top of page
The Killers at the O2 Arena, 28th November 2017

Riding on the success of their fifth studio album, Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers honours their roots by bringing all the glitz and glam from Las Vegas, centre stage on their UK tour. This of course calls for an extravagant costume change, as Flowers emerges from wearing a black suit with sequin-covered lapels, to a striking gold suit fit for a dazzling encore.

 

As the curtain drops to reveal their silhouettes, an element of suspense overwhelms the audience. The opening number, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ comes as somewhat a surprise, being the first promotional single from their latest album. It’s a slow, moody track and being a less-known one, this could be a risky move. The audience sit with bated breath, welcomed by the immense and yet, distant voice of Flowers. It goes down a treat, complemented by a big production which allows the swirling guitar riffs to reach far out, filling the heights of the arena.

 

This runs straight into ‘The Man’, the band’s self-proclaimed reflection single on what they thought it meant to be men in their youth. To accompany this, they have a sequentially impressive lighting show and animation on the screens behind. Being more upbeat, this sets the scene for two of their biggest hits, ‘Read My Mind’ and ‘Spaceman’.

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here on out, it’s a snowballing of one hit into another, including ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’, with the true extent of the band’s success becoming apparent. There’s an irresistible nature of 70s disco vibes supported by the electronics of the 80s, which has helped to shape their distinct sound we know today and this makes it near impossible to stay planted in your seat.

 

Amidst the rush of energy, Flowers grabs a quiet moment to tell an anecdote. He lets us in on a secret about the origins of ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’. Detailing how he used to work as a bell boy for a casino along the Vegas strip, “Taking some bags up to a room, I had these lines going round in my head. In a Lou Reed kind of voice, I kept singing: ‘Yeah help me out. You know you gotta help me out. Why don’t you put me on a back burner…’” and the audience respond in unison, “You know you gotta help me out,” as they chant back.

 

You don’t have to look far to see where their musical influences lie. They retreat from the stage in typical encore fashion (leaving out their biggest hit), while the crowd show no signs of leaving just yet. Flowers returns with a smug look across his face, as he asks “Do you like treats?” before introducing New Order’s founding member and singer, Bernard Sumner to the stage. They proceed to pay tribute to New Order’s 1986 track, ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’. While appreciated by some older fans, it doesn’t go unnoticed that some younger devotees are finding it a bit, frankly, bizarre.

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear also begins to seep in on whether they might deprive a generation of their beloved ‘Mr. Brightside’. Fortunately, they turn things around and give us two versions to gush over, starting with the alternate trance remix from their second album, Sawdust. Despite the enormity of the O2 Arena, they manage to sustain an element of intimacy. As the remix slowly blends into the original version, the lights lift to ensure no one is overlooked. Just for a mere few minutes, complete strangers unite and there is nothing but passionate, hand-on-heart chanting.

 

Visibly emotional, drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr hangs about on stage to absorb the remaining moments of the rock ‘n’ roll experience. Before signing off, he profoundly states with a grin, “Sometimes, you gotta do it with the lights on.” It’s evident that a flame has been reignited in the band after enduring personal struggles and with two years away from album touring, this feels like a particularly symbolic turning point.

bottom of page