Somebody Told Him


There's little doubt that The Killers were one of the most eagerly anticipated support acts to play with U2 this summer. The wonderful Hot Fuss, with its clutch of hit singles like Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me, has catapulted the young four piece to worldwide notice.

Check out our Crew Profiles and, asked which act they were most looking forward to seeing, members of U2's crew invariably came up with the name of the Las Vegas group. And charismatic frontman Brandon Flowers has made no secret of the influence U2 have had on his band. As he reveals to us in this exclusive interview, it was only four years ago that he was a U2 fan, moshing in 'the heart'in front of the stage, when the band played his home town of Las Vegas. At the time he was still waiting tables. Now, along with Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr., he’s sharing the stage with them.

Brandon joined the U2.Com team in the catering venue just before one of their European dates, and recalled how influential that Vegas U2 show was, what it is like playing to a U2 audience, which U2 songs the band should be adding to the current set list and how the second Killers album is coming along.

Is it difficult playing to a U2 crowd ?
It hasn't been for us yet because we expect there to be a good crowd. We have a lot of similar tastes in music that their fans would have and that U2 themselves have, so I think its working out OK for us.

Were you apprehensive about joining the tour ?
We really signed up just so we could go see U2 play. If you think about it we are on the road a lot and so we don’t get to do much else! But here we get to come play a shorter gig and get to play with U2. I've watched the shows from beginning to end and it's a treat for us.
It was very exciting to be asked to do support dates because we are all huge fans - this is the one band that we all come together on. They have credibility, they have rock songs and they are able to touch people’s hearts which is why personally, for me, they edge out The Rolling Stones to the second best band ever. The Rolling Stones have Angie and they have Wild Horses but they don’t have One or Where The Streets Have No Name but U2 have that and they have the rock …

Do you get nervous playing to 60,000 people a night ?
I'm getting used to it - I hate to say that! We've played a few big festivals now and we're just more comfortable with it. I'm nervous before any shows because it's not about how many people there are. If you're worried about someone taking you apart they could be five feet away or way in the back. You have to deal with it.

You performed at Live 8, a few hours after U2, and you said on the day you thought U2 were the best live act in world right now.
It's not just the songs and the performance, it's about the concept as well, and they have this vision in their minds about what people are seeing. They are great performers just playing their songs and a lot of people are capable of that but they put on a show and are hands-on with what goes on with the lights and visuals. They're the best band in the world, no doubt about it, and they're the best live band at the moment. We’ve learnt so much from watching all of them.
My big story - and this is not made up -is that when I had just met Dave, our guitar player, the Elevation Tour came to Las Vegas and I had a hundred dollars and my brother had seen them in Salt Lake City. He said you have got to see this show; you have got to see it. So I used my hundred dollars on getting a ticket from a scalper and I got into the heart! I was expecting to be watching from the top, but the ticket was the real deal and it was weird when they came on because it was one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen.

Were you together as a band at the time?
I had just met Dave but he didn’t have a job so he couldn’t come. I was working in a restaurant at the time, I was into music, I wanted to get a band together. That was a show that inspired me immensely but I was listening to so much stuff at that time. I had just gotten into David Bowie, I still remember walking out of that show and the first thing I had on in my car was Moonage Daydream from Bowie. I was just absorbing all of it. At that show I was seeing the top of where it can go - we are at the bottom of it and seeing the top of it can either push you or discourage you and it pushed me.

It made you hungry?
Absolutely.

How do you rate this U2 tour in comparison?
This tour is great with the new songs and yet I wish they would play more off of the 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' record like In A Little While is their best song in my view and they need to play it! And I love Kite, I love Walk On, they don’t do even Stuck In A Moment… and they don't do In A Little While. I mean, hold on… what about… (starts humming opening bars of Wild Honey)

Wild Honey?
Yeah, Wild Honey, what about that song, what a song! I love it, that's so good! I wish they would play more of that stuff.

Have you seen much of U2 while doing support shows?
They did give us the ingredients for our first Black Velvet, in Wales, it was pretty good, champagne and Guinness. So I had a few Black Velvets! We’ve chatted with them here and there, I did a photo shoot with Bono the other day, Adam has been to say 'Hello’' and he came to see us in Berlin too, which was cool. We hung out with them in Washington at a party, that was fun!

Unlike U2, you’ve had incredible worldwide success with your first album. Has this taken you by surprise?
You can't say you expected it but I expected it eventually! I am a perfectionist and I knew it would happen but for it to happen so quickly, it kind of scares me as I don't want to do so much so soon. I feel like we have earned it but you know I want to play 15 hits, like U2 do! I want to go up there and earn it, so we are going to earn it.

What’s the story on the next record? Are you writing, and recording yet?
I'm excited about it and the plan is to make it as soon as possible. Actually, that's my plan but not everyone else's! I'm a little younger than the rest of the band, got a little more fire in me! But I want to get it out as soon as possible, the new songs sound great. We take two hours to sound check every day and we use that time for song writing. We have eight songs already and I want to get in the studio in November, with a release next summer. The record company want us to keep touring, because Hot Fuss is still selling, but we are tired now and you can lose touch with reality. I want to go home and drive a car, do ordinary things.

Do you see yourselves being around for a long time?
I see us being around as long as U2 but in the way they have done it. They can do nothing wrong, it is a weird thing, they are special, you’ll have to wait and see if we are special too -I think we are. I’ve have always felt that way, but maybe every person in a band feels that way. You never know.
We'll see!