Brandon Flowers has never been as terrified as he was before The Killers’ first-ever show.
The Las Vegas rocker is one of the most famous musicians in the world, with him and his group now playing sold-out concerts at huge venues.
Though Brandon can still remember the nerves he and his bandmates felt ahead of their debut gig back in 2002 at an open mic night at the Cafe Espresso Roma in Sin City.
“I’ve never been so terrified,” he recalled to Q magazine. “The whole time I was looking for a spot to throw up on the ground as I didn’t want to hit anyone. I can still remember looking down thinking, ‘If it happens, then I’m going to the left.’ After that I started to drink before we played.”
And it seems as if the anxiety took a while to shake off, as The Killers’ drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. notes Brandon, 36, was a “reluctant” frontman and acted uneasy in his position. Ronnie also explained the singers’ talent had to be “cultivated and fostered” before Brandon was able to take the helm confidently.
“It took a long time. Because I had such reverence for singers,” Brandon sighed. “I idolised Morrissey. I know everybody says that but I really, really did. So I felt what right do I have to grab a microphone?”
His struggle could be in part down to the fact that he was bullied as a youngster after his family upped and moved to Utah when he was nine years old. It was there where he took a “beating” from the “country kids”, who he deems tougher than city kids.
“That’s just a fact. I mean, you should see their hands!” he exclaimed.
