It was late 2002 and Brandon Flowers had been dumped by his one previous group, a synth-pop outfit named Blush Response, when he refused to move with the rest of the band to LA.

Instead, he went to see Oasis and he saw that his life needed more guitars.

Soon afterwards he clocked Dave Keuning's small ad in a local paper, naming the Gallaghers' band as an influence, and what with Oasis not exactly factoring in the pasty Vegas music scene he took it as fate that they should be together.

"He was the only person to reply to my ad who wasn't a complete freak," remembers Dave. "He came over with his keyboard and we started going through song ideas straightaway.

"I had the verse to Mr Brightside and he went away and wrote the chorus. That was the first song we wrote together, and remains the only song that we've played at every single Killers show."

Brandon and Dave got their band's name from a New Order video in which the band dressed up as a pretend band called The Killers.

"It gave me the ambition that our actual band should be as perfect as their fictional band," says Brandon.

After trying out a couple of different bass players and drummers, Brandon and Dave met Ronnie Vannucci, a photographer at the Little Chapel of Flowers and student of classical percussion at UNLV, and Mark Stoermer, who was making ends meet as a medical courier (blood, urine, the odd body part - all glamour).

At the time Brandon was a bellhop at the Gold Coast Hotel and Dave worked as an assistant at a shop called Banana Republic.

In between day jobs the four formed one of the best bands to have emerged in the last two years; Brandon Flowers (vocals and keyboards), David Keuning (guitars), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums).

They wrote in 120 temperatures in a garage-cum- rehearsal room, and when they couldn't get into the garage they'd use Ronnie's knowledge to gain midnight access to his university's music school.

"There was about 2,000 square feet of luxurious practice space, complete with drum sets, marimbas, cymbals, pianos etc. So for about a month or two we lugged a Marshall to sing out of, a Deville to play the axe through, a Bassman for the keyboard, a bass cabinet for Mark, and I used the UNLV pep drum band set," reminisces Ronnie.

"Though I'd like to make clear that no instruments were mistreated during this time as we are, and continue to be, respectful, professional and, last but not least, resourceful musicians."

It was during these sessions that The Killers wrote the bulk of the songs that were to make up their debut album, Hot Fuss.

They wrote prolifically about jealousy and paranoia, tales about murderers, stalkers, Studio 54, AIDS victims, androgynous girlfriends and cuckolded boyfriends, and songs of ambition and the desire to rise above the everyday.

Word of The Killers reached a small British record label called Lizard King, who invited them over for their first-ever gigs outside Las Vegas (for some of the band this was the first time they'd needed a passport).

A limited-edition release of Mr Brightside followed in September 2003, the NME said of them: "Right now few bands are a safer bet than The Killers" and they inked a deal with Island.

UK tours were made with British Sea Power and they sold out venues.

Another album was recorded and self-produced, with final mixing expertise provided by the legendary Alan Moulder (U2, Smashing Pumpkins) and Mark Needham (Fleetwood Mac).

By 2004 famous types like Elton John declared them their new favourite bands, and David Bowie went to see them play.

Hot Fuss went platinum in the UK and they toured with Franz Ferdinand, who also headlined last year's NME tour.

This year it's The Killers' turn to be at the top of the annual tour.

"It feels really great. It's so cool that we're on this tour, and the fact we're the headlining band makes it even cooler," says Flowers. "We're really looking forward to it and we're going to make it a show to remember! We love the fact it's supported by the NME, too."

They're hoping to turn some more pop fans onto their sound.

"I think we are a whole different thing live than on record," says Flowers. "We bring a whole load of energy and we definitely try to make every performance something special.

"We're getting better and better right now, we've had a year of touring and it gets really exciting.

"We're more raw, more brutal on stage. When we connect with the audience and they connect with us amazing things happen."

* The Killers, Futureheads, Bloc Party, and The Kaiser Chiefs play Cardiff Uni on Sunday, February 6, and The Killers can be found alone in Bristol Academy on Tuesday, February 1.