The Killers made their return to Belfast Vital, marking their first show here since their hugely successful 2019 show.
Supporting the Americans was upcoming Irish prospect Cian Ducrot who played a very impressive stripped back set finishing off with chart topper I’ll Be Waiting which had the crowd singing at the top of their lungs. Also on the bill was The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, whose catalogue of solo tracks and hits from his old band proved to be a hit with the 40,000 in attendance. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out was bellowed out by all in attendance, meanwhile This Charming Man sounded as crisp as it was when recorded almost 40 years ago.
By the time Marr’s set was finished there was a clear sense of excitement building for the main act. Late runs to the bar and discussions of what the opening song would be flooded the venue in mass anticipation.
When The Killers finally took to the stage they were met with an eruption of cheers. Opener My Own Soul’s Warning was met with pints thrown into the air and many breaking into dance while confetti poured onto all in attendance. With a crowd ranging from kids at their first gig to seasoned fans, the show seemed to quickly turn into not just a show but a celebration of live music.
Flowers rose to the occasion and proved his showmanship could easily match his talent. “If you’ve came here for rock’n’roll, you’ve came to the right place!” he announced, before bursting into fan favourite Smile Like You Mean It.
The band still manage to give off a sense of humbleness despite being over 20 years deep into their career; a quality that only adds to their immense likeability. Brandon Flowers seemed genuinely enthralled with the masses hanging on to his every word on new single Your Side of Town, a track that was clearly a winner live.
Meanwhile Human had a shout for the best tune of the night. The crowd seemed to take the lyrics of, “Are we human/Or are we dancer” quite literally, with not a single person standing still.
Flowers let the crowd take over the vocals for Somebody Told Me as he ran up and down the stage; a man who clearly loves his day job. The frontman’s energy was relentless, never more so when the band burst into a surprise cover of Teenage Kicks, met with great appreciation from the crowd.
All These Things That I’ve Done closed out the show before the encore, letting a powerful moment take place as Flowers encouraged the crowd to join in alongside the lyrics of, “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier’.
Johnny Marr was welcomed back onto the stage for the encore for a surprise cover of Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before. “We’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage more times with this man than we deserve”, proclaimed Flowers, as Marr burst into life with his guitar.
Mr Brightside was as captivating live as you would expect it to be, with Flowers’ vocals drowned out by the crowd, yelling and screaming every word as though their lives depended on it. As the lights dimmed the crowd naturally chanted, ‘one more tune’ and despite not getting their wishes they could all agree on one thing; they had just witnessed pure rock showmanship.
Words by Niall McGreevy