There was something far too familiar about Franz Ferdinand’s appearance on stage. It could have been the backdrop — the retro cover of the band’s second album, released last year and long since gone from the charts. Or perhaps the haircuts — still short and sharp, but saying nothing new. The skinny ties, at least, had been banished to the back of the quartet’s tour wardrobe, but their two-tone colour scheme remained — for frontman Alex Kapranos that meant tight, red scarlet trousers matched with black shoes, shirt and suit jacket.

As for the music, it remained as edgy, arty and enjoyable as ever, but threw up few surprises. An onslaught of old songs was greeted with sweaty pogoing and mass singalongs, but none had changed much in the year the band have been playing them on tour. The snappy Do You Want To had hundreds of hands aloft clapping and the guitarist Nick McCarthy down on his knees. Kapranos kicked his heels behind him for a fabulous The Dark of the Matinee, scissor-kicked though Come on Home and offered some intros in an accent so strong that few could understand him. There was little evidence of the new material Franz Ferdinand have supposedly been working on since January. L. Wells, however — a new-ish number that appeared on a single in March — did suggest that a change of direction may be imminent. The slowest, simplest song of the set, with Celtic-tinged keyboards, twangy guitars and tambourine, it was a sweet, startling departure from the Franz formula and Kapranos’s favourite song of the night.

The B-side Shopping for Blood was another indicator that the Scots are more than mere one-trick ponies. A glam rocker on record, live it was given a twitchy, electro overhaul that was greeted with some bemusement by fans, but only upped its dancefloor potential. The real highlights of the set, however, were the old favourites Walk Away, Darts of Pleasure and an explosive This Fire in the encore. Then, of course, there was Take Me Out. Still Franz Ferdinand’s trademark tune, it went down a storm with everyone but the band. Kapranos tried his best not to look bored, but his heart wasn’t in it and he seemed relieved to leave it behind mid-set.

For the crowd, Franz Ferdinand’s art-rock hadn’t yet lost its lustre, but they may have to start looking elsewhere if they want more of the same next year.

Franz Ferdinand headline Reading Festival tonight and Leeds Festival tomorrow

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