The Killers have amassed over 28 million record sales globally, 8 consecutive UK #1 albums and hold the record for the longest charting single in the UK (527 seems for Mr Brightside), so it is little surprise that when frontman Brandon Flowers announced that he would be trading arenas for more intimate venues to tour his third solo album, the #3 charting Thrasher, it sold out pretty quickly. As a result, Birmingham's O2 Academy was packed to the very brim with excited fans of all ages to witness the rockstar's venture into the Country realm.

Without a support to warm the audience up, the anticipation built in the rammed venue as everyone huddled close to try and garner decent sightlines through the masses of the acclaimed live vocalist. As he took to the stage fairly promptly at 9pm, he launched into The Red Ground, and it was clear that despite the switch-up in genre, the rockstar presence was not going to be lost in the mix. With vocals that gave you tingles and a warmth that saw him connect with every member of the audience, it was immediately apparent that this more intimate setting was going to lead to a truly unforgettable night.

As his set initially focused on his own solo catalogue, with classic Crossfire highlighting that the country treatment could be easily applied to his earlier hits with just a subtle change to the instrumentation, there was not a moment that the audience was not fully engaged and partaking in a truly joyous sing-along.

While there were two moments where Flowers had to stop the show to ensure the overheating audience members could get the help they needed, the pace of the show was never lost. And while his fleeting promise of a Britney Spears' Toxic cover was never realised, the inclusion of a few of The Killers classics in the latter stages of the set added to the euphoria.

As he closed his set with the tender Only The Young, he returned to deliver a trio of The Killers anthems before rounding the night off with a powerful rendition of An American Dream, which proved itself a song that needed to be listed along with his finest moments.

While Thrasher may have intended to showcase a different side to Flowers' influences, in a live setting it only serves to highlight the depth of appeal of his live persona. While The Killers arena shows never fail to deliver pure joy, seeing Flowers a little closer and connecting more deeply will have left the audience with indelible memories they will treasure for life.