Review and photos – Franz Ferdinand at Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 2 2009

– text by eugene osudar/photos by Tammy Kimmel

Robot dancing,
in the hot box
Burton Cummings
Theatre.
Franz Ferdinand.
Scottish guitar
techno.

dancing!

Vincent and his friends,
all around me
(ten) hold on now
youngsters
(Los Campesinos!),
there is no holding
on when
you’re young
and into the dance.
robot
dancing.
swish/swaying
sweat/flying
dripping lips,
i just wanna
Bite Hard.

Alex
begins it slow,
smoldering
guitar hanging
loosely
on the side
crooning
it’s just the right
stance to
Bite Hard
and dance to
beating
rhythm
sticks
to your sweaty
hot skin
snare shirts
like dripping
honey
glazing skin.
pick it up
now youngsters.
let’s move it!

i wasn’t in,
until
just before the show.
i felt the vibe.
out front.
and walked behind
the Burton
and there was
Alex
posing for a pic
against those old bricks
Hugh shooting it
and i excused
my
shadow.
he said no problem.
greetings
and hand
shakes,
i handed Alex
a guttersnipe card
told him
i couldn’t contact
anyone with management
or band or label.
and with his Scottish
accent
pronounced my name,
Eugene Oh-sue-dar,
per-fect-ly
(few do).
“need a plus one?” says he.
“it’s too late for me
to get a photographer,
so, just me.”
i thank him.
and tell him,
he was going to get
something special
something beautiful.

“i hope we put on a good show.”

i didn’t
for a second
doubt
that Franz Ferdinand
wouldn’t
put on a good show
for the 1600 people
at the Burton.
their dance hungry
fans.

heat rises.
first balcony
oh the thirst
and swaying hips
i’m looking up
and the second
balcony
shower time
everybody’s
moving it.
sweating it.
robot dancing.
pogoing,
popping it
up and down.
knees like pistons
pumping it
up.

 

Alex is jumping it
up and down
like a piston
popping it
and leaping.
it. the dance.
steps. climbing
rising to their
feet,
the audience.
wants to move.

i didn’t need to begin
the dance
not this time
openers
Think About Life
(from Quebec,
“we’re Hootie and The Blowfish,”
jokes the lead singer.)
cajoled 30 youngsters,
(he offers money
for standing, loonies
and two/neeeeeez)
by the end of their rapid,
fire 5 song euro
techno set
(hello Winnipeg, New Zealand.)
to begin the heat of it.
the night of it.
the hot dancing.
he goes into the pit
and dances
with the youngsters.
a fun, engaging
front man…
and then
the wait.

in the heat.
sweat.
in the bite.

17 songs
beginning
at 9:15
ending at
10:45.

 

Bite Hard
Matinee
No You Girls
Tell Her Tonight
Do You Want To
This Fire
Walk Away
What She Came For
Take Me Out
Ulysses
40′
Outsiders

encore,encore
30 minutes,

Darts of Pleasure
Turn It On
Michael
Jacqueline
Lucid Dreams

my dance space
is limited
Vincent and his friends
take care of the dance
this
side of
the heat of it.
we’re moving and sliding
on the 505,
and the big Bite Hard groove
of it.

the first six songs
rise us (Matinee)
attacking us
(No You Girls)
to a dance
orgasmic
climax
(This Fire)

we’re singing it
“Burn this city!”
we’re out of
control, clearly,

it’s all about the sweat
box,ing
us into the mandatory
eight count

don’t stop it now
we’re okay
we can keep going
keep fighting
and dancing
in the heat
(i’d rather not
hear Walk Away)
blast us
into
techno knock out
punch drunk
dancing,oh my.

Alex
jumping
leaping
pogoing
unrelenting.

What She Came For
we’re back to
hot dancing
robotics.

“i got a question for ya,
where do you see
yourself
in five minutes
time.”

no sweaty joke,
we just go
with it
this is what we came
for
the dance
of it
the hot sex of it.

 

Take Me Out
hot riff,ing
in the stifling
heat,
“i want you
to take me out”
and make me
like it?
oh my.

Alex leads the audience
in a waving reaction
during Ulysses.

“come on
let’s get high…
i found a new way…
la la la la…
let’s get high…
i’m bored, i’m bored.
let’s get high…”

we’re so high
on the dance.
on the sweat.
on the floor.
fannies off
the seat.

40′
well,
zap
that one too.

Nick
plays his guitar
so high up
on his person,
a little
George Harrison?
did i imagine this,
but did he climb
from the stage
onto the loge
during the last
song? he just
disappeared?
and next thing
i know there’s
someone
waving from the loge
that looks like him!

beat,rapid
lightning,sticks
keep the heat
flowing.

Can’t Stop Feeling
the dance is on
and it’s frenzy
sweating it.
raining from above
down below.

“you leave me
dancing alone,
you leave me
to die on the floor.”

open some Doors
and get that organ
going into your
soul. Tell Her Tonight
everybody’s moving.
no fannies on
seats. on their feet
(s). rise. rise. rise.
Alex asks but they’re
already dancing.

Do You Want To
a little Beatles
harmony,homage.

drum pounding
during the last song
before encore,
Outsiders
all gathered
around
the ring
of fire
smashing
cymbals
skins as
hard as
fast as
they can.

we’re melting.
in the heat.
the hot box.

Darts of Pleasure
“feel my lips
so dead against
your body, because
you’re
super,fantastic”
or have i just
imagined this,
i don’t know
anymore
i’m clearly
punch,drunk
danced out.

freaked out,
too.

“yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Turn It On.
robots
are out.
in force.
“I know you
turn it on
yeah.”
jacking,the,snares
rabbit,beats.
lightning
thunder,
oh those Lucid Dreams.
and Alex
leads the audience
in song, we’re singing
it, Lucid Dreams…
rising and falling notes,
Joy Division.
into the final
techno
whipping
dance piece,
minutes of
electro dance.
Alex leaves,
Nick climbs,
Bob bows,
finally,
Paul gives
his
drumsticks
to dancing kids
up front.
it’s over.

it’s done.

we’ve won.

we’re still
standing,

not a one splayed
out

on the floor

carried out.

90 minutes
of pure,punch,drunk
sweat,boxing
clever. love. dancing.
feel it?

“i hope we put on a good show,”
Alex says before the show.

faith.

Franz Ferdinand
September 2
Winnipeg.
Burton Cummings Theatre.

Thank you, Alex,
for the ticket.