Franz Ferdinand rock Leeds O2 Academy for first time since 2009

You would be forgiven for not going weak at the knees at the news that Franz Ferdinand are rolling into Leeds to play the O2 Academy. The Scottish indie rockers have been off the scene for quite a while now, with their last visit to Leeds being a whopping four years ago. But with a crowd of more than 2,000 eager fans, it seems that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

They were greeted with a hero’s welcome as they took to the stage in a peculiar ensemble of mismatched black and white outfits and delivered a raucous set of their characteristically sharp, witty and undeniably catchy hits, spanning almost two hours. Opening song Bullet, from their new album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions, set the show off to a swinging start followed by toe-tapping favourite The Dark of the Matinee.

Whilst the crowd responded enthusiastically enough to new hits Evil Eye and Fresh Strawberries, it was the classic hits from the bands back catalogue that really lifted the roof. No You Girls, Do You Want To and Take Me Out were the obvious fan favourites, with fans eagerly snatching the chorus from frontman Alex Kapranos leaving him with little to do in the way of getting the crowd going.

Note-perfect singer and guitarist Alex was not the most flamboyant or talkative of frontmen, but he had an undeniable stage presence and commanded the show with ease. Alex and rhythm guitarist, Nick McCarthy, were undoubtedly the leaders of the show, with both giving an admirably energetic and spirited performance which led fans into a sweat-fuelled, po-going frenzy.

It was a shame their enthusiasm failed to be matched by bass player, Bob Hardy, who barely raised a smile through the entire set and looked decidedly unenthused by the whole event. Despite a rather reserved performance from Bob, the set did maintain its pace throughout and the band should be commended for their fantastic instrumental interludes.

The instrumental sections of the show, including a drum solo performed by all members of the band at the end of Outsiders, perfectly showcased their superb musical talents reminding fans exactly why they are a platinum-selling band.

The band delivered an impressive lengthy encore, with singer Alex taking a request from a fan at the front to play Jacqueline, before closing the show with This Fire and Goodbye Lovers & Friends.

After delivering an exciting live show with an impressive array of infectiously catchy hits, Franz Ferdinand have proved that time hasn’t taken away any of their charm or shine.

Betty’s Tea Room, Harrogate

Afternoon Tea At Betty's Tea Room

 

For us Yorkshire folk who are partial to a spot of Afternoon Tea, the chances are you will have heard of Betty’s Tea Room. There are six Betty’s Tea Rooms you can visit, namely Ilkley, Northallerton, York, Stonegate York and two branches in Harrogate. Now I can’t speak for the other branches, but the Betty’s located in the centre of Harrogate is always overflowing with visitors. Every time I have visited Harrogate there has been a stream of people lining the streets outside (even in the rain) eagerly waiting to get a table. Of course due to the tea room’s popularity, I had very high expectations and felt certain I was in for a treat.

Afternoon Tea was served in the Imperial Room, a charming and elegant room located upstairs away from the main dining area. To dine in this room you are required to book in advance, but it does enable you to bypass the long queues outside so it is worth doing. Although, it does cost £8 more than if you choose to wait and dine in the main café. But the Imperial Room does offer a unique dining experience. The room, due to its location upstairs, is much quieter than the busy main café, whilst the soothing live piano music and elegant décor, including stone fireplaces and crystal chandeliers, do create a rather enchanting setting to enjoy your afternoon tea.

On arrival, waiters come to greet you at the door and relieve you of your coat – at which point you realise that this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill café. You are then shown to your table and asked by your waiter (who is smartly dressed in black and white – very fetching) if you would like some champagne with you meal. If you opt for some bubbly, this cost of your afternoon tea will shoot up to £33.95, as opposed to £26.95 if you choose to stick with tea. You are then given the tea menu which includes a variety of different options, including green teas, white teas or the more traditional black teas. I went for the rather unadventurous ‘Betty’s Tea Room Blend’, which is basically just your regular English breakfast tea, but it was delicious nonetheless.

                

The Afternoon Tea, which was served on a classic three-tier stand, was served shortly after the tea arrived. The sandwiches consisted of coronation chicken, roast ham and mustard, egg and cress and Wensleydale cheese and apple chutney, served on a variety of white and brown bread. I should point out that I requested the cheese and chutney in replacement of the prawn and salmon sandwich (awkward customer, I know), so they are more than happy to cater for what you would like if you are picky like me. The sandwiches were delightful, particularly the cheese and apple chutney, but it was just a shame you didn’t get a few more.

The cakes consisted of a shortbread biscuit topped with raspberries and whipped cream, a salted caramel macaroon and a rich chocolate and orange cake, accompanied by two freshly baked scones served with jam and clotted cream. I really can’t fault the cakes as they were all delicious, but I must say, the salted caramel macaroon was exceptionally good! The cakes, although bite-sized, are surprisingly filling, so if you have any leftovers they will happily box them up for you to take home to enjoy later. The waiter did ask if we wanted any more tea at the end of the meal, but since we declined I’m not sure if you have to pay for additional drinks – it’s unlikely that you do, but I could be wrong.

The price tag for Afternoon Tea at Betty’s may seem a little steep, but the impeccable service, high quality food and the beautiful setting do help to justify the amount. I doubt it is somewhere you would dine out frequently (unless you can afford it, of course), but as a special little treat it is a lovely place to visit and I would certainly dine here again. 

Top Film Picks of 2013

Well I have been rubbish at keeping up to date with posting lately haven’t I?! The festive period proved to be a lot busier than I had anticipated! I was planning to do a post on my favourite Christmassy films but alas I didn’t have time…there’s always this year though right?! Anyway, here is a post on my favourite films from the year. I saw so many good movies in 2013 that it was quite tough to pick a top few, but here is a run-down of the ones that really stood out.

10. Les Miserables

I was surprised by how much I loved this film as I wasn’t sure whether I would be into it – there is a hell of a lot of singing in it and the plot is a bit, well, depressing. Once it got going though, it completely won me over. The only reason I’ve put it at number 10 is that it’s not the sort of film you’d find yourself watching over and over again in a hurry – I think you have to be in the right mood to watch it!

9. Frozen

Since this film was made by the creators of ‘Tangled’ I had a feeling it would be good (‘Tangled’ is brilliant). It has all the Disney charm you could wish for – lovable characters, romance, magic, an evil, arrogant arse who’s out to have it all (there’s always one!) and a talking snowman (because why not?). Olaf the snowman really stole the movie for me. He’s fab. Wish he was mine.

8. Stuck in Love

Not your typical romance film. It’s a lot more realistic and relatable than most romantic films are. It has a great original plot and an all-star cast that are fantastic. I really enjoyed this one.

7. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

This second instalment is even better than the first. It really hits the ground running from the start and doesn’t lose pace the whole way through. I think you probably have to be a fantasy fan to really enjoy this though as it is a little odd at times. Being a big fan of fantasy films, it was obviously right up my alley.

6. Mud

This film is a real gem – it makes a refreshing change from the bog-standard comedies and such that are always about. It has action, drama, suspense romance…a bit of everything really. It’s a unique story that really pulls you in – it makes you really root for these characters. Matthew McCounaughey really comes into his own in this and it was nice to see him step away from the cheesy rom-coms. He was superb. It was just a shame the southern accents of the characters was a little hard to understand in places!

5. Iron Man 3

This film had everything that I hoped it would. Sometimes with big movie franchises the films seem to get worse with each instalment (Iron Man 2 was a bit hit and miss at times), but this one completely won me over. Obviously I think you have to be a fan of superhero type films to really get into it but it does have potential for wider appeal.

4. The Lone Ranger

I realise this might be an unpopular choice as it didn’t go down so well with the critics, but personally I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting – the way the story was told as a memory from an aged Tonto chatting to a little kid in a museum was a little odd at first, but as the film got going I actually quite enjoyed hearing the tale that way. It was quite unique. Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer made a great team and both portrayed their characters beautifully and their comradery throughout really brought a sense of fun to the story. If you love a good adventure movie then I would certainly recommend it!

3. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I went to see the first of The Hobbit movies at the start of the year and I really enjoyed it. At the time I had never read the book or seen any of The Lord of the Rings movies either (I’m always behind with getting into huge franchises!) so I wasn’t sure what to expect. After seeing the first film I have since read The Hobbit and have recently begun to delve into The Lord of the Rings. Obviously having read the book first, this second instalment of The Hobbit was a lot easier to follow! I thought the ‘Desolation of Smaug’ was even better than the first – it’s a lot more action packed, exciting and thrilling. Bilbo really comes into his own in this one and the scenes with Smaug were superbly done (even though they strayed quite a lot from what happens in the book!).

2. The Great Gatsby

I absolutely adore this film. Like The Hobbit, I didn’t know much about the story of Gatsby before I went to see it. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and read the book straight after and I have to say I was surprised by how close the film had stayed to the original text. DiCaprio really did make the perfect Gatsby, capturing his charm, his mystery and his desperation perfectly and the rest of the cast were equally superb. I thought they all did justice to their characters. The settings in this movie are also incredible – the extravagance and glamour of it all (Gatsby’s parties in particular) makes it an irresistible watch. I have recently watched it again and it was still as thrilling as the first time I saw it. 

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

There’s nothing better than when a book you adore is made into a movie and it is actually done well – I’m always a little worried that it’ll be ruined (like Twilight). I had been looking forward to the release of ‘Catching Fire’ for ages and when the time finally came to see it thankfully it didn’t disappoint.  In fact, it was even better than I thought it would be. The second instalment of this franchise is a lot more exciting and action packed than the first and even more dangerous (if that’s even possible in a film where they all have to fight to the death). After being thrown back into the arena for a second time around, the odds are definitely not in Katniss and Peeta’s favour. It does leave you thinking there is no way they can survive it all this time. It’s a thrilling ride from start to finish and with a film as gripping, amusing and as exciting as this one, I don’t see how they’re going to top it.