The Killers formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001, brought together when Brandon Flowers on lead vocals, keyboards, and bass connected with guitarist Dave Keuning after Flowers responded to an ad Keuning left in a local newspaper. The lineup went through several early changes before settling into its enduring form: the band currently consists of Flowers and Keuning alongside drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and bassist Mark Stoermer, both members since 2002. In their hometown scene, The Killers brought a unique style to the small Vegas music scene, which was dominated by punk, nu metal, and rap bands; one local reviewer wrote, "The Killers, thankfully, don't come across like any other band in town," describing their sound as a blend of British pop styles and lo-fi indie rock. The band took its name from a fictional group in the music video for New Order's song "Crystal."
The band's breakthrough came with their debut album, Hot Fuss, released on June 7, 2004, in the United Kingdom and June 15, 2004, in the United States by Island Records, an album mostly influenced by new wave music and post-punk. The record was a global phenomenon, as Hot Fuss reached number seven on the Billboard 200 and number one on the UK Albums Chart , eventually earning the band five Grammy nominations, which helped establish them as a major force in the music industry. Anchored by singles like "Mr. Brightside," "Somebody Told Me," "All These Things That I've Done," and "Smile Like You Mean It," the album's signature track became a cultural phenomenon: "Mr. Brightside" has remained on the UK's Official Singles Chart for over 400 weeks, a mythical run of pop-culture longevity. The classic lineup of Flowers, Keuning, Vannucci, and Stoermer drove this success, cementing their reputation as one of the defining rock acts to emerge from the 2000s indie revival.
The Killers built on that momentum with an impressive run of consistent hits and evolving sound. Their second album, Sam's Town, released September 27, 2006, by Island Records, drew comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and continued the band's commercial dominance, earning them BRIT Awards Best International Album at the 2007 BRIT Awards and two nominations at the Grammy Awards. They followed with 2008's Day & Age, powered by the hit "Human," then 2012's Battle Born, which saw them expanding their world tour into new countries and performing at Wembley Stadium, one of the most significant shows of their career. Later albums Wonderful Wonderful (2017), Imploding the Mirage (2020), and Pressure Machine (2021) further diversified their sound, featuring collaborators such as Mark Knopfler and Brian Eno on Wonderful Wonderful. Across their career, The Killers have been considered one of the biggest rock bands of the 21st century and the most successful act to ever emerge from Nevada, selling more than 28 million albums and performing in over 50 countries, headlining venues such as Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, and Glastonbury Festival. The band remains active today, having marked their 20th anniversary with the compilation album Rebel Diamonds, released December 8, 2023, and an accompanying world tour. In 2024 they announced a headline show at The O2 as part of the Rebel Diamonds tour, celebrating twenty years of hits and solidifying the band as one of the most important voices in rock 'n' roll over two decades. They went on to perform a special concert residency, 20 Years of Hot Fuss, held at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as well as arenas in Australia, in support of their debut album. More than two decades since their formation, The Killers endure as one of rock's most reliable arena and festival headliners, their catalog of anthems still a fixture of live music culture worldwide.
For this archive, The Killers hold a modest but meaningful place. Wayne Dennon photographed the band just once, at a single show in 2005, capturing them in the earliest, electric days of their rise following the release of Hot Fuss. That single night of shooting left behind 25 photographs, a small but treasured piece of the archive, one that visitors have returned to again and again, with these images viewed 19,167 times over the years. In that sense, the handful of frames Wayne captured of a young, ascendant Killers stand as a quiet testament to his eye for catching bands right as they were about to become legends.
