The Killers

The offensively hyperbolic press release accompanying the Killers’ debut, Hot Fuss, tells us the band’s formative influences, single plans and, for reasons utterly incomprehensible, the members’ vocational history. Drummer Ronnie, we learn, worked as a wedding chapel photographer. After suffering through the endless screed one expects to get a comprehensive report on the consistency of bassist Dave’s stool, or singer Brandon’s sperm count. How much do we really need to know about the Killers? Well, here we have a band desperately trying to make the ordinary extraordinary. They come from Las Vegas (so what?). They cite Bowie and the Smiths as influences (who doesn’t?). They sound like a humourless Duran Duran (poor them). Nobody touched by Morrissey would willingly ply platitudinous doggerel like "I got soul but I’m not a soldier” (what does that even mean?) to tape. But the Killers have. One wonders…