Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy from Franz Ferdinand, like The Enemy’s Tom Clarke, Maxïmo Park’s Paul Smith and Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure before them, seem humbled and a little bewildered at the scene laid out before them.

As it is every Saturday afternoon in the basement club at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, Xfm linchpin and Inspiral Carpet Clint Boon is hosting another family tea and cake affair. Tables are laid with chequered table cloths, candles and china tea cups (with saucers). Thanks to the efforts of Mrs Charlie Boon, a spectacular array of homemade cake swamps the corner of the bar – the carrot cake is particularly memorable.

The cake has real competition though. The Boons have sought to create something special and succeeded in ways they probably never dreamed of. A guestlist system is now in operation to avoid overcrowding, even though headline acts (like Franz Ferdinand) are never advertised in advance. The cake is, as they say, to DIE for and the tea remains free (this is a founding and incontrovertible principle for Mr and Mrs Boon).

Kapranos and McCarthy may be a little bemused by the crowd of kids sat at their feet but the assembled toddlers know nothing of fear and meet the Scots’ contemplative gaze with unforgiving, unflinching, whites-of-the-eyes expectation. The cross-legged kids are an unfazed focus group – if they disapprove (or if one of them needs a wee), they will stand up in front of the Brit and Mercury Award winning group and walk off. They don’t.

Tea party goers had already seen local ska-punk heroes Sonic Boom Six perform a wonderful and charming stripped-down set when host Boon announced that Franz Ferdinand would be next on the small stage. By the time Sonic Boom Six had finished their set on a playful and gorgeous cover of Boney M’s Rasputin Mums, Dads and toddlers alike were already high on tea and cake.

In the city ahead of their sold-out date at the 3,500-capacity Apollo theatre, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex and Nick treated the 150-strong crowd to an acoustic ‘greatest hits’ set that included breakthrough tracks Take Me Out and The Dark of the Matinée alongside instant classics like Ulysses and Walk Away.

Kapranos, whose band won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, is more used to seeing crowd surfing and fans on each other’s shoulders but if at first he seemed taken aback by the sight of the young children gathered at his feet it didn’t affect a dazzling performance.

The lead singer clearly enjoyed himself though and stayed on to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans, commenting: “I loved it, what a fantastic atmosphere.”

Clint Boon, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Sex, Cake and Rock’n'Roll’, was equally impressed, saying afterwards: “When Charlie and I became parents we realized there was nowhere we could take the kids to see live music. We just wanted to create something safe and kid-friendly where families could come and enjoy rock’n'roll. It was exactly so people could savour brilliant performances like that.”

Images courtesy of Stephen Campbell: http://www.stephencampbellphotography.co.uk/