The Killers Demo was the debut demo by American rock band The Killers. Recorded in late 2001 and produced by the band, it was given away for free by the band themselves at shows in 2002. The demo was recorded prior to Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and Mark Stoermer joining the band; Matt Norcross played drums on all four tracks while Dell Neal played bass guitar on "Replaceable" and "Under The Gun", and guitarist Dave Keuning played bass on "Mr. Brightside" and "Desperate".^[1]

The demo gained attention in and around Las Vegas. City Life stated that "Mr. Brightside" was "one of the best local tracks in a long time" and that "Thankfully The Killers dont come across like any other band in town".^[2]

A re-recorded version of "Mr. Brightside" would later go on to appear on the band's full length debut album Hot Fuss, it also became a hit single and has achieved immense popularity worldwide. "Under the Gun" again re-recorded went on to become a b-side to "Somebody Told Me", and is also on the band's 2007 compilation album Sawdust.

The demo is very rare however all the songs appeared on the Internet in 2005 following the band's rise to fame.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning.

1. "Under the Gun" (2:43)
2. "Desperate" (4:15)
3. "Mr. Brightside" (4:25)
4. "Replaceable" (3:52)

Personnel

• Brandon Flowers – lead vocals, keyboards
• Dave Keuning – guitar, bass
• Dell Neal – bass
• Matt Norcross – drums

References