Franz Ferdinand @ Mono, 16 November

Ten years ago, a former Mexican restaurant located beneath a disused railway line was turned into Glasgow’s newest live venue. Mono was the vision of Craig Tannock, who had previously proved that a well-run music bar could thrive in the east end of the city, thanks to his stewardship of the nearby 13th Note Cafe.

Mono was, and remains, noticeably different from most other small venues. It’s relatively spacious, well-lit and has no backstage area in which bands can hide. Tonight, the venue celebrates its tenth birthday with a gig headlined by a rather special guest.

Tickets sold out within hours of going on sale, and a dozen or so disappointed punters can be seen sadly lurking around the entrance. Early sets from Muscles of Joy and RM Hubbert are greeted respectfully, but as the venue begins to reach capacity, it’s noticeable that the majority of the crowd, which includes several well-known Glasgow musicians, seem more interested in getting their next pint than paying attention to what’s happening on stage. RM Hubbert in particular struggles to make himself heard above the din of enthusiastic chatter.

But this is a birthday party after all, complete with cake and finger buffet, and there’s no doubting who the crowd are here to see. Franz Ferdinand get straight down to business by opening with Take Me Out, the song that catapulted them to indie super-stardom. This is the band’s first show in their adopted hometown in almost four years, and enthusiastic renditions of their most well-known singles, including Dark of the Matinee and Do You Want To, are lapped up by the eager crowd.

However, this performance is also a chance for Franz to announce their imminent return. A new album has been recorded at frontman Alex Kapranos’ home studio in Dumfriesshire, and is set for release next year. Three new songs are played tonight, each suggesting that the synth-heavy sound of their last LP has been dropped in favour of a return to the more angular hooks of their debut. At just shy of 40 minutes, their set is over all too quickly. But as birthday party entertainers go, there could be few bands more suited to this particular celebration. [Chris McCall]