Editorial: Music Review: The Killers - Publication: The LA Report.com Back to Editorials Gridlock, New Years Eve event, Jan 1 2007, Paramount Studios This hipster wannabe gathering for suburbanites and the generally clueless was the brainchild of a consortium of over ten of LA's more successful club promoters. The ill fated evening is said to have been a break-even affair for the organizers, but at least someone made a killing.
Dubiously revered as the “most significant band around,” by the UK Telegraph newspaper in an interview on January 3rd, Brandon Flowers and his clan commanded a rumored $400,000 for their New Years Eve performance at LA's historic movie lot.
Hailing from Las Vegas, the four member unit brandish a contemporary hipster swagger, one that defies the general lethargy of LA's long redundant and painfully cliched rock posturing. Forget the leather trousers, tattoos and JD swilling, The Killers' melding of eighties rock and electronica offered a refreshing soiree of quality musicianship that translated well live.
Flowers and Co's youthful resilience and technical dexterity somehow convince that they're worth the money – even at $150 a ticket. Okay, they may have been hipster (ish) two years ago, but as four guys from Vegas in their mid twenties, they still carry more than monthly flavor.
Yep, cliche for some is discovery for others, and despite the oasis of potential bohemia that is Paramount plummeting to the depths of rock concert suburbia, the band made it tolerable, performing all the high rotation hits; Mr Brightside, When You Were Young and Bones entertained via a blend of indie guitar appeal, competent vocal skills and nice mixing.
Flowers' heritage as a Mormon fuels a sober ambition that sees The Killers maintain focus and lucidity. At 25 he fronts a band whose New Millennium commercial rock will have North American radio preoccupied for a while yet.
Still, the 25 year old Flowers laments he will never emulate the output of his idols. "The Smiths released two albums a year, plus singles and fresh B-sides - that's just incredible to me," he says. "Look at the volume of product
Written by Craig Stephens |