THERE was a part of me, stupidly, that was thinking The Killers hadn't quite done the job. But as that thought arose, they reappeared for a second encore with Exitlude and a reprise of When You Were Young that sparked one last unexpected pogo of sweaty-haired delirium. Nearly two hours earlier they opened with a marathon video intro that ratcheted up the already massive expectation but when they opened with Sam's Town, accompanied by firework booms of red, white and blue tickertape, the CIA almost burst as the crowd released its collective tension. The salvo of When We Were Young and Bones was an outlandishly strong opening but the gig then followed Sam's Town's moodier template by reining in that celebratory elan with more shade than light, using Uncle Johnny to particularly strong effect. Frontman Brandon Flowers spasmed with intensity but was remote, uncommunicative and even difficult, chiding a sound technician for a technical problem. But it was indicative of the desire to perform that fuelled them as the band, particularly Flowers and drummer Ronnie Vannucci. They gave absolutely everything. As people emerged, babbling, into the Cardiff drizzle, it seemed each was singing a different chorus. It was the best big Friday night out I've had in ages - on a Monday. Truly elevating.
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