Published:
3:26 PM June 6, 2022
In their first UK shows since headlining Glastonbury in 2019, The Killers stop at North London’s Emirates Stadium where they will play to 130,000 people over two nights.
Many in the crowd have had their tickets for over two years as a result of the pandemic.
Lead Singer Brandon Flowers said: “Covid brought a lot of uncertainty. Covid brought a lot of isolation but London look around you, ain’t nobody isolated tonight.
“This is a superspreader event! We are spreading peace, we are spreading love and we are spreading rock and roll.”
Around 65,000 came to see the gig – a higher than average attendance at Arsenal’s stadium!
– Credit: Rob Loud
The band from Las Vegas opened with My Own Soul’s Warning and went into some heavy hitters like When We Were Young and Smile Like You Mean It.
The standard was set high from the off with crowd-pleasing confetti cannons and stunning visual effects and as the sunset the party atmosphere only increased.
The band performed Humans and Somebody Told Me back to back, showcasing the versatility of the band from electro-pop to heavy rock but nailing both songs with such confidence and stage presence that the transition was seamless.
Brandon Flowers took time out of the concert to thank the UK fans for their continued support ever since their first shows across the pond in September 2003.
The Killers were playing as part of a UK stadium tour
– Credit: Rob Loud
He said: “When we first came we knew we were good, we did. We just weren’t sure whether you were going to agree and you did. God bless you, we will never forget that.”
The band slowed things down for a rendition of Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, a risky move for a stadium rock concert but with Flowers’ incredible and almost haunting vocals it paid off to great effect.
The band came on for a two-song encore, starting with a stunning performance of Spaceman and then last but not least the moment that everyone had been waiting for, Mr Brightside.
The Killers played songs from seventh album Pressure Machine for the first time to UK audiences
– Credit: Nathalie Raffray
The song has become a staple of every Gen Z’s upbringing and can be heard in every club and pub across the UK without fail.
They started with a more mellow/ slowed down version before finishing with the version everyone knows. The 65,000 in the stadium sang along, almost drowning out Flowers and was an incredible moment that was worth the two year wait. The evening finished with fireworks as the band thanked the crowd for a memorable night.
The Killers live up to their reputation as one of the great live bands of our generation as they controlled the 65,000 crowd with ease in an electric night of rock and roll.
Adam was at The Emirates Stadium on June 3. The Killers also played at the Emirates on June 4.
https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/things-to-do/the-killers-review-brandan-flowers-enjoys-emirates-stadium-9019514
