The Killers: A hot rock act on the constant rise

MANILA, Philippines - It came into the international music scene with a splash on the back of its electrifying sound that produced a slew of top hits,  then went on to gain acclaim as one of the hottest rock acts of the time, before it suddenly faded away while at the peak of its fluorishing career.

After being away from the music and entertainment circle for one and a half years, the Las Vegas-based rock group made a smashing comeback with the release of a new album supported by an extensive tour that thrilled millions of fans throughout the world.

 Alternative rock band The Killers will ignite the concert scene with its medley of hits that mix British pop music and modern indie rock when it performs here for the first time during its much-awaited concert on Sept. 26 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

To be mounted by Ovation Productions, the  local concert debut of the American rock sensation titled The Killers Live In Manila! is the latest stop in the Asian leg of its ongoing world tour in support of its latest album, Battle Born.

It brings to the concert and music scene a dynamic ensemble of four young, talented singers and musicians who took the world by storm with its refreshingly unique sound and style that produced chart-topping hits like Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town, Day & Age and Battle Born, among others, during its successful career of more than a decade.

At the onset of its career, The Killers shunned the musical stereotype when it opted to stay in Las Vegas and explored weird issues like paranoia, jealousy, ambition and homoerotic themes rather than follow the mainstream approach of adapting love themes in its music and moving to Los Angeles, where the real action was.

It all started in 2001 when vocalist and keyboardist Brandon Flowers was dumped by his first band, a Las Vegas synthrop trio called Blush Response, after which he responded to a newspaper ad placed by 25-year-old guitarist David Keuning; the pair hit it off right away and began writing songs together and touring Las Vegas. 

They were joined by drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and bass player Mark Stoermer in 2002 to complete the present line-up that led to the formation of The Killers, which was named after a fictional band featured on the drums in a music video.

The band continued playing at small venues in Las Vegas until it caught the attention of the London-based independent label Lizard King Records, which signed it to a contract in July, 2003.

It launched its debut album, Hot Fuss, in June, 2004, which became a commercial success at the back of a number of hit singles and extensive touring that supported it.

Hot Fuss reached No. 1 in the UK in January 2005, seven months after its release, and has been classified six times Platinum by the BPI.  As of 2011, the album has sold over seven million copies worldwide and has established a record as the 26th best-selling record of the decade.

Several singles from the album also made their marks in the charts, including Mr. Brightside — which became its first Top 10 hit in both the UK and US — All These Things That I’ve Done, Somebody Told Me and Smile Like You Mean It.

The release in late 2004 of the Japanese and French versions of  Hot Fuss extended the popularity of the rock group beyond US shores and put The Killers in the rank of  Interpol, The Rapture and The Strokes as one of the most popular bands in America.

In 2005, The Killers was nominated for three Grammy Awards — Hot Fuss for Best Rock Album, Somebody Told Me for two awards, including Best Rock Song — and won the NME Award for Best International Band in the UK.

The band’s second album, Sam’s Town (October, 2006), sold over 706,000 copies worldwide in the first week of release and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.  It has been certified four times Platinum in the US and twice Platinum in both Australia and Canada. As of 2011, it has sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. 

Sam’s Town garnered two awards during the BRIT Awards in the UK in February, 2007: Best International Group and Best International Album. One of its tracks titled Bones won the Best Video in the 2007 NME Awards. 

A compilation album called Sawdust and containing B-sides, rarities and unreleased material issued in November of the same year earned a certification of Platinum from the BPI.  It bagged two awards in the first NME Awards USA in 2008, including Best Band and Best Track for Tranquilize, the first single of the album, while Sawdust itself was nominated for Best Album.

The Killers’ third album, Day & Age, released on Nov. 24, 2008 in the UK and on Nov. 25, 2008 in North America, became its third studio album to reach No. 1 in both the UK and Ireland. The first single from the album, Human, released on Sept. 22, 2008, has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Other accolades received by The Killers included its third Best International Band title at the NME Awards in February, 2009 and the ASCAP Awards’ highest honor, the Vanguard Awards, in recognition of its musical genre’s “impact on the future of American music.”

From 2008 to 2010, The  Killers was doing a worldwide tour for Day & Age, which became a success domestically and internationally until it came to an abrupt end and the cancellation of its Asian schedules with the death of Brandon Flowers’ mother in February, 2010.

The first single of the album, Runaways, was voted Best Song of Summer 2012 by Rolling Stone Magazine readers, while the album itself recorded the highest opening week in the UK for 2012 albums and became the band’s fourth No. 1 album in the UK  (and Brandon Flowers’ fifth No. 1).

It was also voted No. 2 album of 2012 by Rolling Stone Magazine readers, with the single, Miss Atomic Bomb, named the Best Song of 2012 in the accompanying poll.     

(The Killers Live In Manila! is produced by Ovation Productions and presented by Fibr in cooperation with Lenovo, 2nd Avenue, Diva Universal, Jack TV, Jack City and Sixt Rent A Car. It is also supported by The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, Inquirer.net, Monster Radio RX 93.1, 97.9 Love Radio, Mellow 94.7, MMI and Driven. Ticket prices are P6,500, P5,500, P3,500, P2,500 and P1,000, plus applicable service charges. Tickets are available online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.)