The Killers have covered the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ hit track ‘Maps’ during their headlining set of Governors Ball 2024.
Brandon Flowers and co closed out the second night of the NYC weekend fest at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday (June 8). They kicked off their set with classics such as ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘Spaceman’, ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ and ‘For Reasons Unknown’.
Towards the end of the 11th song of the night – ‘Runaways’ – the band performed a stripped-back rendition of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2003 hit song ‘Maps’.
Guitarist Ted Sablay stood on a platform on stage right and began playing the guitar part to the pre-chorus with Flowers joining him singing “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you / Maps / Wait, they don’t love you like I love you.”
@thekillers covering NYC indie legends @YYYs hit ‘Maps’ at @GovBallNYC pic.twitter.com/y8PF4vpqfZ
— NME (@NME) June 9, 2024
This is not the first time they pay homage to a NYC iconic band at Gov Ball. During their slot at the festival back in 2016, they covered Interpol‘s ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ track ‘Obstacle 1’.
Elsewhere, The Killers recently played ‘Andy, You’re A Star’ for the first time in seven years at their surprise intimate gig in New York City.
The indie rock icons played the song from their seminal LP ‘Hot Fuss’ at their concert at the 500-capacity Bowery Ballroom, marking the first time it was played since 2018. The show also took place the same day as ‘Hot Fuss’s 20th anniversary.
The Killers are set to kick off their ‘Rebel Diamonds’ UK and Ireland tour next week. The tour will also see the band stop off at London’s O2 Arena for a whopping six dates. Check out all dates below and get any remaining tickets here:
The Killers 2024 ‘Rebel Diamonds’ UK and Ireland tour dates are:
JUNE
12 – Dublin, 3Arena
14 – Dublin, 3Arena
15 – Dublin, 3Arena
18 – Manchester, Co-Op Live
19 – Manchester, Co-Op Live
21 – Manchester, Co-Op Live
22 – Manchester, Co-Op Live
25 – Glasgow, Ovo Hydro
26 – Glasgow, Ovo Hydro
27 – Glasgow, Ovo Hydro
JULY
4 – London, The O2
5 – London, The O2
7 – London, The O2
8 – London, The O2
10 – London, The O2
11 – London, The O2
NME spoke to Flowers last year, with Flowers sharing the news of his upcoming solo album. “I’m making a solo record right now! I almost had it wrapped up,” he said. “The goal has always been to get all four original members to take ownership and be proud of what we’re doing, but it’s so difficult with all four of us living in different cities. It’s not impossible. It’s weird to be talking to you about it, but I’d definitely like to do that.”
He also reflected on the legacy of ‘Hot Fuss’ twenty years on, telling us: “[The Killers] were always little different from the other Vegas bands back then because I noticed that there was this competition and rivalry between local bands. I wasn’t thinking about them – I was thinking about The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Oasis. I didn’t allow myself to get to U2 just yet, but I asked myself, ‘What is it that these bands are doing and why are they not still in their hometown?’ That’s what set us apart quite early on.
“We were different, and we were ambitious. Ambition can be seen as an ugly thing to some people but it has served us well. We were able to persevere and it’s kind of unbelievable.”
In a four-star review of their headlining set at Reading Festival 2023, NME shared: “It’s a fitting showstopper of showmanship to a set that could run as a Vegas residency for the rest of time, but for tonight The Killers were very much ours. The ticker-tape and added pomp was the cherry on top, but sometimes all you need is a little bit of ‘Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll’.”
In other news, ‘Mr Brightside’ has overtaken Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ to smash a huge UK singles record.
