Live Review: The Killers - Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester 11/06/2022
The Killers prove their enduring appeal at Old Trafford with a flawless performance of their greatest hits in an evening that uncovered Britain’s most Rock & Roll pensioner.
The Killers are a band that need no introduction. Anyone unfamiliar with the opening jangle of their enduring classic ‘Mr Brightside’ must have been occupying the space beneath an impressively large rock for the past eighteen years or at least, failed to make it past the best man’s speech at almost any wedding. Owing to their unique and seemingly universal appeal, the band now occupy the same rarefied space as other stadium greats such as, Queen, Elton John and Manchester’s own Oasis, as a band whose anthemic back catalogue was built for headline slots and capacity crowds on balmy summer nights.
A packed out stadium filled with expectant fans awaited the Las Vegas legends at Old Trafford. Emerging on stage to the sound of an operatic aria and backed by renaissance style imagery, the band basked in the theatrical glamour of their staging before opening the show with an explosion of confetti and ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’ taken from their 2021 release ‘Imploding The Mirage’.
In what was a truly rip-roaring start to the set, they followed up their opener with classics such as ‘When You Were Young’ and ‘Smile Like You Mean It’, immediately igniting a fire within Manchester crowd. One of the keys to The Killers unwavering appeal is undoubtedly frontman Brandon Flowers timeless showmanship. Recalling the charisma and flare of a bygone era, Flowers embodies some of the last vestiges of old school rock & roll in an era all too often defined by a style over substance.
Sharply suited and fully exemplifying their Las Vegan roots the band continued to wow the crowd as they played through fan favourites such as ‘Shot At The Night’, ‘Human’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’. As the atmosphere reached fever-pitch nobody was immune from the hysteria, not even a pensioner by the name of Billy who fell while crowd surfing during the band’s rendition of Joy Division’s ‘Shadowplay’. As Billy was lifted across the barrier, Flowers jumped from the stage after putting a temporary halt to proceedings to embrace the fan asking “what the hell are you doing Billy?” to which he replied “I’m enjoying myself”. A touching moment perfectly encapsulating the collective consciousness of the Manchester audience.
The band continued to sparkle throughout the second half of their setlist that was defined by slower cuts including a cover of Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, a highlight of the night that showed the bands musical dexterity and their penchant for the ballads as well as the bangers. However, in closing the show they opted to lean into their extensive collection of uptempo numbers, performing the effervescent ‘Spaceman’ from the album ‘Day & Age’ before they brought the curtain down along the house with the unfailing ‘Mr Brightside’.
On their ‘Imploding The Mirage Tour’ The Killers prove that eighteen years on from the release of their debut album, the band and their expansive oeuvre remain an enduring force to be reckoned with.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
Photo Credit: Rob Loud (@RobLoud)