The Killers seize the occasion at London's O2 Brixton Academy

Who disputes The Man? Powerful, dominant and all-encompassing - it’s a road that The Killers have rightfully claimed as their own over the past twelve years, marking themselves as one of a handful of bands who not only jump to mind but define a generation. While sometimes they may just embrace the role, lately things have taken a real grab ‘em by the throat mentality, like the time a band realises that they need to truly kick the competition to the curb. 2017 is laid out for The Killers to own, a statement of where the stadium-conquerors now find themselves in a world that seems to change on a dime every couple of months. Longing for the Las Vegas natives to seize the occasion and more, rolling into Brixton Academy is a prime affair - one that shines a light far brighter than any stadium show or festival headlining set on where The Killers sit in the world at this very moment. They're a band of immeasurable importance and one seething with a hunger that’s sure to ignite a new era in a heartbeat. It’s that exact message that bursts into Brixton with the arrival of ‘The Man’, lighting the fuse on a set that sizzles with urgency and vitality from one song to the next. The swagger-filled opener should be plastered across every flag and sign that comes from the stage Brandon Flowers & Co find themselves and sets the tone for a set that never feels tired or repetitive, but instead feels like a culmination of everything they’ve been working on till this point. Re-energised and soaring, the opening one-two that comes with ‘Run For Cover’ gazes directly at the future - unravelling a greatest hits assortment that has Brandon drowned out from the very first kicks of ‘Spaceman’, ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’. Contained and intimate, The Killers biggest numbers are amplified as the sheer size of the bangers they have locked in the wagon are dazzled and realised back in the venues where they made their name over ten years ago. Tangible in the air, that sense of occasion is palpable - best shown by the rarities and new numbers laid out (see the soaring roars of ‘Hot Fuss’ favourite ‘Andy, You’re A Star’ and B-side heavyweight ‘Sweet Talk’ both getting an airing), not to mention the moment where actual movie star Woody Harrelson takes to the stage to play the role on new number ‘The Calling’. But this set is much more than a succulent teaser; it’s a main course and buffet of a band rolling with their moment, knowing the size and scale their billboard of sounds occupy and taking on even more meaning. ‘Read My Mind’ is spiritual, ‘Mr Brightside’ sets light to sheer chaos, ‘Human’ demands to be screamed along to amidst pogoing crowds and ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ stands as an anthem that transcends any sort of ‘hit’ or memory but continues to create its own orbit around them. More than anything, Brixton tonight is the sound of a band searing with power, discovering and showing that hunger and passion for more - simply settling is a ridiculous notion when screened across the panoramic dreams displayed in Brixton tonight. If anyone can ever chuck criticism at The Killers, it’s born out of that fear that they may slip into averageness. We don’t want them to go down the line of U2, spawning out an album every few years to kickstart a tour, but instead leading that charge for the next sound and vision - frothing at the mouth with a hunger that can never be satisfied. Tonight at Brixton, The Killers became that band again. The one that isn’t satisfied with the normal, but wants more. When Brandon Flowers leans out to hear from the vast crowds, he wants to hear the screams and pulsations of an audience gazing into the future, not one locked in the past. With new album ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ incoming, Brixton tonight feels more like a line in the sand. Bringing the technicolour shades that inhabit their world, tonight is a reminder of how exciting and invigorating The Killers are - finding their place in the future by reminding themselves of the past. There truly is nobody quite like The Killers. That is a statement that rings long out of Brixton tonight - grabbing the world by the throat and no longer settling for an average reaction. Aiming to be the best and not being afraid to own it, that sounds like The Man to us. It’s pretty amazing how one track can open things up, and sometimes we need one night in South London to remind us all of that. The 21st century belongs to The Killers. By bringing things back, they've proven their importance on a level that simply can’t be quantified in physical numbers on a spreadsheet. Now that’s a ‘Wonderful, Wonderful’ future, just ask The Man. <em>Photos: Rob Loud</em>