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Louis XIV are old mates of the Killers, credited with backing vocals on two tracks from the 'Sam's Town' album, and they did a good job of warming up the hall. Lead singer Jason Hill is complemented by the distinctive voice of his guitar partner Brian Karscig, good enough to front a band on his own.

We guess The Who, Stones and Oasis are influences, the outcome being polished stadium rock good enough to catch the ear of an Odyssey audience largely unfamiliar with their material. 'Air Traffic Control' and 'Hopesick' stood out as tracks to go and listen to.

Anticipation built towards the main act, and the Killers didn't disappoint. They opened with rousing versions of 'Spaceman' and 'Losing Touch' from the 'Day and Age' album, Ìýa section of the crowd already singing along with the new material. Brandon Flowers brought his usual swagger and showmanship, standing on the monitors as often as he was at his keyboard or white piano.

The show was Ìýa healthy mix of old and new, a lot of 'Day and Age' mixed in with the big hitters from the first two albums which largely became euphoric sing-a-longs.

The Killers had a wall of lights behind a net of lights, variously used to complement the songs. Add to this palm trees and a large urn of flowers on stage and you get the impression that they did their best to bring a bit of Vegas glitter with them.

The band were augmented by supporting musicians, a saxophone filling out the sound nicely Ìýand a fiddle complementing a few of the tracks. This worked particularly well on a rootsy reworking of 'Sam's Town', starting out with piano and fiddle before building through the song as guitars and drums came in.

The show crested to a peak with 'All These Things That I Have Done', the crowd left chorusing Ìýthat familiar refrain while we waited for an encore.

The final fling opened with 'A Dustland Fairytale', before 'Bones' and 'Jenny Was A Friend of Mine' led on to an ecstatic close with 'When You Were Young', Ìýpyrotechnics punctuating the song.

The show started lively and never flagged. The newer material was kicked Ìýinto life, 'Neon Tiger' and 'Joy Ride' stood out well against the more familiar back catalogue. 'Day and Age' came of age and there are future Killer classics there.

The Killers lived up to the Ìýbig billing and anticipation. They came to entertain with a well-paced show, a bank of great live anthems, and eye-catching Ìýstagecraft. This was outstanding.

Bert Scott