The Killers have always seemed a little too fortunate, in my opinion. From their beginning, they were a rare contemporary example of an American band becoming equally large in the US and British continents; they had a slew of successful singles, crowd-chanting refrains, and a band-name that which only be secured with some serious legal manoeuvres. Unfortunately Brandon Flowers, the band’s leader, has seemed hell-bent on destroying this.
Opening with a series of incomprehensible tracks from their new LP, Day and Age. the band left nearly everyone watching motionless. This wasn’t just because the audience didn’t know the words, but because the music lacked any discernible consistency; it sped and slowed sporadically, went off on guitar solos that felt completely adjacent to the song, and – at least twice – slowed into a rhythm so overworked and sleazy, that I seriously wondered whether they were intentionally imitating some sleazy 80’s porno flick. This was then fused with what seemed like Latin-influenced guitars and drums, almost going into a slight conga rhythm (whereby Flowers dances slowly, with a very serious look on his face). If that sounds confusing, it’s because it was.
He dripped with arrogance and false confidence, strutting the stage whilst holding a distinctly reassured grin; the rest of the band looked miserable, with one of their guitarists in particular looking visibly distraught. At his point, the audience had thinned out, and it looked like someone was trying to convince Flowers to play something people actually knew. “Well” He said, cocking his neck a little whilst flexing his shoulders, “This next one is a real road runner of a song. Oh yeah, it is”, before playing Somebody told me. After appeasing the crowd somewhat, he then went into a god-awful Joy Division cover, Shadowplay, which was equally out of place with the rest of his performance.
The problem with Flowers isn’t exactly a secret – he’s obsessed with The Killers becoming the world’s new Bruce Springsteen, throwing in 80’s cheese for the sake of it, and losing all musical energy with exhaustive (and illegible) ballads. Listen to Tidal Wave, their newest single, to see exactly what I mean. Think it’d be impossible to dance to that? That’s because it is.