NAGOYA, JAPAN Tuesday Nov.30.2004 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- Sunday, November 28, Franz Ferdinand took the stage in Japan minus the band's bass player, Bob Hardy. The night before, after the Scottish quartet's show in Osaka, Hardy became ill and was hospitalized for a severe case of gastro-enteritis, according to fan Web site, http://www.franzferdinand.net/.

Throughout the Osaka gig, Hardy appeared to be in considerable pain and played most of the show sitting down. Later that night he was admitted to an Osaka hospital and was transferred to a Tokyo hospital on Sunday. He's reportedly improving but will remain hospitalized until Thursday, December 2.

Before Franz Ferdinand's performance at Sunday's show in Nagoya, frontman Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy took the stage and, with a translator's help, explained to the fans that Bob was sick. The band then played two sets, with the first being all acoustic. For the second half, Franz Ferdinand was joined onstage by bassist Dino from opening act The Beat Up.

Hardy will miss the band's first two US tour dates in December but plans to rejoin the band on December 3. Filling Bob's shoes for the December 1 and 2 radio show concerts in Detroit and Philadelphia will be Toshi Yano, bass player for the Fiery Furnaces.

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