THE KILLERS
VAGABONDS AND VICTIMS

by Jimmy Ramsay

The first and only in-depth book on The Killers.
The Book
Brought up in the neon gamblers’ paradise of Las Vegas on a diet of rock and Eighties synth groups, The Killers are in many ways a very British band. After initially meeting through the small ads in a weekly Vegas newspaper, their rise to fame has been meteoric, inspired and at times unbelievable.

The Killers’ frontman and twenty-first century heart-throb Brandon Flowers formed The Killers in 2001 along with guitarist Dave Keuning, taking their name from a slogan in a New Order video. Along for the ride were bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci.

They gigged quickly and constantly, and gained a reputation fast. Songs like ‘Mr Brightside’ were written. Everyone listened. A tape made its way to the UK and a record deal was signed, producing the debut album, Hot Fuss, which would eventually make its way into the Top Five best-selling albums of 2004. For The Killers, everything was about to change.
Their striking looks, blistering live show, a slew of classic singles and Brandon Flowers acerbic interview wit have made The Killers one of the most essential new bands. This book – the first and only biography of the band – details their rise to fame, the hard work and inspired songwriting behind their success as well as the myriad of influences that have created this most riveting of bands.

The Author
Jimmy Ramsay is the author of more than twenty books on music, youth culture and celebrity. Most recently he wrote the critically well-received world-first biography of The Streets, which NME called ‘unpretentious and neat’ and The Big Issue hailed as ‘beautifully researched, written by an obvious expert.’ Among the other bands he has written about are The White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. Jimmy lives in Dulwich with a brown boxer dog and lots of red reminders.

♦ Key points
♥ The Killers’ debut album Hot Fuss has sold in excess of one million copies in the UK alone.
♠ The band have gained a rabid following of fans who call themselves ‘Victims’. Their presence is most obvious on the world-wide web where fan sites are numbered in the thousands; their T-shirts are notoriously fast sellers too, reflecting the obsessed nature of their fanbase.
♣ This is the world’s first biography of The Killers.


AND THE WINNERS ARE IN!
Anna Handler, Ced8119, and Lillian will all soon be proud owners of Victims & Vagabonds!


THE ANSWERS
1.)What 3 Killers songs are supposedly part of a Murder Mystery trilogy?
Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, The Midnight Show, Leave The Burbon On The Shelf

2.)What were the Killers originally called?
I was forced to disqualify this question due to an error on my part. The answer I was looking for was Tavian Go but I didn't realize this was Dave's name, not a collective for the band.

3.)What does Brandon say he can see himself doing in the future?
Broadway, specifically The Phantom Of The Opera

Varieties of Bourbon
Its an elusive song, for me anyway, and apparantly has variety of titles! While 3 people agreed on Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf, I also got Put The Bourbon On The Shelf, and, my personal fave: Uncle Johnny Left The Bourbon On The Shelf. If that really IS the title, The Killers have been listening to too much Morrissey X3.

Before They Were TK
Such a confusing little question! Damn that Tavian Go picture I found! It had me all mixed up! Anway the popular answers for this disqualified questions boiled down to 2 names: Blush Response answered by 3 people, and the more popular Genius Sex Poets answered by 4.

Brandy Of The Future
In my vague way I asked y'all to tell me what Mr Flowers saw himself doing in the future. I clarified this somewhat at the Killers LJCommunity when I stated "I saw it in a magazine, i just can't remember which one"^^;; . Yet some of you were right on the money, so my vagueness didn't hurt! Here are the not-so-on-the-money answers I got:
♥ Still singing with the Killers
♥ To still be performing when he's 40 (Like 40's old? C'mon Brandon!)
♥ Golf
and, another personal favourite:
♥ Working in the gorcery

Thanks goes to all those who participated, and to Independent Music Press for letting me hold this contest! And congratulations to the 3 lucky Victims who won!
Send any questions to Thesaltonsea@thematrix.zzn.com.

Didn't win? Then Order the book straight from Impbooks.com^^
Vagabonds and Victims
by Jimmy Ramsay
Published by Independent Music Press on November 21, 2005
ISBN: 0-9549704-2-X
Pages: 160 + 8pg b/w pix
Paperback, 198 x 129mm £8.99


BACK