Keane plays Tuesday at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City.
Richard Hughes remembers his band Keane's last visit to Salt Lake City for two reasons: the band had a good show, and they had to be locked in their dressing room because of a report of a person with a gun.
"(The show) was fun actually. I don't know if it was the euphoria of the situation being resolved peacefully or what," Hughes said.
This time around drummer Hughes, Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley, the trio who form the band, based in Sussex, England, hope for the same fun concert with a little less drama.
Since the band's 2004 release, "Hopes and Fears," Keane have enjoyed skyrocketing success and multi-platinum selling albums worldwide.
The group has also been on the forefront of bands exploring the use of new technology and incorporating it into what it does. It is believed to be the first band to release a single on a USB stick.
Last month, Keane became the first band ever to broadcast a show in 3D, with fans being encouraged to buy a pair of 3D glasses before the broadcast. The show was filmed at Abbey Road.
"I don't know who had the idea. We just thought it would be amazing to do something in 3D," Hughes said. "Music videos cost so much, they're just a waste of money. But for the same amount of money we could do something different."
Part of the joy of putting the 3D cast together was knowing how rare it is for any musician in today's day and age to do something that is truly groundbreaking, he said.
"It was a huge amount of fun. It was difficult putting it together. Fortunately when you're in a band, there's good people around you," he said. "We're hugely proud of it. It was a hugely fun day. In a way, it made us think of more possibilities. In a way, it was almost like the Wright Brothers' plane."
Using technology is nothing new for Keane, whose members can many times be found on their laptops prior to a show. A lot of that love for technology is also brought to their live shows.
"Tim's keyboard setup has more computer power than NASA," Hughes said with a laugh.
Keane's latest album, "Perfect Symmetry," has reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts and No. 7 on Billboard in the United States.
Hughes talked to the Deseret News from his home in England earlier this week while waiting for a cab to pick him up at his home and take him to the airport so Keane could begin their latest U.S. tour.
For Hughes, getting on a tour bus for a few months in America and playing to huge audiences is something the band never would have imagined in 1998.
"We worked for it. But we couldn't imagine the success we had. We just came back from Spain and playing in front of 20,000 people. It was just completely mind-blowing. I don't know if you ever get used to that. People in America can take to that thing really naturally. In England, we're embarrassed by it. We're just a band. For people who grew up in a little town in England, touring America in a bus is the Holy Grail of what to dream for. I can't wait to get on that bus."
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com
If you go...
What: Keane, Matt Kearny, Helio Sequence
Where: Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah
When: May 12, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $37.50
Phone: 801-467-8499, 800-888-8499 or 801-581-7100
Web: www.smithstix.com or www.kingsburyhall.org
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