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FRANZ FERDINAND frontman Alex Kapranos brawled with the band's drummer after a sell-out gig in Paris.

Shocked fans watched the punch-up with Paul Thompson after the pair had a furious row.

Onlookers described it as 'handbags at 50 paces' because neither of the skinny stars landed a serious blow during the fight in the Zenith club.

An insider travelling with the band, who scored their biggest hit with Take Me Out, said: 'The pair of them were really ratty. The row had nothing to do with music.

'They were getting little digs in and it just escalated.

'Alex exploded into a rage and before long the pair of them were trying to hit each other.

'But nobody was seriously hurt. I mean have you seen them? Alex is no Mike Tyson.' The Glasgow band have had a gruelling schedule since their Mercury Music Prize win for debut album Franz Ferdinand.

The boys stand to make millions from their sixth world tour but the intense travelling and performing has taken its toll since they left London at the end of October.

Last week they had been playing at venues in Berlin before flying out to Japan, America and Mexico.

They will finish their tour at the SECC in Glasgow on December 18 and 19.

Promoters say the group have sold an estimated 72,000 tickets in Europe and Japan alone.

Paul, the only member of the band who is originally from Glasgow, got married at the beginning of October.

Friends says he misses his new wife, Esther, and has spent all his money on calling her from their tour.

Band spokesman Steve Phillips said: 'A few fists were thrown after the show in Paris, but it was nothing major.

'Everything is sorted now, it was just one of those things that happens when you are tired and knackered.

'It's not easy for them living in each other's pockets and being together 24/7.'

Ironically the band were formed after a fight between Alex and guitarist Nick McCarthy. When the pair made up they decided to form Franz Ferdinand.

Alex, 34, has said of the row with Nick: 'It's almost embarrassing to remember.

'It was a scrum like schoolkids get into.

'I put the bottle of vodka down and when I looked around, there was this funny-looking guy at the other side of the room with it.

'We started having a fight but almost instantly became friends.

'We started talking about what we liked and within minutes we'd agreed to meet up and play music together.'

In a recent interview, Paul said that Nick was the only member of the band to remember his birthday in September.

Alex claimed to have forgotten and Bob Hardy said he was saving his present for later. The insider added: 'The boys have been trying to keep the fans happy as well as carrying on living the rock and roll lifestyle.

'The fight between Alex and Paul started with the two of them having words. It turned into a tiff and before we knew it they were throwing punches. Thankfully no one was hurt.

'It was over something very minor but I suppose because they are stuck together all the time it just took on a lot more significance.'

yeah... im listening to them right now