Killers are lovers, not fighters

By Melissa Arseniuk

Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 | 12:08 p.m.

Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau

Frontman Brandon Flowers of The Killers at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The Killers are lovers, not fighters – and the Las Vegas-based rock band won’t tolerate violence at their live shows, either.

This is one of the things the fans learned last night at the band’s sold-out show at Mandalay Bay.

The group was midway through the concert and midway through a song when a fight broke out in the general admission area.

Frontman Brandon Flowers immediately stopped the performance when he saw fists were flying.

“No fighting, please, this is a positive atmosphere,” he said, effectively bringing the show to a screeching halt.

Security rushed to the epicenter and quickly diffused the situation.

Still, Flowers made sure it was safe to proceed before he continued.

“Are you alright over there?” he asked.

Once satisfied that all was well, he and his bandmates picked up where they left off and launched into the somewhat appropriate track, “Losing Touch.”

The tussle was the unfortunate low point of an otherwise enjoyable performance.

The band played for nearly 90 minutes last night, including a three-song encore.

The show was a homecoming of sorts for the band, which hadn’t played in Las Vegas since they helped open The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in April.

The Killers have 14 dates remaining on their current tour, which will make its next stop in Sacramento on Tuesday.

The group will head to Mexico and Puerto Rico before wrapping up the road trip in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 13.

Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at melissa.arseniuk@lasvegassun.com.