CONCERT REVIEW: The Killers Deliver Dazzling Night Of Nostalgic Hits

Legendary alternative rock band The Killers have been out on a massive tour run around the world to mark 20 years of their albums Hot Fuss and Rebel Diamonds. On the 12th of December, The Killers kicked off the first of three shows at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. The tour is split into each night getting a different album and tonight we were celebrating Rebel Diamonds which has a collection of their biggest hits. The venue buzzed with excitement as fans of all ages—some who grew up with The Killers and others introduced through their parents—grabbed drinks, merch, and took part in a prize wheel activity.

Melbourne locals Radio Free Alice was the band tasked with opening up the evening at this large arena, it’s great to see a smaller local band given the opportunity to shine on this major Australian tour. They definitely made me a fan and if you love The Cure/The Smiths style music, then I definitely implore you to add these guys to your playlist and catch them at a live gig.

A white curtain covered the stage as we waited in anticipation, as we saw band members move behind it into position, the crowd’s cheers started building as the first notes of Read My Mind rang out, the curtain then dropped revealing the full six piece band with the three backup singers. And then your eyes couldn’t help but be drawn straight to frontman Brandon Flowers in a dazzling suit covered in diamantés, fitting with the theme. Neon signs for The Killers and Rebel Diamonds signs illuminated the stage creating a cinematic scene. The show was off to a very strong start as they quickly followed it up with Somebody Told Me, which had everyone in the seated section standing up and dancing by the second song and then onto Spaceman. Brandon spent some time chatting to the crowd thanking everyone for being here and also for supporting them for all these years. He spoke with such passion exclaiming ‘We are here to electrify! We are in the industry of service, so you let us know how we can serve you tonight, Melbourne!’ The night featured some special moments including a fan-requested song My God, which was also a tour debut. This dedicated fan, who met Brandon at breakfast and proudly displayed a tattoo collage of the band’s albums, surely walked away with a memory of a lifetime.

Later on in the evening Brandon mentioned that everyone knows that they’re a fan of Australian bands and we were surprised with a duet of Electric Blue with none other than Iva Davis of Icehouse. While the crowd could have matched the band’s vibrant energy Brandon acknowledged those people who were completely engaged pointing them out and flashing his big smile. The production was amazing, from the sound to the lighting, it all complimented the bands performance adding to the experience.

Sadly the night was coming to an end, and if you didn’t know The Killers, you’ll surely know this one and well if you don’t…then I seriously question your music taste – Mr. Brightside started out in their remix style, everyone was up on their feet singing along. Relief came as they broke out into the original version and wow, does it just do something to you finally hearing this song live, the audience was the loudest it had been all night. 

I had always pictured what Brandon would be like live, and let’s just say he is every bit of what I imagined him to be – a total showman, commanding the stage and everyone’s attention. His vocals are as strong as ever, floating seamlessly between playing the keyboard and running about the stage, holding notes so effortlessly. He has a huge beaming smile constantly as he’s performing, you cannot help but smile, you can tell he is loving every minute of it. While not all founding members were present, the touring musicians sounded phenomenal together and the back up singers delivered a polished performance. The band have really made a huge lasting impression on the music industry all around the world, creating so many timeless hits and being able to witness this tour was something special. After two decades The Killers are still maintaining a strong presence creating new music, that said, it was a magical evening of nostalgia hearing their greatest hits and hope they have many more years ahead of them!