Robert Byron Hardy (born 16 August 1980) is an English musician and the bassist for the

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

-based band Franz Ferdinand with his friend Alex Kapranos.

Biography

Hardy grew up in the outskirts of Bradford and attended

Bradford Grammar School Bradford Grammar School (BGS) is a co-educational independent day school located in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Entrance is by examination, except for the sixth form, where admission is based on GCSE results. The school g ...

. Hardy is an artist with an interest in music while Alex Kapranos is a musician interested in art; this is one of the primary reasons for how their friendship was established. Through Hardy's friends from the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...

, Kapranos developed an interest in the work of the

Dadaists Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 1920 Dada flourished in Paris ...

and the Russian Constructivists. Many of the earlier shows of the band would come about thanks to the band's art world contacts.An A-Z of Franz Ferdinand (2007, Helen Chase) Kapranos was provided with one bass guitar by his friend

Mick Cooke Mick Cooke (born 15 December 1973) is a Scotland, Scottish muli-instrumentalist who was the trumpet player of the indie band Belle & Sebastian for fifteen years before leaving in 2013 to concentrate on composing full-time.Taylor, Luke (2013)Int ...

, a member of the cult Glaswegian popsters,

Belle & Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" comes ...

on the condition that he "did something useful with it". Some time around the end of 2001, Bob Hardy received a bass guitar from Alex Kapranos as Hardy leisured in Kapranos' kitchen in Glasgow. Kapranos conversed with Hardy about mastering the bass guitar. Kapranos asked Hardy, "Do you want to learn to play the bass then, Bob?". Hardy replied, "No, I'm an artist, not a musician." Alex then responded in saying, "It's the same thing," which amused Hardy at that moment in time and eventually led to him learning the bass. Bob Hardy is also a painter, a vegan, and likes grammar.

Equipment

Hardy plays a 1974 and a 1978

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a range ...

4001s /

Hagström Hagström () is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the late 1950s ...

/ Fender Precision. He previously used an SWR Goliath bass cabinet but now uses an

Ampeg Ampeg is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guitar Group. Although ...

SVT Pro head and Ampeg 8x10 cabs. He uses Ernie Ball strings – roundwounds, medium gauge. His plectrum is a custom .60 mm magnesium/teflon amalgam.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Bob 1980 births Living people Musicians from Dewsbury People educated at Bradford Grammar School English rock bass guitarists Male bass guitarists Franz Ferdinand (band) members Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art Ivor Novello Award winners People from Dennistoun 21st-century English bass guitarists FFS (band) members