Back in the day, castle walls were designed to keep out the mightiest beasts of warfare known to man.
First, it was foot soldiers, armed with bows and arrows and bloodlust. Then came the cavalry, the catapults, and the cannons; and then, of course, The castles could cope with those, though; after all, any castle worth its salt was custom-built to withstand precisely that kind of assault.
What they weren’t designed to withstand, however, was the effect of an indie-rock force of nature, a pyrotechnic show the size of Wales, and the raw charisma of – probably – the most handsome man in music.
We’re talking, of course, about The Killers.
The Killers aren’t just a band. They’re a cultural institution.
They’ve headlined Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, and Glastonbury – twice. They’ve been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, seven BRIT Awards, and twenty-four NME Awards. Heck, if the only track they’d ever released was Mr. Brightside, we’re convinced that they’d still go down in indie-disco history.
Mr. Brightside isn’t the only track they’ve ever released, though. Over the course of five albums, they’ve managed to pop out more bangers than a worryingly prolific butcher; and, the night before they returned to the headline slot at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, they brought them all to Cardiff Castle.
Now, as opening combos go, Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine and Mr. Brightside is a pretty flippin’ strong one.
So, for us to say that the show didn’t let up from the moment they started is high praise indeed. Most bands in this world wouldn’t dream of playing two of their calling cards at the very start of their set; but, when you’re The Killers, you don’t have that problem. After all, when you’re able to trot out the likes of Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I’ve Done, When You Were Young, and Human throughout the course of your gig, you hardly have to worry about packing all of your hits into the first half of the set.
If castles ever prove to be our last bastion of defense, then we’re all screwed if The Killers decide to attack.
After all, based on their showing in Cardiff, they won’t need guns, cannons, or cavalry to bring down the walls of this nation’s castles. All they’ll need is a killer jawline, an insanely stacked back catalogue of indie staples, and a stage show that’s as bombastic as it is suited to The Killers‘ Vegas roots.
That, dear reader, is what we call a Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll show.
Want more? Check out these photos from The Killers’ show at Cardiff Castle by Rob Loud:
