Band: The Killers
Home Base: Las Vegas
Breakout Hit: Somebody Told Me
Making the Band: Ditched by his old synth-heavy band, Blush Response, when the rest of the group moved to L.A., Flowers responded to an ad in the local newspaper from guitarist David Keuning.
Hair: Gap model chic
Fashion: Gay-vague; lots of eyeliner
Most Compared With: Duran Duran, The Cars
Music Theory: On meeting Elton John: "It's unreal. My dad was huge fan of Elton. Kids (at school) were listening to Tool, but I understood Elton's songs and melodies more. He's so up-there."
Slam on Endicott: On top of declaring "The Bravery are signed because we are a band," Flowers ridiculed Endicott for being in a college ska band called Skabba the Hut. (Never mind that The Killers' drummer, Ronnie Vannucci, used to be a member of ska outfit Attaboy Skip.) - Leo Ebersole, Red Eye.

He wears make-up, doesn't do drugs, drinks only occasionally. His band The Killers has sold more than 4 million albums, just played the Live 8 concert in London and is headed to Chicago on Sunday for Lollapalooza. A little more than a year ago, did anyone even know who Brandon Flowers was?

Their music first hoisted The Killers to the upper echelon of TRL fandemonium, but a very public feud with The Bravery singer Sam Endicott sealed Flowers' status as a true rock 'n' roll baller.

Red Eye caught up with Flowers on the phone in Amsterdam, where The Killers opened a tour stop for U2.

Red Eye: You're in Amsterdam. I know you don't do drugs, but is all the legal weed tempting?

Brandon: Sometimes, but a lot of things are tempting. I feel like a piece of wood when I'm high. I feel lazy, and it doesn't motivate me. Some people love to write (while high), but it makes me want to watch TV. I feel more alive when I'm not.

RE: Don't take this personally, but I just watched you at Live 8, and you just kind of stood there.

B: I think I'm getting better and better on stage. My worst weakness is in between songs. I'm just up here, and there's no song playing. I'm still uncomfortable to some point. If I was stiff at Live 8, it's because I was nervous as hell. It was a huge moment for The Killers.

RE: Now, on to the feud. I recently read that you said The Bravery are making music worse. Did you really say that?

B: I don't know where (the British press) got that one. I think music is going in the right direction. I'd rather listen to (the Bravery's) "An Honest Mistake" than (Creed's) "Arms Wide Open".

RE: Are you at all nervous to play alongside the Bravery at the festival?

B: They're playing in Chicago?

RE: Yeah. Would you invite Endicott onstage to sing with you and publicly bury the hatchet?

B: I don't know if it will ever be like that.

RE: What will happen if you cross paths backstage or somewhere on the festival grounds?

B: I think it's OK. I saw a couple (Bravery members) in France, but not (Sam).

RE: Did the press blow it up?

B: I think so, yeah. It was just basically me getting sick of negativity. I don't like negativity at all. I don't think there's anything wrong with a little competition.

RE: Have you been writing new material?

B: Yeah, I'm excited about new songs. We're maturing all around: the guitar parts, my vocal melodies and the lyrics. It's more grown-up than the last one. We still need to prove ourselves to people.

RE: Will you keep wearing make-up?

B: I didn't expect so many people to do it. I used to wear a lot more. Maybe it's just a phase. It's part of the show for me. I sometimes wear it during the day. The make-up might all go away one day. It's always going to be about writing a good song. When I'm 40, I doubt you'll see me on stage with eyeliner.