The Killers Surprise Students With An Exclusive Performance
The Killers made more than a few dreams come true when they treated ten lucky BIMM students to an intimate meet-and-greet and exclusive performance at the Manchester Arena. Taking place hours before the band’s show, the chart-topping legends even took song requests from our students during soundcheck.
Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. tore the house down with a set that included Wonderful Wonderful, the titular track from their fantastic fifth LP, and Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine from 2004’s acclaimed debut Hot Fuss. The band, whose new single The Man was named Radio 1’s Annie Mac’s Hottest Record of the Year, were incredibly humble and took time to answer questions about musicianship and honing your passion.
With limited places available, we asked students to answer a question about one of The Killers’ music videos and to submit a question of their own. Among those lucky enough to secure a place was Vanessa Ndukuba (BA2 Songwriting), who described the performance and meet and greet as an experience she will never forget. She said:
“I’ve been a fan of their music since my childhood – Mr Brightside being a song that defined my teen years! Having the opportunity to watch them soundcheck was incredible and getting to have a Q&A with the band was really interesting. They are lovely and humble guys.”
Vanessa even took the time to network with the band’s team. She added: “One key thing I’ve learned during my time at BIMM so far is that networking will take you far….BIMM are ace for offering students these kinds of opportunities.”
Laetitia Alexandratos, who is studying for a diploma in Bass, was also dazzled by one of her all-time favourite bands. She told BIMM: “Meeting them and talking about dreams, techniques and passions made me feel so close to what I always dreamed of doing… Just talking to Jake, the bassist, about his favourite technique and style, and my passion for slap was enough for me to know what I want to do for the next 20 years.”
Giving his verdict on The Killers’ exhilarating live performance, Damian Morgan, BIMM Manchester’s Head of Careers and Industry, beamed: “It was quite a surprise! We never expected it to happen – a huge honour.”
To top it all off, The Killers’ tour manager even invited a handful of students to watch the band perform live in front of over 20,000 people that evening – a real pinch yourself moment and one that our students will take with them for life!
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but it’s hard not to be charmed by The Killers, who are without a doubt one of the biggest bands on the planet – a title which the Las Vegas rockers have held for some time now. A massive thank you to the band and their team for making this magnificent experience possible. We won’t forget it!
You can learn more about BIMM and our extensive roster of music industry masterclasses here.