The Killers guitarist Dave Keuning called Donald Trump a “dipshit” as he played his first UK solo shows to launch his debut solo album ‘Prismism’.

Keuning made a lengthy onstage attack on President Trump at his gig at London club Dingwalls last night (December 10), which follows The Killers singer Brandon Flowers calling Trump “batshit crazy” in an NME interview last year.

After playing the ballad ‘The Queen’s Finest’ near the start of his hour-long set, Keuning told the crowd the song was “nothing to do with the Queen”, explaining: “I’ve not said this in a live setting before, probably because this is only my sixth show, but really that song is about immigration. It doesn’t make sense that so much of your life is dictated by which side of a line you’re born on; that you can’t come in because you were born the wrong side of a line. We’re all just dreaming of a better life, what’s so wrong with that? Someone should explain that to our dipshit of a President – why can’t all the immigrants come in and we kick that fucker out?”


Keuning was launching his solo career with two UK shows, also playing at Manchester club Night And Day the day before the 500-capacity Dingwalls gig. He didn’t tour The Killers’ most recent album ‘Wonderful Wonderful’, and told NME he is unlikely to fully commit to The Killers’ lengthy “all or nothing” world tour schedule again, though he wants to play shows with the band when he can.

However, Keuning hinted to the Dingwalls audience that he will tour ‘Prismism’, which is released on January 25. He said before playing debut solo single ‘Restless Legs’: “This is my last song. Don’t worry, obviously I’ll be back.”

Having stated in advance that he wouldn’t play any Killers songs at his solo shows, the guitarist stayed true to his word. The audience mostly respected that. The only time an audience member requested a Killers song, shouting out for ‘Mr Brightside’ at the start of the encore, she was met with a volley of boos from the crowd. A confused-looking Keuning said: “What happened there? Did I miss something?”

While he didn’t play any Killers songs, Keuning peformed two covers, of Depeche Mode‘s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ and ending the main set with Rex Orange County’s ‘Loving Is Easy’. The crowd responded warmly to Keuning’s show, with football crowd-style chants of “Keuning! Keuning!” throughout the latter part of the hour-long set. Keuning responded: “Yes, that is my surname.”


Keuning played:

‘If You Say So’

‘Broken Clocks’

‘The Queen’s Finest’

‘The Night’

‘I Ruined You’

‘Pretty Faithful’

‘Ruptured’

‘Enjoy The Silence’

‘Prismism’

‘Boat Accident’

‘Loving Is Easy’

‘Gimme Your Heart’

‘Stuck Here On Earth’

‘Restless Legs’