – Monday, BBC Two, 9pm

Princes William and Harry have, to say the least, weathered a difficult relationship with the media. Whatever your opinion of the Royal family, I think most reasonable people agree – on an instinctively empathetic level – that they’ve been treated unfairly at times.

In this two-part series, the BBC’s Media Editor Amol Rajan apparently highlights some of the illegal activities used by certain portions of the press during their ongoing race to present exclusives. I haven’t seen the programme, it wasn’t available at the time of writing, but I’m flagging it up because it sounds quite interesting. Apologies if it isn't.

Along for the Ride with David O’Doherty – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

The whimsical Irish comedian David O’Doherty is a keen cyclist. This new – if you will – vehicle follows him as he enjoys a series of scenic bicycle rides with various celebrity chums. 

His first guest is comedian Richard Ayoade, a naturally funny man with, as it turns out, surprisingly sturdy thighs. He and O’Doherty cycle through an area of rural Sussex while shooting the gentle breeze. Occasionally they park their bikes to visit tearooms or toast marshmallows around the fire. You get the pretty picture. 

It’s blatantly indebted to the likes of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, but that’s fine. It’s a genial time-passer.

The Outlaws ‐ Monday, BBC One, 10:35pm

In the penultimate episode of this enjoyable comedy-drama, troubled influencer Lady Gabby (Eleanor Tomlinson) takes lawyer Greg (writer/director Stephen Merchant) to meet her formidable aristocratic father, who’s played by very special guest star Richard E. Grant on reliably frost-veined form. 

Meanwhile, we learn a little bit more about endearingly desperate and officious community service supervisor Diana (Jessica Gunning, an excellent yet underrated comic actor). 

It’s a pleasure spending time with these characters, all of whom are fundamentally lost and looking for acceptance. Merchant clearly likes them, he’s not in the business of belittling his creations. 

You can currently watch all six episodes on iPlayer. And it’ll be back next year for another series. See, sometimes good things can happen.

Dolly: The Sheep That Changed the World – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

In 1997, scientists in Scotland created the first ever clone of an adult animal. This major breakthrough made headline news around the world and sparked an often incendiary debate.

Told via contributions from the pioneering lab-dwellers themselves, this documentary traces their process while investigating the aftermath. The genetically-engineered birth of Dolly proved controversial; critics rang alarm bells about its potentially terrifying repercussions. 

Needless to say, the boffins weren’t mad scientists hell-bent on creating a master race. Their work was geared towards helping people with genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis and Parkinson’s. 

My only criticism of this otherwise revealing programme is its chortling treatment of animal rights activists, which comes across as cheap and unnecessary. 

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs – Wednesday, Channel 4, 8pm

One gets the impression that O’Grady – officially TV’s kindest human – would gladly host this long-running series exclusively for the rest of his professional life. No wonder, it’s a dream gig. 

During this week’s visit to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, O’Grady meets a Shih Tzu puppy called Daisy who is in urgent need of delicate liver surgery. The other stars of the show are Marley and Maisy, an unusually timid pair of tiny Chihuahuas who are going through the gradual process of being socialised, and the lovably large and boisterous Lizzie; in many ways the ultimate dog. 

As always, there’s no need to worry: nothing bad ever happens in O’Grady’s canine wonderland. Happy tail-wagging endings abound.

Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story – Friday, BBC Four, 9pm

We’ve all heard of 1970s folk-rockers Lindisfarne, but what do we know of the man who shaped their earthy, lyrical sound? Alan Hull died in 1995 at the tragically young age of 50. This illuminating documentary gives him his due. 

Hull comes across as quick-witted, charismatic and exceptionally talented; a working-class poet with dedicated socialist principles. Fellow Geordie Sting describes him as “our Bob Dylan”, which is apt enough, but he strikes me as more of a Tyneside Ray Davies. 

The programme doesn’t shy away from the fact that he was a mercurial heavy-drinker, but he was clearly an endearing character. I guarantee that this labour of love will encourage you to dig deeper into his work.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Lakes with Simon Reeve – Sunday 14th November, BBC Two

Reeve’s latest series takes place in and around The Lake District, England’s largest national park. As a presenter, this seasoned traveller is defined by his concern for people and their surroundings. He’s a wise and considerate soul. 

In episode one he highlighted various environmental and social issues, the underlying theme being the sustainability of life for those people who live and work there all year 'round; his dig at wealthy visitors and second homeowners wasn’t belaboured, it fed naturally into his overall point about preserving traditional ways of life while welcoming progress to a certain practical extent. 

Reeve knows how to get his compassionate political points across within the confines of an ostensibly cosy BBC travelogue. A neat trick.

Scotland’s Best Dog – Thursday 18th November, BBC Scotland

Proud owner of the greatest title in television history, this delightful new series is simplicity incarnate. It’s a low-stakes competition in which dogs are encouraged to complete a series of benign challenges. They aren’t placed under any pressure at all, nor are their adoring human cohabiters. 

The series, which is filmed in a Perthshire park, is basically the anti-Crufts. It has nothing to do with pedigree, grooming or deportment; there’s no show dog elitism here, folks. These are pooches for the many, not for the few. 

It also contains some handy advice on how to maintain their health and happiness. What’s not to like? It’s a splendid piece of relatively cheap and irresistibly cheerful family entertainment.

TV Review: INSANE FIGHT CLUB and EDL GIRLS: DON'T CALL ME RACIST

This article was originally published in The Courier on 15th March 2014.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/lifestyle

Insane Fight Club: Tuesday, BBC One

EDL Girls: Don't Call Me Racist: Monday, BBC Three

Paul Whitelaw

Where would documentary film crews be without little-known subcultures? Were it not for these eccentric cabals of people doing unusual things, their work would dry up overnight. So BBC Scotland must've been delighted when they stumbled across the blood-caked soldiers of Glasgow's Insane Championship Wrestling league.

As their bright, likeable, articulate leader Mark admitted in Insane Fight Club, wrestling is pantomime for adults. “It's a drama, a comedy, a soap opera. It's performance art,” he said, between busy bouts of promoting gigs and writing storylines. Yet despite the cheerful fakery, the physical pain and gallons of blood are excruciatingly real. ICW takes the standard theatrics of professional wrestling and adds a gruesomely violent twist. Fights tend to spill out of venues and into the streets. One clip depicted a wrestler being bounced off the side of a passing bus.

The programme followed this tight-knit group of friends in the months leading up to their biggest fight night so far. Their usual stomping ground was the Garage nightclub in Glasgow. But Mark had his eyes on a bigger prize. The nearby ABC holds twice the usual ICW crowd, and Mark was hoping for a sold-out event. Their goal of turning professional and making a decent living out of wrestling obviously meant a lot to them. A colourful tag-team of self-supporting underdogs, you couldn't help rooting for them.

It gradually became apparent that wrestling presented a form of escape from life's mundane status quo. For the likes of star wrestler Grado – an affable, gregarious, overweight fool – it's a way of transforming yourself into a beloved folk superhero. No wonder the camera focused on him. 

With his camp, skin-tight leotards and bellowed catchphrase - “IT'S YERSEL!!” - he was a magnet for comedy, both planned and unintentional. The scene in which he encountered baffled celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke was one of the oddest mismatches I've seen on TV in a long time.

But there was an unexpected layer of poignancy lurking beneath the programme's extrovert veneer. The gang's mutual respect and affection was palpable, as was Mark's heartfelt ambition. Having raised his autistic son in a disadvantaged area of Glasgow, he wanted to do everything he could to improve their lives.

At one point, with tears in his eyes, he recalled his son worrying about not fitting in with the other children at nursery. Mark pointed to his own life as a wrestling promoter, and told him that it's okay to be different. He and his friends were all oddballs, and that's something to be proud of. It was a surprisingly moving moment.

While the programme at times felt like an extended promotional video for Mark's burgeoning business, I can't begrudge the gang any success that comes their way. There's something quite heroic in their dogged insanity.

An altogether more dispiriting community of outcasts could be found in EDL Girls: Don't Call Me Racist, in which female members of the notorious far-right movement stated their case.

Confused, angry and naïve – I'm not sure the girl who photographed herself dressed as Hitler really knew who he was – they were typical racists in that they couldn't sensibly articulate their arguments beyond half-baked complaints about a perceived cultural enemy. Their efforts to “protect” England from some non-existent invasion are utterly pointless