Live from the Royal Albert Hall is a live video and audio release by American rock band the Killers, released on November 9, 2009, by Island Records. The video is pulled from two nights the band performed at the Royal Albert Hall in July 2009, and also includes footage from festival dates the band headlined during the middle months of 2009. A CD of live material accompanies the DVD as part of the package. The artwork resembles the artwork for the band's third studio album, Day & Age, and was designed by artist Paul Normansell.
Brandon Flowers said the decision to film the band's first live DVD at the Royal Albert Hall was because "London’s always been very good to us. They opened their arms to us before anybody else did. And Royal Albert Hall is a very iconic and special place. I grew up watching Morrissey videos that he had filmed there. So it was really exciting to be a part of it."
Live from the Royal Albert Hall was nominated for Best DVD at the 2010 NME Awards.
Reception Critical
Critical response to Live from the Royal Albert Hall was positive. Eric Stromsvold of Starpulse said the release was "quite possibly the best live album and video since Elvis and his 'Aloha From Hawaii' some 36 years ago. It's nothing less than rock and roll at its greatest." Barry Walters of Rolling Stone wrote that "Brandon Flowers doesn't sing: he testifies." Entertainment Weekly included the DVD on its "Must List", remarking, "When Brandon Flowers et al. explode into closing number 'When You Were Young,' and the fans start to sing (and then jump) along, it's a wonder those 138-year-old walls stay standing."
Commercial Live from the Royal Albert Hall was the fourth best-selling music DVD of 2009 in the United Kingdom, selling 83,965 copies in the seven weeks following its release.
Track listing
The DVD also includes behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with crew and fans. Although it was not announced by the band, they also released a Blu-ray version of the concert, although this does not include the live CD.
Limited edition formats The Killers announced that they would be offering exclusive limited-edition packages for the album. Collector's Package The album in DVD/CD or Blu-ray Poster promoting the original concerts Poster of the band and cover art 12" picture discs of "Human" and "Spaceman" 7" white vinyl of "Human" LP version of Day & Age iPod friendly "When You Were Young" video Fan Package The album in DVD/CD or Blu-ray Poster promoting the original concerts iPod friendly "When You Were Young" video
Personnel The Killers Brandon Flowers: lead vocals, keyboards except on "For Reasons Unknown", bass on "For Reasons Unknown" Dave Keuning: lead guitar and backing vocals Mark Stoermer: bass except on "For Reasons Unknown", rhythm guitar on "For Reasons Unknown", backing vocals Ronnie Vannucci Jr.: drums, percussion
Support members Ray Suen: keyboards, rhythm guitar, violin and backing vocals Rob Whited: percussion and backing vocals Bobby Lee Parker: acoustic guitar Tommy Marth: saxophone and backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Live from the Royal Albert Hall (album) Chart (2009) Peakposition Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico) 5
+ Weekly chart performance for Live from the Royal Albert Hall (video) Chart (2009) Peakposition Australian Music DVD (ARIA) 5 Irish Music DVD (IRMA) 1 Portuguese Music DVD (AFP) 4 US Music Video Sales (Billboard) 1
Year-end charts + 2009 year-end chart performance for Live from the Royal Albert Hall (video) Chart (2009) Position Australian Music DVD (ARIA) 49 UK Music Videos (OCC) 4
+ 2010 year-end chart performance for Live from the Royal Albert Hall (video) Chart (2010) Position US Music Video Sales (Billboard) 9
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for Live from the Royal Albert Hall Region Date Format Label United States November 3, 2009 iTunes Island United Kingdom November 9, 2009 DVD/CD Mercury United States November 10, 2009 DVD/CD Island Blu-ray
References