Get Fired Up Oz... A Killer Night Out At Perth Arena

What a performance


Article heading image for Get Fired Up Oz... A Killer Night Out At Perth Arena

@PerthArena on Twitter

Review by Tim Lordan 

The Killers. Perth Arena, Monday May 1, 2018.

 I must admit: As good as The Killers were at the AFL Grand Final last year, I had some nagging doubts about this gig.

I’d seen The Killers 3 times - including way back in 2004 on their very first Oz tour, just as the Hot Fuss album was making them international stars.

Would they be as good now - without their “original” line-up? (Guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer are still officially members, but have both decided not to tour anymore).

 Any doubts I had were VERY quickly blown away!!

Firstly: new touring members Ted Sablay (guitar) and Jake Blanton (bass) are fantastic players who keep the “authentic” Killers sound kicking - driven by the backbone of the band, drummer Ronnie Vannucci.

And secondly, it’s always been The Brandon Flowers show to some extent anyway! He’s a masterful frontman, mixing powerful vocals with classic Elvis style and stage presence (thin, handsome Elvis!)

The set opened with two tracks from latest album Wonderful Wonderful: the title track, and the super-funky The Man. Brandon’s energy level was immediately set to “high” – matching the visual onslaught from the bands HUGE video screen set-up - including a quite impressive triangular roof screen above them.

By song #3, the stadium erupted in the first of many huge sing-alongs, as they ripped into breakthrough hit Somebody Told Me.

Then the hits kept coming – covering the spectrum of albums: Spaceman and Human from Day & Age, Run For Cover from the latest album; Runaways from 2012’s Battle Born.

Plus some deeper tracks for “the fans”…my personal fave: epic rock balled A Dustland Fairytale from 2008.

How about a couple of interesting covers too? The crowd loved their ripper take on INXS’s Don’t Change, but some of the younger audience members looked a bit confused by the Dire Straits classic Romeo and Juliet.

Post

“What’s this song??!!” the teen next to me yelled to her friend.

But it’s no surprise that the night’s biggest moments came from the now legendary debut album Hot Fuss. Smile Like You Mean It – awesome. All These Things That I’ve Done – just enormous!! Especially 15,000 or so people all chanting the song’s famous refrain “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier!” – before confetti and streamers burst all over the arena for its massive climax.

They made us wait – and scream and cheer – for a few minutes before launching into an encore that included (of course) When You Were Young and the biggest sing-along of the night, Mr Brightside.

For two hours, the band’s energy did not let up!! And neither did the crowd’s, as the boys “from Fabulous Las Vagas” truly rocked the Arena. What a KILLER evening!

Setlist

  1. Wonderful Wonderful
  2. The Man
  3. Somebody Told Me
  4. Spaceman
  5. The Way It Was
  6. Shot at the Night
  7. Run for Cover
  8. I Can't Stay
  9. Don't Forget
  10. Smile Like You Mean It
  11. For Reasons Unknown
  12. Don't Change
  13. Human
  14. Rut
  15. Tyson vs. Douglas
  16. A Dustland Fairytale
  17. Romeo and Juliet
  18. Runaways
  19. Read My Mind
  20. All These Things That I've Done

    Encore:

  21. The Calling
  22. Runnin' Outta Luck
  23. When You Were Young
  24. Mr. Brightside
Tim Lordan

3 May 2018

Article by:

Tim Lordan




Listen Live!
Up Next