By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: Franz Ferdinand’s Human Fear Tour at the Ritz Ybor, Tampa, Florida with Master Peace – September 23, 2025
The 2000s were a wild time for garage rock and dance-rock, with The Hives, The White Stripes, and The Strokes cranking up the cool factor. Then Franz Ferdinand dropped their self-titled debut in 2004, churning out absolute bangers like “Take Me Out” that had me spinning around my living room like a deranged disco ball during my darker days. Pure therapy, cranked to eleven when the house was empty.
I’ve been dying to catch Franz Ferdinand live for ages, so when I heard their Human Fear Tour was hitting Tampa, Florida, in September 2025, I was over the moon—like, lose-my-cool, happy-dance-in-public levels of thrilled. These lads usually stick to New York, Chicago, or the West Coast, and their last Florida gig (Orlando, 2005) was a distant memory. My attempts to see them in the UK? Total disaster—always landing or leaving at the worst possible time. Timing’s never been my strong suit.
Picture this: a steamy September evening outside The Ritz Ybor, with a line of 20-something hipsters (seriously, were they weaned on their parents’ CDs) snaking around the corner like they’re queuing for free avocado toast. Inside, the merch stand was already a madhouse. I locked eyes with a screaming yellow t-shirt sporting a dinosaur graphic—finally, a vibe that wasn’t funeral-chic black. It was basically begging to come home with me. Vinyl-toting fans were everywhere, clutching albums and dreaming of post-show autographs like proper rockstar stalkers.
At 7:30 p.m., the support act swaggered onstage, and I was clueless if they were Tampa locals or UK imports. Enter a long-haired dude with a guitar, rocking a do-rag and Adidas shorts like he’d just escaped a skate park. Their sound kicked off rocky (mic issues), then slid into a dance groove so infectious that had me hooked faster than a reality TV binge. The crowd went nuts, bouncing like nobody’s business Then, a posh London accent hit my ears—bam, it’s Master Peace, aka Peace Okezie, the rising star who tore up Glastonbury with Franz Ferdinand. Pro tip: blast “Panic101” and “I Might Be Fake” for a taste of his magic. This guy’s performance was a straight-up banger, setting the night to maximum party mode.
After a quick breather, Franz Ferdinand stormed a smoke-drenched stage with “The Dark of the Matinee,” and the packed room erupted into a sea of screaming, dancing maniacs. They mixed new tracks from The Human Fear with their classic hits, keeping the energy cranked to eleven. Tampa crowds are usually tame—think polite head-bobs that leave bands baffled—but tonight? They were unhinged. Hits like “Do You Want To” and the wickedly spooky “Evil Eye” had us jumping like caffeinated kangaroos. Frontman Alex Kapranos, dripping with Scottish charm, tossed out a cheeky Halloween quip and appeared smitten with the crowd. “We’ve never played Tampa,” he grinned, “and it’s been, what, a decade since Florida?” Christ, we’ve been starving for you.
Kapranos had us crouching and leaping like giddy lunatics during “Michael.” He whipped out a bouzouki for the Greek-tinged “Black Eyelashes,” leading us in arm-waving, call-and-response madness. Before “Take Me Out,” he threw some shade at our phone obsession: “Put ‘em away for a bit, yeah? Just feel the music.” Miraculously,the punters listened, proving Tampa’s got some class. Kapranos, Dino Bardo, and Julian Corrie were bouncing in perfect sync during the song’s iconic break, while Bob Hardy’s bass and Audrey Tait’s drums kept it tight.
Surprise of the night? Master Peace strutted back for “Hooked,” a synth-heavy bop that could slide right into a Lady Gaga playlist. The crowd lapped it up. The band dipped out briefly, only to return to deafening “Encore!” chants. And what an encore—glam-tastic new track “Audacious” had us belting the chorus, followed by old-school gems like “The Fallen” and the earworm “Ulysses.” The grand finale? The surreal, fist-pumping chant of “This fire is out of control, I’m gonna’ burn this city, burn this city!” Sweat was flying, the room was electric, and it felt like we’d set the place ablaze.
What a brilliant night. Franz Ferdinand, you’ve got to come back to Tampa—we’re already pining for more!
PHOTO GALLERY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
