Brandon Flowers swaps country roots for Killers greatest hits in Dublin

Brandon Flowers abandoned his scheduled performance of the country-rock album Thrasher during a concert at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin on October 27. Two-thirds into the show, the musician shifted focus entirely to a set of songs by his band, The Killers, delivering a high-energy performance of the group's most popular tracks.

Flowers opened the latter portion of the evening with the two-song sequence of When You Were Young and Read My Mind. He followed this immediately with Mr Brightside, a song that has become a standard at modern concerts. The vocalist positioned himself at the edge of the stage to lead the audience through the chorus, maintaining a high level of energy despite the song's widespread familiarity.

The set included material from Flowers's solo career, which draws on his upbringing in rural Nevada and Utah. He told the audience that he had previously felt embarrassed by his love of country music, a genre inherited from his father. He introduced the song Miss America by explaining that it documents the experience of domestic abuse endured by his older sister.

Musical guest Alex Cameron joined Flowers on stage to perform their collaboration Runnin’ Outta Luck. The track features a synth-pop production style reminiscent of 1980s films. Flowers also discussed his childhood in Henderson, Nevada, and Nephi, Utah, mentioning how he was bullied for his lack of athletic ability.

The concert lasted approximately three hours. It concluded with An American Dream, a power ballad in which Flowers reflects on mortality. The song includes a surreal lyric about meeting Elvis Presley driving a Tesla. The performance ended with this track, closing a show that blended his solo work with his previous band's catalog.

Flowers wore a formal cowboy suit throughout the performance. He cited his teenage exposure to New Order, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode as the primary influences behind his musical style. The audience in Dublin, a city with a strong following for country music, responded to both the new material and the classic rock selections.