"The Killers" Lead Singer Says Americans Don't Care About New Rock Bands - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 04-30-2009, 02:31 PM

few weeks after his comments to England's Daily Star bemoaning Kurt Cobain's downer affect on rock 'n roll, the ever-loquacious Killers frontman is back, this time telling U.K. music weekly NME that he wants to "knock Led Zeppelin and Nirvana off their pedestals."

"We’ve been embraced in Britain in a way that I’ll never understand, and it’s such a wonderful thing," he says. "But over here [in America], people are still so obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, those sorts of bands, that nobody else is allowed [to grow]."

He added: "It’s not just us; there are a lot of great bands that have been held down or confined by the influence of these people that we’ve put up on pedestals. I’m tired of it, you know? I just want to knock them all off! And people don’t like that attitude. It’s almost like they don’t believe that it’s possible that anybody else can be the real deal."

Granted, non-rock acts like Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift do tend to dominate sales in recent years, but bands such as Coldplay, the Eagles, Nickelback and Daughtry -- whatever your opinion of their artistic merit -- aren't exactly begging for alms on streetcorners (all have made the top-10 in year-end albums recently).

Do you think it's the American public's fault for ignoring rock artists in favor of other genres, or golden oldies like Zep and Nirvana? Are listeners just too splintered now? Or are younger bands failing to produce the kind of music that reaches the masses?

http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/04/the-killers-b-1.html

Nighthawk76 · 04-30-2009, 09:43 PM

I find it strange when he refers to Led Zeppelin and Nirvana as "those sort of bands". Those are two bands who are almost nothing a like. Personally, I like the Killers, I think they are a great band, but I don't think they have a chance of being on the same leval as Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. Except for The Beatles, Led Zeppelin are the biggest selling band in history. That is pretty difficult to top. The Killers dubut album was actually a really big hit, so it seems that the American public did give them a chance.

Hollow · 05-01-2009, 12:08 AM

he has a point. people are too narrow minded about new bands becoming eventual legends. no one knows who will be still popular 20 years from now and who will be forgotten.

browneyes106 · 05-01-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waking Up Laughing

I find it strange when he refers to Led Zeppelin and Nirvana as "those sort of bands". Those are two bands who are almost nothing a like. Personally, I like the Killers, I think they are a great band, but I don't think they have a chance of being on the same leval as Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. Except for The Beatles, Led Zeppelin are the biggest selling band in history. That is pretty difficult to top. The Killers dubut album was actually a really big hit, so it seems that the American public did give them a chance.

I agree the American public has given them a chance and the band has many fans.

04-30-2009, 02:31 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	"The Killers" Lead Singer Says Americans Don't Care About New Rock Bands few weeks after his comments to England's Daily Star bemoaning Kurt Cobain's downer affect on rock 'n roll, the ever-loquacious Killers frontman is back, this time telling U.K. music weekly NME that he wants to "knock Led Zeppelin and Nirvana off their pedestals." "We’ve been embraced in Britain in a way that I’ll never understand, and it’s such a wonderful thing," he says. "But over here [in America], people are still so obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, those sorts of bands, that nobody else is allowed [to grow]." He added: "It’s not just us; there are a lot of great bands that have been held down or confined by the influence of these people that we’ve put up on pedestals. I’m tired of it, you know? I just want to knock them all off! And people don’t like that attitude. It’s almost like they don’t believe that it’s possible that anybody else can be the real deal." Granted, non-rock acts like Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift do tend to dominate sales in recent years, but bands such as Coldplay, the Eagles, Nickelback and Daughtry -- whatever your opinion of their artistic merit -- aren't exactly begging for alms on streetcorners (all have made the top-10 in year-end albums recently). Do you think it's the American public's fault for ignoring rock artists in favor of other genres, or golden oldies like Zep and Nirvana? Are listeners just too splintered now? Or are younger bands failing to produce the kind of music that reaches the masses? http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/04/the-killers-b-1.html
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

04-30-2009, 09:43 PM	#2
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	I find it strange when he refers to Led Zeppelin and Nirvana as "those sort of bands". Those are two bands who are almost nothing a like. Personally, I like the Killers, I think they are a great band, but I don't think they have a chance of being on the same leval as Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. Except for The Beatles, Led Zeppelin are the biggest selling band in history. That is pretty difficult to top. The Killers dubut album was actually a really big hit, so it seems that the American public did give them a chance.

05-01-2009, 12:08 AM	#3
Hollow Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 16, 2001 Posts: 30,406	he has a point. people are too narrow minded about new bands becoming eventual legends. no one knows who will be still popular 20 years from now and who will be forgotten.