The Killers surprised the audience on the first of their three-night stint at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena last night (December 12th), bringing out Icehouse frontman Iva Davies to cover one of the band’s biggest hits, 1987’s ‘Electric Blue’. Fan-shot footage of the cover can be found below.
“We’ve got a little treat for you,” said The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers when introducing the song. “We all love Australian music, as you know.” Flowers then called Davies to the stage, with the two sharing lead vocals on the song. It served as the final song of the main set, before the band returned for a four-song encore that concluded with their signature song ‘Mr. Brightside’.
The Killers feat. Iva Davies – ‘Electric Blue’
The Killers had previously covered ‘Electric Blue’ during a live-streamed performance during 2020 for Australian radio station Triple M, while promoting their album Imploding The Mirage. Upon seeing it, Davies had remarked via Icehouse’s social media that it was “the most impressive cover [he’d] ever seen” of the song. “I’d love to meet Brandon Flowers and shake his hand,” Davies wrote.
In the past, the band have also covered Australian songs such as INXS‘ ‘Don’t Change’, on both this tour and their 2018 Wonderful Wonderful tour, and The Vines‘ ‘Get Free’ – which they performed in Sydney with the band’s frontman, Craig Nicholls.
‘Electric Blue’ was originally released in August of 1987, and was lifted from the band’s fifth album Man Of Colours. It was Icehouse’s biggest hit in the US, reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also reached number one in Australia – their only song to ever do so.
The Killers‘ 2024 Rebel Diamonds Australian tour kicked off with a performance in Townsville on November 30th, where the band was joined by Jet as opener. Melbourne band Radio Free Alice have since taken over as main support for the remainder of the shows.
The tour proceeded to Sydney for a two-night stint, with original Killers members Dave Kuenig (guitar) and Mark Stoermer (bass) joining Flowers and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. on-stage for their first Australian show together since 2013 on night two – during which the band played their 2004 debut, Hot Fuss, in its entirety. Following the Sydney shows, the band headed to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre this past Monday night.
The tour concludes with two more shows at Rod Laver Arena, taking place tonight (a Hot Fuss show) and Saturday night (a greatest-hits show). Icehouse, meanwhile, will kick off 2025 on the Red Hot Summer tour – where they will be joined by the likes of Noiseworks, Wolfmother, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals, Killing Heidi and Bachelor Girl.
Further Reading
The Killers Review – Las Vegas Stars Bring World Tour to a Stunning Close in Sydney
Meg Washington Has Covered The Killers’ Debut Album ‘Hot Fuss’
Icehouse and Simple Minds Release Cover of T. Rex’s ‘Get It On
