Nationalism can be both frightening and killer.
When it comes to soccer, however, it's usually wholesome, emotional, and beautiful.
The Killers know this very well and Wednesday at London's O2 Arena they did something unprecedented. They stopped their show 10 songs into the set to give the people what they wanted.
The English men's soccer team was facing The Netherlands in the Union of European Football Associations Euro 2024 semifinal in Dortmund, Germany.
Huge game. Winner gets to go to the finals.
Before the band broke into "A Dustland Fairytale" from 2009's Day & Age, singer Brandon Flowers did exactly the correct thing: he read the room.
“I can see your phones," the frontman said to the audience who were splitting their attention towards him and the game of enormous consequences. "Is it still 1-1? That’s tight. Maybe we can relieve your anxiety”
When the song ended, the video screens behind and around the stage cut to the match where England had just gone ahead 2-1 thanks to a late goal by Ollie Watkins.
As the the final seconds of the end of the match wound down the TV announcer gleefully shouted "England extinguished the Dutch flame in Dortmund!"
On cue, confetti cannons blasted onto the British crowd and the handsomely dressed rock band broke into their massive hit "Mr. Brightside."
"I’ve been to some pretty cool gigs in my time and I had mixed feelings when I realised my birthday present was the Killers at the O2 tonight clashing with the semi-final," UK political commentator Tim Shipman tweeted. "Then they did this and we went from delirium to my favourite song. Perfection."
The kismet of the Vegas rockers selflessly giving their British audience a chance to soak in the victory and then celebrate with the 2004 hit from their debut Hot Fuss, was amazing.
Earlier in the day, the band accepted two Guinness World Records for the song.
"Mr. Brightside" may have started off as a kiss, but now holds the distinction of spending the longest time on the UK singles chart by a group and the most cumulative weeks on UK singles chart.
The upbeat tune that has been in movies, commercials, wedding receptions, and graduations has made a home for itself for 416 weeks in the Top 100 of the UK's Official Singles Chart. That's almost eight years.
Fun fact: It never went #1 in the UK.
The song is so huge in Britain, when Ed Sheeran played Vegas last year the Grammy-winning redhead introduced it as his country's national anthem... and then brought Flowers out to sing it with him.
The Killers have another show left in their mini-O2 residency.
Then something awkward happens. On Saturday the 13th they play in Spain the day before the Euro 2024 Finals. How will the Spanish feel about the Yanks and how they just celebrated that close victory? And how will the Killers address the huge match that will follow the next day?
Get your tickets on the Killers website and find out in person.
Speaking of residencies and Hot Fuss. The Killers will be doing 8 nights at Caesars next month to celebrate their debut's 20th anniversary. Beat the heat and get to Vegas to see that scene.
