So keen were the Scots to see their biggest band on home turf that those without tickets had lined Princes Street and were climbing benches to peep over the tarpaulin put up to obscure views of the stage.

For T on the Fringe, the Edinburgh Festival’s pop arm, securing Franz Ferdinand for a two-night stint in the city’s prettiest park was as big a finale as it could have hoped for.

The Glasgow-based group are just weeks away from releasing their second album and the accompanying tour does not take place until November.

Ostensibly then, this was a chance for Franz Ferdinand to perform new songs, but while several of those were sprinkled through the set the show was more about proving that their snappy, art-rock sound had not lost its edge. With more than three million copies of their debut album sold, the band are now a mainstream act with mainstream fans and a responsibility to keep having hits.

Thankfully, a year on the road seemed only to have toughened the quartet’s resolve to surf a spikier, more stylish wave than the rest of British rock. Their opening three tracks — Michael, Tell Her Tonight and the fabulous Jacqueline — were played faster and more ferociously than they are on record, and their erotic relationship lyrics remained as intriguing as ever.

As importantly for fans, Franz Ferdinand still looked like the coolest band on the planet. The temptation to binge on burgers on the tour bus was clearly resisted and all four wore tight-fitting shiny suits — for Alex Kapranos, the lead singer, an eye-catching one in bright blue, teamed with a scarlet shirt — although only the drummer, Paul Thomson, had hung on to his skinny tie.

Rumours that Thomson had quit drums to switch to guitar proved unfounded and you can only hope it stays that way.

Franz Ferdinand are the most economical of musicians and the sharpness of their sound relies on a less-is-more formula.

Of the new songs, only The Fallen tackled fresh territory, with its loose feel and sassy sway. The forthcoming single Do You Want To, which followed a predictably crowd-pleasing Take Me Out, relied heavily on Roxy Music, an influence Franz don’t yet want to shake, while I’m Your Villain was in the vein of This Fire, itself played in the encore and possibly the night’s most passionate moment.

Where Franz Ferdinand have improved is in their stage presence — their three guitarists now dance, rather than remaining rooted to the spot. Where they still fall slightly short is in their interaction with the audience.

At times, their brittle songs struggled to connect with the fans and Kapranos’s chat was utterly inane. Perhaps aloofness is part of their appeal, but the occasional smile wouldn’t hurt.

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