LIVE REVIEW: The Killers, Travis, OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 26/06/2024

Photo Credit: Chris Phelps

Glasgow was definitely the place to be for music this last week of June as well over 200,000 people would be attending various events: Monday we had Green Day at Bellahouston Park, then three days of The Killers at the OVO Hydro was followed by Pink on Friday and Saturday at Hampden Park and a weekend of music at Queen’s Park to top it off, is it true then when they say that Glasgow is the home of music? You could feel the excitement in the air in the city as we headed along the Clyde side for night two of The Killers, we had heard great things about the first night so made sure that we were there for local heroes Travis; the support band for the UK tour.

2024 is proving to be a big year for Glasgow band Travis, as well as the arena tour with The Killers they also have a new album L.A. Times due for release on 12^th July and have just announced a headline tour for December, including a night in this very building on 21^st December. We can recall seeing frontman Fran Healy at a Glasvegas concert last year sporting a large beard and long hair, a massive contrast to tonight where he wears glasses and sports a head of shocking pink hair! The arena has around 8000 fans in for the start of the set, as well-known track Sing gets us underway as Healy gets the crowd participating immediately, this is by far the most streamed song from Travis and is followed quickly by Driftwood, a crowd pleaser from the 1999 album The Man Who. We were treated to three songs from the upcoming album L.A. Times: Alive, The River and Gaslight during the nine-track set. The River seemed to replace Turn from the previous night. They dedicated Side to The Killers after they covered it during their 2005 Live8 performance, Healy stands on the bass drum during this one in true rock style, and it was very well performed song. Closer is a phone torches moment as Fran asks everyone to hold their phones up in memory of a loved one no longer with us, the arena was lit up like the milky way. The acoustic version of Flowers In The Window was a great moment as all four band members took to the front of the stage sharing one microphone and two of them sharing one guitar at one point, we were sure we could hear someone say ‘pure dead brilliant’ that lovely Glasgow expression! Healy comments that the last song needed no introduction as a massive singalong moment takes over the Hydro, which is almost at capacity now, “Why does it always rain on me?/Is it coz I lied when I was seventeen” a heart stopping and emotional moment as EVERYONE joined in with the chorus ending the set with big smiles all around. We can’t wait for the December tour now. 9/10

It’s hard to believe that it was over ten years ago since we first set foot in this iconic arena for a Proclaimers gig, since then it has hosted some of the biggest bands on the planet and tonight’s headliners must surely be near the top of that list? Having only five minutes previously text a friend to say we hope they play My Own Souls Warning what happens next? The first track of the set is that very one from the 2020 album Imploding The Mirage, an absolutely perfect opener, the keyboard intro almost made us jump out of the seat in excitement, it’s amazing the power of music.

Performing from a diamond shaped stage, the stage setup is first class but it’s not until the curtains draw back that all is revealed, there are large screens to the left and right of the stage and a large K, hiding behind that is Brandon Flowers keyboard, the curtain opens during the first notes of My Own Souls Warning as confetti canons blast out confetti into the air, a really breath taking moment. The Rebel Diamonds Tour was well and truly underway and is coincidently twenty years since the first album release Hot Fuss, an album that featured some of The Killers biggest songs including five that we would get to hear tonight during the twenty track set: All Those Things That I’ve Done, Andy, You’re A Star, Mr.Brightside, Smile Like You Mean It and Somebody Told Me being the tracks in question, every one of these absolute bangers. Ok Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine was left out the set (it was played the previous night) but that seems to be the theme of this tour, the set changes every night just like in true James style.

Human was played early in the set tonight, allowing the fans to test their vocal chords and dancing shoes, surprisingly this is the only one from the Day & Age album but nobody was complaining, this being one of the bands most popular tracks. Following on from this a few tracks later were two from the Hot Fuss album as Brandon Flowers worked the crowd brilliantly for Somebody Told Me and Smile Like You Mean It, both anthems and both being sung back to the stage by the enthusiastic audience. For Reasons Unknown was memorable in that the band invited Sam from the crowd up to the stage to play drums sending the crowd wild, and after a quick chat with drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., Sam was ready to go! And go he did, it was a flawless performance.

As the set rolled on there was a surprise when Brandon announced that they would be playing The Waterboys 1980s classic The Whole Of The Moon, the crowd got right behind this one as it is a well known Scottish band, a very memorable moment as everyone again joined in. The show was stopped temporarily during Spirit due to a fan collapsing but they were soon back at it continuing where they left off in true rock style. The final song of the main set All These Things That I’ve Done was another great moment as the lyrics reverberated around the arena for around two minutes “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” amid incredible scenes. It’s hard to recall a concert at The Hydro that has left such a good impression, without a doubt this was right up there with the best gigs we have attended at the venue. The encore began with Mr Brightside, another massive sing-along moment and When You Were Young was much the same. The night ended with Exitlude as Brandon introduced the band. A true musical treat. 10/10

Written by: Alan Brown