Wonderful Wonderful: The Killers’ First Quebec Performance in Four Years!

By: Sun Noor 

The Killers finally made their return to Quebec which marked their first appearance since since their previous Montreal show at the Bell Centre back in 2014. The band kicked off their much anticipated North American leg of the tour in support of their latest record Wonderful Wonderful, in Toronto before heading to Laval’s newest venue, Place Bell. After announcing their first back of tour dates last Summer, the band has indicated that they would attempt to make more Canadian visits while on tour, taking some of their preceeding tours into account. Hearing that news became quite reassuring to fans like myself and the thousands of other concert goers from last night. Despite the unbearable January weather, the difficulties experienced by staff letting fans into the venue, the time of doors being elongated, the excitement in the room was still very present, as fans sprinted towards the barrier with overworn smiles and the look of relief.

Sydney’s Alex Cameron was the sole supporting act for the first few dates of the tour. Similarly, the Australian indie pop artist has also released his critically acclaimed sophomore record, Forced Witness which was produced by Foxygen’s Johnathan Rado. The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers worked with Cameron on the record as he features on its third track, “Runnin’ Outta Luck.”  As well, Cameron also helped Flowers finish Wonderful Wonderful’s first single, “Run for Cover,” which was initially written for The Killers‘ second album. Many fans have expressed that the song could not have been released at a better time as it summarises many of the world’s current issues, including the current political climate in the United States. Flowers has indicated that he struggled with the song’s second verse over the past few years and was drawn by Cameron’s music, which lead to the collaboration that resulted in the finished product.

The anticipation in the room grew to its full extent after Cameron’s alluring set. Getting to finally hear  a handful of The Killers’ new album was probably the sole event that I was looking froward to as the final weeks of December does not have much to offer when it comes to live music. Besides, Wonderful Wonderful is The Killer’s most rawest album to date as some of the songs included the title track, “Rut,” “Have all the Songs Been Written” and “Some Kind of Love” contain a melancholic aura and build up to a louder finish. Flowers has mentioned that the record does explore darker territory, opening up about his wife’s struggles with PTSD. Nevertheless, the upbeat/groovier songs of the album such as “The Man,” “Tyson vs Douglas” “Life to Come” and “The Calling” creates an equilibrium, regulating the level of sorrow.

The band unveiled a new stage setup which appeared more spacious with the larger amps, the water tower that had the name of the given city printed in bold, flames, the enormous mars symbol replacing the “K” that was previously attached to Flowers’ keyboards and the endless supply of confetti. Nonetheless, the venue endured multiple power cuts throughout the set, causing the band to replay “Run for Cover” and cut the final verse of “The Calling,” aggregating everyone in the room. Despite the frustration and dread of a technical difficulty reoccurring, the band still managed to deliver an incredible performance. Being in the presence of such meticulous artists playing with such passion allowed me to loose myself in the music, forgetting about my worries and focusing on enjoying myself.

Here’s a short clip of The Killer’s performing “Tyson vs Douglas”

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