PHOTOS: Franz Ferdinand – Aviva Studios, Manchester – 18/01/2025

A bit of an interesting one, this. See, Amazon Music have their City Sessions, in which artists from around the world play exclusive sets to be streamed live on Prime Video and Twitch. And as you’d expect from a corporation with infinite amounts of money (and that’s only a slight exaggeration), they’ve pulled in some big names, like Kings Of Leon, The Black Crowes and Bastille.

Today, it’s the turn of Franz Ferdinand, taking to Manchester’s Aviva Studios after releasing their new album The Human Fear just a week ago. Even if their days of Take Me Out and serving as one of the figureheads of post-punk revivalism are behind them, a sixth album and a sold-out crowd would infer that there’s still a dedicated audience to be found. The proper campaign will come later down the line; right now, in the early days of the album rollout, there’s the chance to do something a bit more special. Like, say, a guest appearance from Johnny Marr on his home turf, to make this ballot-only experience even more special. With that in mind, our photographer Ben Whitehurst went down to Manchester’s Aviva Studios to catch it all.

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Photos by Ben Whitehurst (Instagram)