Franny Griffiths
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Francis Griffiths (born July 1, 1968 in Liverpool, England) is a keyboardist, producer and remixer, who is best known for being a member of the band, Space. He also plays guitar, melodica and piano. His main influences are Kraftwerk, hip-hop, Can, various electro bands and Crass. Despite being a self-confessed dance music fan, he also admits to liking heavy rock bands such as System of a Down and Marilyn Manson.
The strange noises produced by Franny's keyboards (contrary to rumours, he does not use a Theremin) are one of the trademarks of Space's sound. Unlike his other bandmates, Franny has never performed lead vocals on a Space track, with one exception - "I Am Unlike A Lifeform You've Ever Met", a B-side on the "Avenging Angels" single. However, on the first two Space albums, Spiders and Tin Planet, as well as the B-sides of various singles, he has contributed instrumental tracks.
Franny met Space singer Tommy Scott as a teenager, and the two were both members of The Australians and Hello Sunset. (Apparently, Franny also used to be in a band called BB And Me). At one point, Franny left England for Spain, where he worked as a bouncer and often went clubbing in Ibiza. On his return to Liverpool, he was handed an empty cigarette packet with Scott's telephone number written on it, and the request that he help the nascent Space record a demo. Naturally curious, Franny dialled the number, and the rest is history; he became the fourth member of Space in 1994.
Along with Tommy Scott, Franny is one of the two original members in the most recent Space line-up.
As with his bandmates, the stress of touring America in 1997 minus guitarist Jamie Murphy - with whom Franny seems to have a love/hate relationship - took its toll on the keyboardist. He came down with a particularly nasty case of stomach ulcers, as well as succumbing to tonsillitis on Space's second US tour with Murphy.
Franny is currently making R'n'B music under the name Subway Showdown. He lives with his partner Karen - who has performed backing vocals on some of Space's songs, including a remix of Neighbourhood - and their two sons, Ellis and Christian.
