The Killers celebrate Independence Day and perform with fan as they kick off residency at The O2 in London
The Killers kicked off their residency at The O2 in London last night (Thursday July 4), where they invited a fan on stage to play drums on ‘For Reasons Unknown’. Check out footage, photos, the setlist and more below.
Supported by Travis (who covered ‘Somewhere In My Heart’ with Brandon Flowers in Glasgow earlier this week and told the crowd to expect a stadium show packed into an arena from the headliners), the Las Vegas band took to the stage with an emotional opening for their first of six nights at The O2.
With a fitting speech for a tour promoting their latest greatest hits album ‘Rebel Diamonds’, Flowers spoke of the band’s rise to success through “confidence, by shouting affirmations in the mirror”
“You’ve got to give the world irrefutable proof that you are who you say you are,” he began, before their burst into the title track from second album ‘Sam’s Town’. “We’re The Killers – and we’re a great rock ‘n’ roll band. Here let me show you.”
Responding to a number of signs in the crowd, Flowers gave the audience the option of having drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr play drums on ‘For Reasons Unknown’, or to invite a fan up to get behind the kit. Going much more smoothly than it did when they did the same at Reading 2023, this time the fan-assisted rendition went down a storm thanks to ‘Jenny from London’.
While not making reference to the UK’s General Election, he did mark the night in the US calendar. “Tonight’s a celebration,” he said at one point. “It’s July4 . Any Americans in the house? We won a war. I can’t remember who it was against. Too soon? It’s been 250 years people!”
They also covered Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl’ to mark the occasion.
Another emotional moment came at the top of the encore when Flowers spoke of his humble beginnings, growing up with “no backyard, no front yard, just dirt and sky”.
“It didn’t bother me that we didn’t have grass,” he continued. “I was six. I’d spray down the dirt with water from the hose and play in the mud for as long as they’d let me. We were literally dirt poor. But I wasn’t a minority. One day a fed-up neighbour left a dollar in our letterbox. Attached to the dollar was a sarcastic note that read, ‘This is a donation towards you getting a garden’.
“I don’t remember what I learned about the story when I was grown up and out of the house, but I do remember the way it felt when pallets of sod showed up at our house. The excitement of helping my father unload these sweet rolls of earth side by side; it was the day that my parents had finally saved enough to get actual green grass. That’s the place where I lived – it’s a place that my parents prepared for me.”
He added: “I was free from any anxiety or embarrassment. We all do that for our children in a way. It’s experiences like that, that pave the way for songs like ‘Pressure Machine’. ‘Pressure Machine’ isn’t a love song, it’s a life song.”
The encore closed with spirited renditions of ‘Human’, ‘Mr. Brightside’ and the band all performing around a piano for ‘Exitlude’.
The Killers’ setlist at The O2 was:
‘Sam’s Town’
‘Enterlude’
‘When You Were Young’
‘The Way It Was’
‘Somebody Told Me’
‘Smile Like You Mean It’
‘For Reasons Unknown’
‘Dying Breed’
‘Bling (Confession of a King)’
‘American Girl’ (Tom Petty cover)
‘Caution’
‘Runaways’
‘Read My Mind’
‘Your Side of Town’
‘Andy, You’re a Star’
‘All These Things That I’ve Done’
Encore:
‘Pressure Machine’
‘Human’
‘Mr. Brightside’
‘Exitlude’
The new shows have also seen founding member Dave Keuning back in the line-up, following his departure in 2017 to spend more time with his family. He confirmed that he wouldn’t be joining the band to tour their fifth studio album, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’, seven years ago, but remained a member of the group.
While he did not contribute to their follow-up LP ‘Imploding The Mirage’, he did join them in the studio back in 2021 for their seventh album ‘Pressure Machine’. He also used his time away from the touring line-up to release solo music.
NME spoke to Brandon Flowers last year, with the frontman sharing the news of his upcoming solo album. “I’m making a solo record right now! I almost had it wrapped up,” he said. “The goal has always been to get all four original members to take ownership and be proud of what we’re doing, but it’s so difficult with all four of us living in different cities. It’s not impossible. It’s weird to be talking to you about it, but I’d definitely like to do that.”
He also reflected on the legacy of ‘Hot Fuss’ 20 years on, telling us: “[The Killers] were always little different from the other Vegas bands back then because I noticed that there was this competition and rivalry between local bands. I wasn’t thinking about them – I was thinking about The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Oasis. I didn’t allow myself to get to U2 just yet, but I asked myself, ‘What is it that these bands are doing and why are they not still in their hometown?’ That’s what set us apart quite early on.
“We were different, and we were ambitious. Ambition can be seen as an ugly thing to some people but it has served us well. We were able to persevere and it’s kind of unbelievable.”
The Killers’ ‘Rebel Diamonds’ tour continues at The O2 in London tonight (Friday July 5). Visit here for tickets, dates and more information.
In other news, The Killers previously covered The Stone Roses‘ ‘Ten Storey Love Song’ while performing in Manchester.
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Andrew Trendell
NME
