Franz Ferdinand Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Rex Orange County is heading towards his first UK Number One album this week with new record ‘Who Cares?’.Alex O’Connor’s fourth album was released last Friday (March 11) and currently sits at the top of the midweek charts, ahead of new releases from Ghost, Bryan Adams and Franz Ferdinand.Elsewhere in the Top 40, BODEGA are at 28 with second album ‘Broken Equipment’, while Sam Fender‘s chaotic performance on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway at the weekend (March 12) sees his hit ‘Seventeen Going Under’ rising 14 places to #22 in the midweek Singles Chart.See a full breakdown of the midweek charts below.Who Cares? Loads of people, evidently…Rex Orange County (@rexorangecounty) is on course for his first UK Number 1 album this week

Rex Orange County is on course to claim his first ever UK Number 1 album this week with Who Cares? 

Each week, we here at Official Charts compile the best and most exciting releases of New Music Friday, to give you a chance to hear the future hits on the Official Singles and Albums Chart. Let's dive in!

Rammstein have spoken out in support of the Ukraine in light of the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last month (February 24).On Friday (March 4), the German band took to social media to post an image of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag with the Rammstein logo in the middle, showing their support for those affected by the attacks.“The band Rammstein wishes to express its support for the nation of Ukraine as it resists the shocking attack perpetrated by the Russian government,” they wrote.

Iron Maiden have announced that their upcoming summer shows in Ukraine and Russia have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict between the neighbouring countries.The band were set to perform at VDNG in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 29 before visiting VTB Arena in Moscow Russia on June 1 as part of their 2022 ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ world tour.Sharing a statement on social media, Iron Maiden said “the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows” due to the “ongoing situation in Ukraine”.“We are very sorry to announce that due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows scheduled for May 29th in Kyiv and June 1st in Moscow on the 2022 Legacy Of The Beast World Tour,” the band tweeted.The band added that ticket-holders would we informed by the respective promoters on refunds, and concluded by stating: “Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.”Ticket-holders for both shows will be informed by the respective promoters on refunds at the appropriate time. Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) March 3, 2022Since the conflict started, the likes of Iggy Pop, Yungblud, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are among the acts who have scrapped dates due to the ongoing crisis.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union.

Live Nation will no longer operate in Russia in protest at the eastern European country's invasion of Ukraine, it was announced on Wednesday “Live Nation joins the world in strongly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We will not promote shows in Russia, and we will not do business with Russia,” Live Nation said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

Franz Ferdinand have cancelled their Russian shows and apologised to residents who they know 'see the madness' of their country's leadership.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have cancelled their scheduled concerts in Russia and Ukraine “in light of current events”.The group were due to perform at Bol Festival in Moscow, Russia on June 18 before visiting the Palace Of Sports complex in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 19 as part of a wider run of dates for 2022.Sharing a statement on social media, Cave and co. said they had “no choice but to cancel” the shows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week.

Franz Ferdinand have cancelled their upcoming shows in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine last week.The Scottish band have become the latest act to axe their planned Russian gigs in the wake of the widely condemned Vladimir Putin-ordered military assault, with Yungblud, Green Day and the Russian rapper Oxxxymiron also scrapping shows in recent days.After speaking out in support of the “open and welcoming” people of Kyiv last week, Franz Ferdinand have confirmed this morning (March 1) that their scheduled gigs in St Petersburg and Moscow on June 29 and July 1 will no longer take place.The band said in a statement that “the only reason for this is the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian state”.“We love Russia. This great country has inspired our band through its art and literature and since we first played there 17 years ago, we have built a rich and deep relationship with our Russian fans,” the band said.“Since Thursday morning [February 24], we have spoken to many of our friends in Russia via social media and have encountered unanimous opposition to this violence and solidarity with our Ukrainian friends.

Green Day have cancelled their upcoming show in Moscow in light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24).Billie Joe Armstrong and co. were due to perform at Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital on May 29.

Elton John has expressed that he’s “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” the people of Ukraine are currently living through.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24).Last night (February 26), John took to Instagram to post an image of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag, showing his support for those affected by the attacks.“For over 20 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has supported some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with access to HIV services and care, as part of our commitment to communities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The ‘Rocket Man’ singer’s charity was established in 1992 and supports HIV prevention, education programs and support services for those living with HIV.“We are heartbroken and appalled to see this conflict unfold and our hearts are with the people of Ukraine who do not deserve to live through this nightmare,” he continued.

Dear all, as we write this text, for the moment, each member of JINJER and our families are safe and unhurt. We truly…Posted by Jinjer on Thursday, February 24, 2022Since Jinjer’s post last night, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 137 people had been killed, with 316 more wounded.Troops from Russia crossed the Crimea border into Ukraine on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin gave the order for his invasion to begin.The actions of Putin, who has claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine and that his country’s actions amount to a “special military operation”, have drawn widespread condemnation from across the globe.Reactions to the situation in Ukraine from prominent figures in the worlds of music, entertainment and politics have been posted on social media, with the likes of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis, Bring Me The Horizon‘s Oli Sykes, Franz Ferdinand‘s Alex Kapranos, Yungblud, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Taika Waititi and Amanda Palmer all speaking out in support of Ukraine.Russian rapper Oxxxymiron has cancelled a series of shows in Moscow and St.

The New York Times.“I know that most people in Russia are against this war, and I am confident that the more people would talk about their real attitude to it, the faster we can stop this horror,” said Oxxxymiron in a statement (translated by the Times).“I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine—when residents of Kyiv are forced to hide in basements and in the metro, while people are dying.”He is one of several other Russian musicians who have voiced their protest at the war. Kasta, Shym, Vladi, Khamil, Zmey, and Noize MC have all voiced their opposition to the attack on Ukraine.A post shared by Oxxxymiron (@norimyxxxo)Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation.Since Oxxxymiron’s post last night (February 24), Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 137 people had been killed, with 316 more wounded.Troops from Russia crossed the Crimea border into Ukraine on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin gave the order for his invasion to begin.The actions of Putin, who has claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine and that his country’s actions amount to a “special military operation”, have drawn widespread condemnation from across the globe.Reactions to the situation in Ukraine from prominent figures in the worlds of music, entertainment and politics have been posted on social media, with the likes of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis, Bring Me The Horizon‘s Oli Sykes, Franz Ferdinand‘s Alex Kapranos, Yungblud, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Taika Waititi and Amanda Palmer all speaking out in support of Ukraine.

Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos has paid tribute to the “open and welcoming” people of Kyiv in a new Instagram post.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation yesterday (February 24).Writing on Instagram, Kapranos paid tribute to Ukraine sharing a picture of the time he and his band visited Kyiv.He wrote: “This is Kyiv when we visited less than three and a half years ago. I loved this city which had a sense of optimism in amongst the deep history. The people were welcoming, open and comfortable in their identity.

Foals have shared a message of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, highlighting the local team that helped bring their recent ‘2am’ music video to life.Russian forces launched a military assault on Ukraine in the early hours of yesterday morning (February 24).

Avril Lavigne has postponed her 2022 UK and European headline tour.The Canadian singer-songwriter was due to hit the road later this month in support of her seventh studio album, ‘Love Sux’, which comes out on February 26 via Travis Barker‘s label DTA Records.Following a string of European appearances, Lavigne was scheduled to return to the UK for gigs in Manchester (March 25) and London (27, 28, 29).The tour was initially set to take place in March/April 2020, but was pushed back to 2021 due to COVID. New dates for 2022 were then announced last October.Taking to social media yesterday (February 7), Lavigne shared the “unfortunate news” that she had made the “difficult decision” to postpone her UK and European tour until April/May 2023.“Due to the ongoing issues surrounding the pandemic, there are a series of travel and venue restrictions from country to country that have made the tour not possible to happen,” the statement continued.A post shared by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne)“It’s not an easy decision, but it’s one that will help ensure that we are able to play every single date of the tour, put on the best show possible at full capacity, and operate in a safe environment.”Lavigne concluded: “It really breaks my heart to have to do this, but I know it will be worth the wait.”You can see the full list of new shows in the post above.

Franz Ferdinand have announced rescheduled dates for their Greatest Hits 2022 UK and European headline tour – see all the details below.The Scottish band were set to head out on the road next month in support of their ‘Hits To The Head’ ‘best of’ album, which is due for release on March 11 via Domino Records.Due to continued COVID restrictions in Europe, the second half of the ‘Hits To The Head’ tour has now been rescheduled for later this year. Some dates are still set to go ahead as planned in April.“We’re sorry to announce that due to ongoing covid restrictions across Europe and the logistics involved with putting on a tour at this time, we have had to reschedule the first half of our upcoming tour,” the band wrote on Instagram.“We’ve kept in all the dates we are logistically able to do but for all others we have had to re-schedule for later in the year.

Franz Ferdinand have spoken about how the 2001 film Enemy At The Gates inspired their classic hit ‘Take Me Out’.The band’s frontman Alex Kapranos broke down the writing and recording process of the 2004 single during the latest episode of the Song Exploder podcast (released yesterday, January 26).“The night before [the idea emerged] I’d watched a film called Enemy At The Gates, and it’s set during the Second World War around the siege of Stalingrad. One of the themes of the film is this stand-off between two snipers,” he explained.“Jude Law is the Soviet sniper and Ed Harris is the evil Nazi.

DEALSBadBadNotGood have signed a new deal with Third Side Music, extending their existing partnership with the publisher. “Alexander, Chester and Leland are true contemporaries, yet articulate a cross-generational sense of virtuosity and energy only known to them”, says Brontë Jane, Third Side Music’s VP Creative. “I feel strongly that this next chapter for BadBadNotGood will be the most impactful”.————————————————–APPOINTMENTSAndy West has been named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Warner Music Canada.

Franz Ferdinand have shared a second brand new track, ‘Curious’, from their forthcoming greatest hits album, ‘Hits To The Head’.After teasing their return back in early November, the Scottish indie veterans released ‘Billy Goodbye’, their first new track in three years – a raucous glam stomper that the band worked on with Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys).The only other new track on ‘Hits To The Head’ is ‘Curious’, which frontman Alex Kapranos called “quite a different-sounding song” when speaking to NME in a recent interview.“Sonically, it’s more at the silky dance floor end of what the band is about,” he explained. “That one’s about imagining yourself in a situation at the beginning of a romantic relationship, being part of the magical moments and suddenly being overwhelmed by the sense of what’s to come and wondering how you will be when repetition, routine and the everyday is what your relationship becomes.“Are you still going to love me when the magic has faded?”The track comes alongside a video that sees the band put on their dancing shoes.

Wet Leg, Years & Years and James Bay.The ninth consecutive edition of IVW will take place across over 210 independent UK venues between Monday (January 31) and Sunday, February 6. It’ll host more than 485 performances, including live gigs, comedy shows, Q&A sessions, films and documentaries.BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq will celebrate Independent Venue Week 2022 by presenting a series of one-off shows between January 31 and February 4.It’ll kick off with Franz Ferdinand at PJ Molloys in Dunfermline ahead of Yard Act performing a hometown gig at Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds on February 1.

Franz Ferdinand on Monday (January 31), who will perform an acoustic track live from PJ Molloys.

Alex Kapranos has starred in Los Bitchos’ video for new single ‘Good To Go!’, which precedes the instrumental band’s debut album ‘Let The Festivities Begin!’In the video the Franz Ferdinand frontman plays a gameshow host who spins a wheel of fortune to try and secure Los Bitchos’ freedom from incarceration.‘Good To Go!’ follows ‘Las Panteras’ as the second single from the pan-continental four-piece’s album that drops on on February 4, 2022 via City Slang.

Franz Ferdinand have announced a UK and European headline tour for 2022 – see all the details below.The Scottish band will head out on the road next spring in support of their ‘Hits To The Head’ ‘best of’ album, which is due for release on March 11 via Domino Records.Kicking off in Barcelona on March 15, the run of dates also includes shows in Madrid, Lisbon, Bilbao, Munich, Milan and Rennes.Alex Kapranos and co.

APPOINTMENTSThe music division of talent agency CAA has promoted Zack Borson, Alex Douma, Omar Garcia and Brad Pophal in LA, Kaitlyn Bruce, Kara Enos and Ariel Happe in Nashville, and Jamie Shaughnessy in London. Bruce is now a music marketing exec, Happe is a brand partnerships exec, while the others become agents.Various Artists Management has appointed John Dawkins to the position of UK Managing Director.

Franz Ferdinand have returned with new single ‘Billy Goodbye’, taken from their upcoming ‘best of’ collection ‘Hits To The Head’. Check out the new single below, and our video interview with frontman Alex Kapranos above.Having teased their return earlier this week, the Scottish indie veterans have stormed back with ‘Billy Goodbye’ – a raucous glam stomper that the band worked on with Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys).

Franz Ferdinand are gearing up to start their sixth album cycle, with teasers pointing towards the release of a new single tomorrow.Thus far, the band have posted two cryptic teasers to their social media, both linking fans to a mailing list.

Franz Ferdinand have admitted they are in shock after drummer Paul Thomson announced his departure from the band just ahead of their 20th anniversary.

Franz Ferdinand have announced the departure of their drummer Paul Thomson.Sharing a statement on social media this evening (October 21), the Scottish band wrote: “Hello world. Paul is leaving the band.

Franz Ferdinand‘s Bob Hardy has announced a new photography exhibition exploring the quieter moments of life on the road.The bassist and founding member of the Glasgow band will exhibit Show Days No Show Days at the Sogo Arts Gallery in Glasgow’s Saltmarket.The exhibition is set to open on October 30 and will run until December 24, with the gallery open from Wednesdays through to Sundays from 12pm-5pm.Show Days No Show Days is “a visual exploration of the quiet moments that intercede soundchecks

Franz Ferdinand's bass player Bob Hardy is giving fans and art collectors an insight into the world of a touring musician with a new exhibition.

Paolo Nutini has been announced as the winner of number one most played Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award.

Taking traditional Latin cumbia and whipping it up with a bit of surf-rock and synth-pop, Los Bitchos are the joyous band you need in 2021.

Franz Ferdinand‘s Alex Kapranos has shared a handwritten note from Bloc Party‘s Kele Okereke asking to support the Scottish band in 2003.Kapranos’ band, who were to release their self-titled debut album six months later, played a headline show at the Electrowerkz venue in London on October 24, 2003.Ahead of the gig Okereke wrote to Kapranos and the band, sending them Bloc Party’s first demo and asking to be considered as a support act at their next London show.“Hey Alex, this is Kele from Bloc

Sparks will be released in US and Canadian cinemas later this year.The Sparks Brothers takes a deep dive into the careers of Ron and Russell Mael over five decades, complete with an archive of TV and concert clips. A string of musical guests were interviewed for the documentary, including Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos and Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers.The Sparks Brothers premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Limmy, Still Game's Sanjeev Kohli, author Caitlin Moran, Franz Ferdinand and more have got behind Mogwai's bid for number and even want to see them in Oor Wullie - but time is running out.The band have just hours left to steam or sell their album as many times as they can before the clock strikes midnight (on Thursday).Limmy and Sanjeev Kohli who join Lord of The Rings star Elijah Woods in their bid to get the Scots band to number one with their album As The Love Continues both asked if the post