The Killers: Main Stage - 8.40pm, Friday, Reading from NME August 31,2005
by Priya Elan.


Their last gig of the year show Las Vegas' finest to be the stars they set out to be

During 'Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll' something very, very scary happens. Brandon Flowers conjurse up the ghoulish spirit of 1998 and sings: "It's indie rock and roll for me/Idlewild's all I need". Clearly, there are many things wrong with this couplet. Food? Water? Oxygen? Underachieving Scots indie rock is not something that instantly springs to mind.
But what's clear is that Brandon and The Killers don't just ghettoise themselves in indie rock. Because The Killers - our boys, remember - have made it in a very big way. Duetting with New Order, being covered by Robbie Williams, looking to U2 for their next career move and lodging themselves more firmly in the US Billboard Charts than Shania Twain's 'Really, Really, Big hits, Volume 12!'. On their last gig of the year it's clear that The Killers have made the transition from fashion-friendly '80s retroists to stadiumtastic singalong band without looking back.
And as if to ram home the point, the only new song they play - the Glastonbury premiered 'All The Pretty Faces' - sounds like a Bone theme for the 21st Century, all vaguely menacing surf guitar and seedy glamour. It's big, obvious and instantly memorable pop. Clearly, The Killers are not letting go of the golden microphone in a hurry. Reading swells with pride.
It's true that they've always been about aspirational glamour - the suit jackets fresh off the catwalk, the shiny Duran Duran yacht-isms of Jenny/Andy, the dark glint of Vegas seeping through every synth line like an ex-soap-star coming back from the dead - no more so than now (just look at Brandon working his Charlie Chaplin via Gucci look). But when the likes of 'Mr Brightside' and 'Smile Like You Mean It' left the dark corners of your local Barfly and became national anthems, Brandon and co moved somewhere out of orbit. And when thousands sing along to 'All These Things That I've Done' it's clear that it's time to put the indie down and embrace the pop thing that they've become. Brandon, you're a star.

Killer Storm In A Tent 

Make-up tips, tweaked nipples and signed butts, pens at the ready...

A queue backing up on itself at least four times over can only mean one thing - The Killers are in the NME Signing Tent. "I've been queuing for five hours," says David Rolfe, 23. "I love them; their songs are so much better than anyone else out there at the moment." And there's no doubt Brandon Flowers, resplendent in his natty white blazer and patent brogues tied with ribbon, is the main draw; every single girl who walks up tries it on with him, one woman asks for make-up tips an someone else tweaks his nipples. "Can I have a kiss?" asks one chancer. "I've brushed my teeth and everything." There's no joy, though: "One boy asked me to sign his butt," says Brandon post-gig. "I didn't, but it was fun meeting everyone". Maybe next time...