Mr Brightside Demo

Vintage65

I never knew this version existed.

LPManic

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Vintage65

Apparently he had a premonition that his girlfriend was playing away, so he rushed down the pub and caught her red-handed with another bloke. After returning home feeling distraught he scribbled down some lyrics, and then met with the guitar player who just happened to have a new riff, so they went and captured these raw emotions on tape using a drum machine. The effort was mostly in vain as the record  flopped when it was first released! 

Iamnobody

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

Vintage65

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

A few people have been known to like it 

LPManic

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

No, I have not listened to any other songs.

TeleMaster

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

So you don't like it, that's fine. But that doesn't mean you have to question someone's musical knowledge just because someone else does.

Literally everyone else loves that song, I love it, I love playing it every week to live audiences, they go mad for it. Whatever you think about it it is a special song. And have you tried to learn it? Not the easy way, the proper way. Getting back to that opening chord after the chorus is difficult, and the inversions in the chorus are a stretch, it's not a beginner song by any means. Playing it live properly does take some concentration. 

Yes, I've listened to other songs too. 

DefaultM

An indie song rivalled only by Kick in the Sun by Colon.

stickyfiddle

It’s a fantastic song and every time I hear a guitarist proclaiming their hate for it I assume they only like blues rock and hilarious prog

roberty

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

This article is from five years ago. I was unaware that it had taken on a life of its own but it has https://www.vice.com/en/article/pg78ky/the-killers-mr-brightside-not-left-uk-charts-since-2004 ;

I can't stand the killers and this song in particular, but I am a joyless tosser

Danny1969

I got given that demo from a guy on Gearslutz about 12 years ago. Horrible recording. The actual finished album was pretty much an expensive demo with a very professional mastering job. The massive compression does a good job at hiding some of the recording inadequacies. 
I don't think there's a duff song on the whole album though, so much prefer it to the 2nd album. 
 
 

Blueingreen

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

I’m the opposite, I think it’s a terrific song even though I’m very far from being a big fan of this type of music - I’m not aware of liking anything else by the Killers, for example. One of those rare songs that appeal to people who’d normally have little time for the genre they’re supposed to typify.

Kebabkid

stickyfiddle said:

It’s a fantastic song and every time I hear a guitarist proclaiming their hate for it I assume they only like blues rock and hilarious prog

Yep and try playing it, properly

TTBZ

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

This. The Killers fall into the same category as bands like Coldplay for me. Dull background music, can't stand the vocals either. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s? Anything off the Arctic Monkeys debut would be a better shout.

It is hard to play properly though. When I have to grin and bear it in the cover band I do a cheat version with a capo, there's a video on YouTube that shows how to do it. Very useful, though you're screwed if you forget your capo.

CaseOfAce

Danny1969 said:

I got given that demo from a guy on Gearslutz about 12 years ago. Horrible recording. The actual finished album was pretty much an expensive demo with a very professional mastering job. The massive compression does a good job at hiding some of the recording inadequacies. 
I don't think there's a duff song on the whole album though, so much prefer it to the 2nd album. 
 
 

that demo version is certainly messy - the distortion is way over the top - but who cares when you've got a band on point like that. Best band in Las Vegas? no kidding.

Much like Sweet Child O' Mine it's one of those songs I had to get "under the bonnet" and learn properly in order to do it live.
It's an absolute pig to play that weird intro shape - I reckon the guitarist was messing about with the Hendrix sharp 9 thing up high on the neck one day... and voila.. ?

I wimp out and capo at the 4th / Johnny Marr at Glastonbury style - it doesn't get you that top E(b) ringing in unison on the original doing it this way but close enough for rock and roll - it makes the verse arpeggios an absolute doddle though.

I never get tired of playing it - a) it's a killer (!) tune and b) the crowd reaction it elicits - it never never fails.

Tragic what happened to the original bass player - pyro blast at Wembley wrecked his hearing -

https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/music-2/mark-stoermer/

Danny1969

TTBZ said:

Iamnobody said:

LPManic said:

Imagine this being the first song your new band writes together. Incredible. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s. Even though it's an odd wee tune.

Have you listened to any other songs? 

I get it’s a popular - but I can’t think of a single occasion where I’d want to listen to it. 

And that’s not because I’m into some other niche genre, it genuinely doesn’t appeal to me.

This. The Killers fall into the same category as bands like Coldplay for me. Dull background music, can't stand the vocals either. Best indie/guitar song of the 00s? Anything off the Arctic Monkeys debut would be a better shout.

It is hard to play properly though. When I have to grin and bear it in the cover band I do a cheat version with a capo, there's a video on YouTube that shows how to do it. Very useful, though you're screwed if you forget your capo.

From a theory point of view it's got a drop from the root to the maj7, that's a melancholy interval for a lot of people and a trick used in a lot of old love songs. The added 9th adds to the melancholy feel ... it's a piano voicing really.   

There's only one inversion in the song that's hard to play ... the G5 add 6 inversion, spanning form the 3rd to the 7th fret it is a bit of a stretch. 
One seems to confuse a lot of bands about this song is they think it's played in Db  ... but you can hear the open E string adding a 9th constantly so you know it's played in D and you need that open E string  to get that effect so a capo won't help. 

I either play it in D but tuned down a semitone or detune the top E a semitone and play it in Db 

CaseOfAce

I either play it in D but tuned down a semitone or detune the top E a semitone and play it in Db 

This would be how I would do it as alternative to capo.
But knowing me I'd forget to retune the top e string after...
I also hate trying to do that 3rd to 7th fret stretch on that verse chord whilst letting the open strings ring out - uncomfortable. 

darthed1981

I love the threads on here about a specific song usually instantly attract an "I don't like it and I don't understand why anyone does" post (no slight meant at anyone who does post so). 

Isn't the approach of Justin Hawkins on his Youtube channel better?  Let's listen to it and understand why people DO like it, what there is in this piece of music to like or love.

For me music must be about positive things, as it is one thing in life that can be nothing but a positive influence.  I'm not a big fan of screamy metal music, or blues music that's just an old bloke doing one bend for ten minutes, but given the passion both inspire, they both must have something going for them?

Iamnobody

darthed1981 said:

I love the threads on here about a specific song usually instantly attract an "I don't like it and I don't understand why anyone does" post (no slight meant at anyone who does post so). 

Isn't the approach of Justin Hawkins on his Youtube channel better?  Let's listen to it and understand why people DO like it, what there is in this piece of music to like or love.

For me music must be about positive things, as it is one thing in life that can be nothing but a positive influence.  I'm not a big fan of screamy metal music, or blues music that's just an old bloke doing one bend for ten minutes, but given the passion both inspire, they both must have something going for them?

Indeed and I did acknowledge its popularity in my post, I’m not stupid enough not to know they are a massive band. I just can’t make any argument for this song being the best of the 00s. Others can - and that’s fine. I guess it depends how you define best…if popularity has the highest weighting I can see more of a shout for it.

@TeleMaster my comment about listening to other songs of the era was tongue in cheek - perhaps it didn’t come across that way and apologies if it didn’t - @LPManic ‘s response was great though. 

I’ve misjudged the room on this one - I admit that. I honestly thought Killers were kind of a solid pop act for those who don’t necessarily obsess about music (as I assumed a lot of us do) but listens to the radio and popular music of the day. That seems to be the perception of them in my circles anyway.

@stickyfiddle blues rock and hilarious prog couldn’t be further from my music of choice - that was kind of my point, I love a good ‘indie’ band (if indie is even a genre - but that’s another debate!)

Happy Xmas everyone!

roberty

Kebabkid said:

stickyfiddle said:

It’s a fantastic song and every time I hear a guitarist proclaiming their hate for it I assume they only like blues rock and hilarious prog

Yep and try playing it, properly

I used to struggle with that shape but after studying some jazz chord melodies and I find it easier. It's about having finger independence while holding awkward stretches, which is not a typical indie technique 

Stratavarious

Guaranteed floor filler. Unavoidable for party cover band scene.

We just play it in D.   Funny verse chord shapes but you lock it in muscle memory playing it two or three times a week