[/dropcap]The Killers performed at the 3Arena on November 16th, taking the sold-out stadium by storm in support of their 5th studio album, Wonderful Wonderful. As one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the 21st century, The Killers have an array of guaranteed crowd-pleasers to choose from and the 23-song set found space for just the right mix of newer material and older classics.
Their latest album certainly has a more enhanced production value than that of their earlier releases and they opened with its title track, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’, and lead single, ‘The Man’. They then segued seamlessly to ‘Somebody Told Me’ from their 2004 debut album, ‘Hot Fuss’.
While guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer opted out of touring, Ted Sablay and Jake Blanton both made for more than competent replacements, having toured with The Killers in the past.
Front man Brandon Flowers played a suave entertainer, holding the audience in the palm of his hand with his slick performance. He showcased his powerful voice which was at times complemented by three backing singers. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr gave a high-octane performance on the drums, never faltering with the deluge of high-tempo songs.
The audience was treated to a sophisticated show featuring an elaborate stage setup with moving lit-up props, extravagant lighting and intermittent confetti explosions.
Flowers showed what a class act he is by bringing a delighted fan on stage to perform ‘A Dustland Fairytale’ on the keyboard with the band after spotting his sign asking to play with them. The band, minus their temporary recruit, then proceeded to perform an excellent cover of the Dire Straits classic ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and later, ‘Shadowplay’ by Joy Division.
Flowers’ mastery as a lead singer was evident throughout the concert as he swaggered and danced across the stage, giving his all to each song. Each band member also seemed to immerse themselves in the music and genuinely enjoy the live performance.
They teased a goodbye with a stellar rendition of ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ that had the 14,500-strong audience on their feet. However, their most infamous song was yet to come.
Shortly after leaving the stage, the band returned to rapturous applause. Flowers was donning a head-to-toe shimmering gold suit this time, complete with gold boots and sunglasses as he channeled his inner Elvis.
They treated fans to an energetic performance of ‘The Calling’, ‘Andy’, ‘You’re a Star’ and ‘When You Were Young’ before giving them what they came for: ‘Mr. Brightside’. They had the audience singing their hearts out to what has become a modern anthem and a classic that defined the music of the early noughties. It is no surprise that the single has appeared in the top 100 of the UK charts every year since its 2004 release based on the crowd’s euphoric reaction alone. It served as a triumphant conclusion to a concert that was wonderful, wonderful.
