Label showcase at Sasha’s

The four members began working on song ideas in Vannucci’s garage by the end of 2002. After Vannucci sold his house, they snuck into the band room at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (where Vannucci was studying classical percussion ) at night to practice. Despite most of the members still working day jobs, the group practiced from “midnight to four in the morning” for months. During this period, the band wrote much of its debut album, including the singles ” Somebody Told Me ” and ” Smile Like You Mean It “. The band continued playing at small venues around Las Vegas, often playing at the transgender bar Sasha’s (later renamed Tramps). After label executives began flocking to Las Vegas to see the Killers perform, the band held a label showcase as Sasha’s in May 2003. There, they caught the attention of Braden Merrick, an A&R rep for Warner Bros. Records who had come across their demo on a website dedicated to unsigned bands in the Las Vegas area. After attending a live show, he offered to help the band find a record deal, and eventually became their manager. He took the band to Berkeley, California , to record demos with former Green Day manager Jeff Saltzman. They sent the demo tapes to major U.S. record labels, and the band was invited to perform at a number of showcases but was not signed. The band then caught the eye of Alex Gilbert, an A&R rep from the United Kingdom . Gilbert took a demo with him to the UK and showed it to his friend Ben Durling, who worked at the newly formed independent label Lizard King Records . Despite not meeting the band in person, Lizard King offered the band a deal based on the strength of the five song demo. The Killers signed with Lizard King Records in the summer of 2003.