Franz Ferdinand Rocks A Village Hall In Shetland

FRANZ Ferdinand were crowned kings of Shetland last night after rounding off their intimate tour of Scotland with two blistering gigs.

But their equipment almost didn't make it. The Franz boys arrived at the island's Sumburgh Airport on the final leg of the tour on a flight from Inverness but, during a scheduled stop on Orkney, they had to leave their equipment because the pilot was concerned they would not be able to take off again.

Frontman Alex Kapranos explained: "We landed fine in Orkney but when it came to take-off, the pilot realised the plane was too heavy.

"The runway was too short and we had to leave guitars behind. But we would rather that than they were left on and we didn't know until the end of the runway."

The instruments were sent to Shetland separately and arrived hours before last night's gigs at the 400-capacity Whiteness and Weisdale Hall in Shetland. The first, a matinee for under-18s, saw the band enjoy a hero's welcome from kids from the village primary school next door.