The Killers bring epic tunes to the Roundhouse for the iTunes festival

Since 2007, the iTunes festival has seen some of the greatest rockstars and bands playing on its stage: Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Oasis, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Foo Fighters. Last night, the rock quartet from Nevada finally joined the impressive bill.

On stage at 9pm sharp and streaming globally (any PC or Apple device could broadcast it), The Killers began with their latest hit single Runaways. A change of direction from their previous album Day & Age, more American and less electronic than Human, this heartfelt song tells a story reminiscent of Springsteen’s The River.

The audience was extremely active as the band moved on with breakthrough chart-topper Somebody Told Me, the charming Smile Like You Mean It and the smashing Spaceman.

But this was not only a greatest hits concert, it was also a pre-promotional tour. An electronic backing track played and suddenly Brandon Flowers began to sing “I’ve gone through life white knuckle/In the moments that left me behind/Refusing to heed the yield/I penetrate the force field in the blind.” It was album opener Flesh and Bone, a very strong piece capable of both pleasing long-time devotees and attracting new followers.

The setlist continued with For Reasons Unknown, a true classic from 2005 full-on rock record Sam’s Town, fan favourite Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, new upbeat ballad (yes, in pure Killeresque style) Miss Atomic Bomb and their 2008 hit Human.

There was no rest for the band as they kept on playing singles such as Read My Mind and indie anthem Mr Brightside. The grand finale came with All These Things That I’ve Done – where the entire crowd of 3,000 sang “I got a soul but I’m not a soldier” as loudly as possible – and When You Were Young.

There was just one final song for the encore: the beautiful story of the epic A Dustland Fairytale. What a band; what a concert.

Filippo L’Astorina, the Editor
Photos: Courtesy of iTunes Festival