The Music Note

In terms of venues, I have been spoilt by my last two live music events, both of which have taken place in intimate settings with strong acoustics, adding to my overall enjoyment of the gig-going experience. Although Brixton Academy boasts an impressive interior and thriving atmosphere, it is, at times, notable for its muddy sound, an attribute that was present, but didn't detract from the dynamic horns of Brandon Flowers' set opener, 'Dreams Come True' - the first track from latest release, The Desired Effect . Within moments however, any less than clear acoustics seemed to either subside or go unnoticed, as lead single 'Can't Deny My Love' gained full crowd investment and set the standard for a gig that fully embraced Flowers' solo work, while also touching upon a few Killers classics. The release of The Desired Effect makes for a refreshing addition to Flowers' repertoire, and the eclectic feel of the 80's inspired songs were further e...

Playing Wembley Stadium is a feat few bands achieve in their career, but for The Killers, last Saturday's gig at the 90,000-capacity venue holds further sentiment in that it marks a decade since the band's first ever UK gig, at intimate club, The Dublin Castle in Camden. In those ten years, the band have released four studio albums, ranked up 20 million worldwide record sales and played countless festival headlining slots, all of which have culminated to this mammoth gig at Wembley - their largest performance to date. The band took to the stage just before 9:00pm, with Brandon Flowers playing 'Enterlude' solo on the piano. The set then got underway with fan favourite 'When You Were Young', followed by the equally energetic 'Spaceman'. Flowers' vocals were on top form throughout the two-hour gig, though it was the Battle Born material that really demonstrated his range, most evidently on 'The Way It Was' and 'Miss Atomic Bomb' - both...

Though I was excited to be seeing one of my favourite band's play live, I attended The Killers' two gigs at London's O2 last Friday and Saturday with an open mind. Just days before, the band were forced to cut short their show at Manchester's MEN Arena after four songs, following Brandon Flowers' complaint of a sore throat.  Consequently, Flowers' vocal problems resulted in the band having to cancel the following night's show.  Upon reading this news online last Wednesday - just a few days before the O2 gigs - I was disappointed at the number of comments criticising Flowers, many saying that a sore throat is not a good enough reason to finish a set early/cancel a show.  While I can see how a sore throat may sound like a minor problem, as a vocalist myself, I know that in some instances it can be a sign of major vocal problems, such as laryngitis or nodules.  Yes, these problems may not be as common as cold or flu, but sometimes it just isn't worth tak...

If there is one song on The Killers' latest album  Battle Born that indicates a return to their former sounds pre- Day & Age , then 'The Rising Tide' is surely it.  Opening with an impressive 40 second electro infused intro that wouldn't sound out of place on debut  Hot Fuss , the track then evolves into a surge of rocking guitars, powerful vocals and atmospheric lyrics, reminiscent of the Springsteen influence that was ever so present on 2006's Sam's Town.  ' The Rising Tide'   has all the qualities of a future single, and is one of the standout tracks on what is admittedly a grower of an album.

The Killers played three intimate shows in London this week, starting with the HMV Forum on Monday for a Radio 1 gig, followed by the iTunes festival at the Roundhouse on Tuesday and finally, an appearance at Koko on Wednesday, which was being recorded for Channel 4's London Live Series.  These gigs gave fans who were lucky enough to win tickets, the opportunity to see a band more used to selling out arenas, play in such small, intimate venues.  Though I was not successful in winning tickets for any of the shows, a fellow member of The Killers fanclub - The Victims - had a spare ticket to the Koko gig, which he very kindly gave to me.  Thank you, James! As this show was being recorded for TV, the set was shorter than a standard gig - the band came on stage promptly at 8:00pm and were finished just before 9:00pm.  At almost an hour in length, the setlist inevitably consisted of the band's most well known singles (no previous album tracks here) along with four ...

The Killers have released a trailer for their upcoming album  Battle Born .  The album, due for release in September, is the follow up to 2008's  Day & Age. I'm looking forward to hearing more previews of the album in the coming months and hopefully, the band will announce new tour dates soon! It's been four years since  Day & Age , so I'm very excited to hear new music from one of my favourite bands.

I'm very sad to hear today that Tommy Marth, saxophone player with The Killers, has died aged 33. Marth played on   The Killers' 2006 album Sam's Town and it's 2008 follow-up Day & Age.   He also toured with the band in 2008 and 2009, and features in the live line-up on the Live from the Royal Albert Hall  dvd, released in 2009. The Killers have paid tribute to Marth, writing on Twitter: "Last night we lost our friend Thomas Marth. Our prayers are with his family.  There's a light missing in Las Vegas tonight.  Travel well, Tommy." This is such devastating news.   Day & Age is my favourite Killers album, mainly because I love how much saxophone is featured on many of the tracks. The songs on this album are great anyway, but the sax really enhances the production, and also marked a new sound for The Killers.  I was fortunate enough to see many of the live shows from the Day & Age era, and thought Marth was a fantastic addition to t...

I watched this dvd for the first time in ages on Saturday night.  It's one of my favourite music dvd's and a must have for any Killers fan.  The accompanying cd of live tracks is also a bonus (wish all bands would do this!)  Anyway, here is a review I wrote for this dvd, around the time of it's release in November 2009 -  The Killers Live From The Royal Albert Hall is a fantastic live dvd and cd compiled from the Las Vegas band's two night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall on the 5th and 6th July 2009.  The dvd is largely based around their Day & Age album but also features a generous amount of material from their previous albums; Hot Fuss, Sam's Town and the rarities album Sawdus t.  I was lucky enough to be at this concert, so watching this dvd brought back memories from a truly spectacular night.  The band are on top form and Brandon Flowers appears to be in his element, delivering a charismatic performance, with great stag...