Death becomes them
The first time The Killers played Oxegen they fretted whether anyone would turn up to see them. Now they’re sweeping in to headline the main stage. They talk to us about being chased by papparazi, growing up in Middle America and sharing a bill with Bono and, er, Gary Barlow
Stuart Clark, 10 Jul 2009
I’ve never heard a major rock star say they’re not looking forward to ‘X’ gig or ‘Y’ festival, but Dave Keuning is so giddy about The Killers returning to Oxegen you can’t help wondering whether he’s got a nubile young lady stashed away in Kildare somewhere.
“Who’s been talking?” the corkscrew-haired 32-year-old deadpans. “No, I haven’t got a secret Irish girlfriend… more’s the pity! Oxegen’s a big deal because it’s one of the first European festivals we played when we came over from Vegas in 2004. We only had one hit – ‘Mr. Brightside’ – and were worried in case no one showed. But the tent was packed with people screaming out the words to songs we didn’t think they knew. It was that night we thought, ‘Hey, something’s happening here!’ Oxegen more so than Glastonbury even was the highlight of our summer.”
Ah, shucks! No mere back-room boy, it was Keuning – then masquerading as Tavian Go – who in 2002 placed the “seeking to start or join a band influenced by The Beatles, Beck, Oasis, The Smashing Pumpkins and U2” small ad, which Brandon Flowers answered. Does he ever remind the guys that, when all’s said and done, The Killers are his band?
“Interesting historical interpretation, but I’m not sure they’d agree! One of the reasons The Killers works so well is because it’s a democracy – although some members are more equal than others! I’ve given up arguing with Brandon over the fact that three or four of my favourite Killers songs will never be heard because he doesn’t like them. He always uses the, ‘It’s me who’s got to sing ‘em’ argument, which is precisely what I’d do if I was him! I’ve got a computer with probably 60 Killers songs that were before Hot Fuss. Some of them are rough recordings, others are pretty much completed demos, which failed to make the cut. If we were to release a box-set, I imagine a chunk of those would be on it.”
While Brandon has had to get used to having his life forensically examined by tabloid Gil Grissoms, Keuning has managed to keep a remarkably low profile for a man who’s had a hand in selling 15 million records.
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