Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand appeared in Glasgow in 2002. The group’s founders are:
- Alex Kapranos – born in 1972, has Greek roots. Between 1996 and 1998, Alex worked with the band The Karelia. In 1998, he joined The Yummy Fur and met Paul Thomson.
- Nick McCarthy – born in 1974, learned how to play piano and contrabass in the Munich Conservatory. Together with the group Embryo, he performed all over the world. Nick worked with Scatter in Glasgow.
- Bob Hardy – born in 1980, went to art school. In 2001, Kapranos convinced him to join Franz Ferdinand.
- Paul Thomson – born in 1976, played different musical instruments. In 1997, he worked with The Yummy Fur. After its disbandment, the musician worked as a DJ.
The artists rehearsed in an empty warehouse during the day and gave free concerts in the evenings. They called the band in honor of the archduke, whose death initiated World War I.
The new group was quickly gaining popularity and caught the attention of recording labels. In 2003, the musicians signed a contract with Domino Records. In September, they presented the first single “Darts of Pleasure”, which came in 5th on the UK Indie Singles Chart and settled on the 44th position of the UK Singles Chart.
