The Killers: Super-spreading peace, love and rock 'n' roll - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, review

‘Look around you. Ain’t nobody isolating tonight. This is a super-spreader event. We’re spreading peace, we’re spreading love and we're spreading rock n’ roll…’

The showmen from Las Vegas, Nevada, were in town and The Killers blew away a sold-out St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton. Originally planned for June 2020, the ‘Imploding the Mirage’ tour was postponed until 2021 and then again until the show rock ‘n’ rolled into town last night.

And it was well worth the wait.

Blossoms were a top support act, with charismatic frontman Tom Ogden leading the band through all the favourites. The crowd showed their appreciation as Charlemagne brought down the set… and heralded the fact that the headliners would soon be on their way.

What followed was superb backdrops, a series of spectacular confetti cannon explosions, lasers piercing the night sky and, in Flowers, a ball of energy, style and showmanship that you just could not take your eyes off. And that’s before you even take into account the music. From the opening strains of My Own Soul’s Warning to the closing freneticism of Mr Brightside it was wave after wave of killer Killers tracks.

When he slowed the pace down for Runaway Horses, Flowers made no apologies to the crowd and invited anyone who didn’t like it to take the opportunity to grab a beer. Four tracks later it was pared down further as Flowers came to the front of the stage with just a blue spotlight and single guitar to support him for a mesmerising cover of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

But these were mere interludes amid the barnstorming staples of When You Were Young, Human, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I’ve Done and the two-track encore of Human and Mr Brightside.

As the set headed towards its spectacular conclusion Flowers mused about the band's first visit to these shores an incredible 18 years ago. He said that when they arrived ,they knew just how good they were but wondered whether the UK public would feel the same?

Judging by the ecstatic crowd at St Mary’s, there’s nothing to fear there Brandon. The Killers still retain a special place in our hearts now, just as they did then.