It was a cruisy ride to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre last night (29 November); as I park my car, I'm instantly hit with the fragrance of humus, eucalypt and of course a waft of punter anticipation for tonight's headliners, The Killers.
This show is The Killers' delayed tour to promote their 2020 album 'Imploding The Mirage', despite already releasing their next album 'Pressure Machine' in 2021.I easily navigate to my seat in time to welcome tonight's support act, Alex Cameron. There are punters of a very mixed demographic lying in wait on the front barrier. I love how there are no age boundaries with music. The Killers are uniting Boomers with Gen Zs and all of us in between.
Cameron and his business partner Roy Malloy are performing as a six-piece. The lights dim, the stage is awash in royal blue light and there are cries from the crowd. Doh! A false start.
Fleetingly, lights come back on before we get a rerun and Cameron and Malloy are opening with 'Stepdad'. This is a song written about his experience involving the children of his girlfriend that could be considered an anthem for step-parents – its bright and breezy beats warming us up.
Cameron has got to be chuffed to know there are many here in the crowd turned on by his jam. Cameron gives a nine-song setlist and the drums tap in song two of the night, 'Country Figs' which has an amazing saxophone part. My ears are perked.
Cameron is generous in sharing punter love, stopping often during the set to have us cheer and clap for his business partner Malloy and asking us to demonstrate how much we are excited for our headliners. We cheer and call out loudly, every time.
The next song 'Divorce' was written in Utah with Brandon Flowers who didn't want credit – but Cameron announces that whether or not they want to admit it, this is so!
'Candy May' is next on the setlist. Apparently, Flowers sent an email to Cameron in 2017 after he and Malloy sold four records at a store while passing through the town. Cameron thought someone had signed him up to The Killers mail list. However, turns out it was the real deal, Flowers himself. Priceless.
Punters are loving this song and we are starting to feel pumped. One punter is holding a sign held up high to grab Malloy's attention. Cameron points it out to the rest of us. We cheer – Malloy comes with his own entourage of fans too. Yeah he does! Rightly so, his sax playing is divine. Exceptional in fact.
More punters are joining us to catch the set and the place is filling up. 'Miami Memory', 'Sara Jo', and crowd pleaser 'Stranger's Kiss' follow, which is a gorgeous duet performed with Jess Parsons on keys.
Malloy's sax has been on point all night, and for 'Far From Born Again' it had me reeling and in a heightened state for their closing cracker of a song 'K Hole'. We are left well-greased for The Killers.
The stage is once again bathed in royal blue while a quick set change is happening that sees keys for Flowers set up behind an infinity symbol right at the front between digital-screened risers spanning the front of the stage. Small things, right?
Two of the crew wielding vacuums have caught my attention. Ha. They must be wet and dry types to clean the excess grease left behind by Cameron, Malloy and the gang. . . or maybe Flowers is going to get on the floor and do some holy rolling rock & roll moves!
The venue is pretty chockers now and there are not too many empty spaces around the joint; the crowd erupts with loud cheers and screams of pure elation as the band members reach their instruments and a lissom Flowers, looking oh so debonaire in his textured jacket, come before the digital backdrop that has come alive for their opener 'My Own Soul's Warning'.
The Killers - image © Chris Phelps
Imagery of heavenly bodies is displayed behind the band and is further dramatised with bolts of lightning. Fans are singing and jumping on the spot. Bang! Confetti is exploding high into the air towards the roof and over punters.
As the confetti is dancing above us, we delight in this visual display as we are showered with small rectangles slowly descending to the floor. Why wait for the end of a show to wow a crowd? Where to go from here, The Killers!?
As The Killers are exhaling their music for us to breathe, we are inhaling and getting our first hit of their live vibrations from this first song. Their hit brings on an unmistakeable, spontaneous collective connection. With such an upbeat ambience in the venue and a show-stopping start, I sense I am already part of what is going to remembered as an extraordinary live music experience.
Perhaps we appeared to be overheating already, as we are getting a more subdued 'Enterlude' and while it does give us time to catch our breath from the fantastic opener, it's not long before we are set off on another frenzy to the banger 'When You Were Young' and we are out-singing any pub choir I've ever heard!
From its tell-tale intro, we are yanked into nostalgia and momentarily bathe in our personal memories until the anthemic chorus comes rocking in and snaps us to the here and now.
The Killers - image © Chris Phelps
There is an immense joy in the atmosphere. 'Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine', a melodic and neatly paced ballad that while I prefer it done acoustically, in the big indoor arena with a huge stage is rocking me tonight along with the guitar solo for 'Smile Like You Mean It' – it just has me spinning!
Now Flowers is using his frontman wiles with his exceptional vocals to have us throw up our arms during 'Shot At The Night', and we need no real coaxing to do his bidding, creating a sea of hands above our heads for him to see. Following this, 'Running Towards A Place' is devoured by punters and keeps the mood elevated.
To heighten our experience of 'Human', movement is utilised through a beautifully curated mosaic of choreographed and solo dancers inside tiles. This is working perfectly to accent the lyrics: "Are we human, or are we dancers?" The much lighter and bright vocals are super sweet and demonstrate the emotional range Flowers can provide.
He lets us take over the vocals and we need no help from a microphone – our collective voices are loud and clear. It is amazing. Calling us to vocalise "amen" almost as a mantra, we are happily complying as the screen churned forth a starry sky and milky way core for 'Spaceman'; a clear crowd favourite wafting of Bowie.
Well if that last number was a favourite, I'm not sure how I can possibly describe the reception to this next one – 'Somebody Told Me'. I am transported to a time of late night dancing many moons ago as laser lights are illuminating the room. It's boogie time again and I am rocking out with other fans, now standing in their seats like our brethren on the floor.
'Cody' is next followed by the unleashing of their new song 'Boy', which is getting many shouts and whoops of joy, before yet another crowd pleaser (and a kind of homage to their homeland Las Vegas, Nevada, via the visuals on screen) 'A Dustland Fairytale'.
While I secretly hoped Flowers would throw in their cover of 'Electric Blue' by Icehouse, given Iva had to reschedule it was not so. Never fear though, I am getting goosebumps good and proper as we hear a very moving and amazing version of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' (Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger cover). Flowers' vocals are sublime.
The Killers - image © Chris Phelps
While Flowers hasn't been one for too much stage chit-chat – and we don't care – the setlist is choco-block of polished bangers. Flowers has, however, been relentless in his prowling of the stage, ensuring he moves to each end to sing to fans on the sides and darting to the front to get as close to us as possible.
It shows he must possess a good level of fitness, as his voice is solid throughout. Can I say, there has been some stylised Elvis poses up there on stage tonight. Deliberate or note, I am noticing.
'Runaways' lets the three amazing backup singers with pipes-plus (two also played acoustic guitar and violin!) shine and Flowers encourages audience participation with hands raised in response.
'Read My Mind' is rocking our socks off and the guitar is again blowing my mind as he stands up on the riser to bask in our adoration. 'Dying Breed' is played before 'Caution'. This song is giving me the same Tom Petty/ Travelling Wilburys vibes on the verses as it does digitally; perhaps it's the rhythm, perhaps it's just me.
'All These Things That I've Done' comes on and as he sings the lyrics "is there room for one more song", I am inside screaming "and then some". Flowers sinks to his knees while we pick up the vocals again for this one. We are in a frenetic frenzy. We are hoarse yet we find ourselves repeatedly singing "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier" – we are gospel choir in one hot minute.
Drum sticks are bounced off the front risers into the crowd and guitar picks are thrown into the pit too – signalling a possible end to the show. There is cheering in the hopes of eliciting an encore. Mobile phone lights are turned on and the arena has turned into a mini constellation.
We are of course being teased. The Killers return to the stage to perform the jivin' feels of 'The Man'. A Greek sculpture first appears in shadow on the backdrop and becomes more visible. More confetti and streamers are shot into the air and I am getting a good dose of funky James Brown feels.
The Killers - image © Chris Phelps
The timeless, catchy banger 'Mr. Brightside' has us punters singing along with great volume and emotion. We manage a pretty good melodic articulation of the lyrics – the chorus and every line of every verse. An absolute belter.
We comprehend this is the very last song as Flowers bows out, leaving the band on stage after thanking Alex Cameron and acknowledging that it wouldn't be possible to give such a show without us punters. We are giving united, blasting round of rowdy cheers.
Drummer Ronald Vannucci Jr. is motioning for us to give an even louder cheer as he leads the band for a few seconds of a percussive-led finale concluding The Killers 19-song setlist and 2-song encore that has left us in an inebriated and blissful state.
Would it be too cliché and true to say that The Killers killed it at the BEC tonight? Well, even that does not reflect the true essence of their performance and our experience.
I reckon I speak for most in saying that The Killers conquered our hearts at BEC tonight by immersing us in their live music and upbeat vibe. The flood of energy throughout the room has been undeniably created from the shared love of live music between punters and the exchange of energy between the band and their fans.
Hey, The Killers! Ya'll come back pretty quick now, and tour that latest album release, ya hear!
