The Killers: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool; Friday September 8

The Killers are back. And this time they mean business. Bigtime

Being the closest thing Britain has to Las Vegas, Blackpool is the perfect location for the first Killers show on these shores for over 12 months. Actually, Las Vegas doesn't have anything anywhere near as good as the Pleasure Beach - although The Killers' Radio 1-engineered return to the UK quickly develops into an event as monumental as Blackpool Tower.

No longer bothering himself too much with keyboard tinkering, thanks to the addition of new touring member Ted Sablay, Brandon Flowers strides on to the stage clad in a dazzling rock star-red jacket, as the band launch straight into the new material that the world has been waiting for. 'Sam's Town' and 'When You Were Young' provide the first of many indications that The Killers are ditching their crowns as Kings Of The Indie Disco in favour of becoming tyrants of FM radio. They get one step closer to U2 with every new song they play - 'Bling (Confession Of A King)' and 'Bones' are instant rock anthems, grown from the roots of 'The Joshua Tree'. Meanwhile, the mid-paced 'Read My Mind' is such an obvious hit they should be presented with an award now, hailing it to be the best selling single of 2007. It really is that much of a no-brainer.

Confident and assured though he looks, Flowers is still not quite the frontman he could be, and only briefly engages with the crowd by coyly admitting mid-set that he could do with some "training on how to talk to audiences". Flowers might be a little way off Bono's level of gravitas just now, but on the plus side, at least there's no danger of him boring us to death.

If the response to the new material is overwhelming, the reaction to classics such as 'Somebody Told Me' and the toweringly brilliant 'Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine' verges on the rabid. Even after the band have left the stage following the pre-encore finale of 'All These Things That I've Done', the crowd carry on the refrain of "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" a cappella until a point of frenzy. More new songs follow with the REM-indebted 'Uncle Jonny' catching the ear in particular, and if The Killers split up tomorrow, immortality is still guaranteed for them through the magical 'Mr Brightside'. And, as tonight's selection of fresh meat proves, 'Mr Brightside' has got more siblings than anyone dared to imagine, all of which are begging to be adored in the same way. The Killers are back - the world's stadiums don't stand a chance.

Hardeep Phull

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I have the mp3 of this gig, and all this speaks the complete and utter truth.
'Sams Town' and all that ensues is going to be glorious. Get ready for it.

'Read My Mind' i want it soooo bad

Does anyone know if they're doing more Queen-like songs on this record? I loved the ones on the last one. <3333

"Ready My Mind" is a modern version of "Forever Young" (which Youth Group captured magnificiently with their rendition).

From the live version I heard, it too, almost fits perfectly into the prom scene of Napoleon Dynamite. I'm sure it will be a critic favorite, in terms of commercial success, my money is on the title track, 'Sams Town'. Incredible!

As if they were trying to put a spin on the conventional, Rolling Stone are the first to lash out against "Sams Town".

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/...5516/sams_town

Bias aside, this is pretty hypocritical.
For a review that glorifies "Hot Fuss" and criticizes the band for departing from that sound - you'd think their review of that debut album was bursting with positivity. Haha, the opposite is true.

Hypocrisy at it's finest. This is why Rolling Stone gave Danity Kane and John Mayer's albums the same ratings, lol.

Yeah I'm really excited about Sams Town.

That billboard review did put a damper on my spirit but I still know that it's gonna be a great album but maybe less flashier.