Goosebumps In Rock Werchter: Julien (26) Taken From Audience To Drum With The Killers

Julian, 26, knew what he was going to face when he held up a sign saying he could play the drums. “I knew that sometimes the band would ask someone on stage when they wanted to start a song ‘Read my mind,’” he says. “So I started rehearsing at home two months ago.” The message caught the attention of striker Brandon Flowers. “He actually gave me a signal from the podium. He saw me. But it was still exciting, we saw that there was another boy in the audience who also put a banner in the air.”

However, it was Julian who was removed from the public by security shortly thereafter. What followed was surreal: the young man played the entire song on the main stage, in front of a crowded festival plaza. “The view was amazing.” Was he tense? “Not at all, I had no pressure when I got on the podium. I just did it and it was delicious. But then the release was great, I immediately started crying when I was with my friends. I was shocked.”

The singer also noted that Julian was playing drums for The Killers in a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt. He apologized with a smile to Peppers, who wrapped up the festival on Sunday night. “Of course I’m a fan of both groups, but honestly? Just a bit more pepper. I even run the France fan site with a couple of my friends.”

This isn’t the first time the head of The Killers has invited someone on stage to play drums with the band. He did so already in his last passes at Werchter, although it was less successful at the time. The fan in question had less skill at that time than Flowers expected. Fortunately, Julian did a good job.