Episode Description
What happens when a twelve-year-old Irish kid discovers The Killers on his brother's MP3 player—and eventually ends up becoming the frontman of an Irish Killers tribute band?
On this episode of Lonely Town – A Killers Podcast, Derek and Jimmy sit down with Shane from Human Tribute, an Irish tribute to The Killers.
Shane takes us back to the moment he first discovered The Killers, his first concert, and how songs like "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" and "Everything Will Be Alright" opened the door to a lifelong obsession with the band.
Now, after seeing The Killers 49 times, Shane has gone from fan in the crowd to performing the songs himself.
But he explains why he doesn't try to be Brandon Flowers.
Instead, Human Tribute's goal is simple: if you close your eyes, it should sound like The Killers—but when you open them, you should see Shane.
The conversation gets into what makes a great tribute band, the difference between recreating a concert and simply dressing up as a rock star, how Brandon's mannerisms have naturally worked their way into Shane's performances, and why being a genuine fan is so important.
Shane also talks about his favorite Killers songs to perform, the concerts that have stayed with him—including the legendary Sam's Town tour—and how The Killers ultimately inspired him to become a musician.
We also discuss Pressure Machine, Thrasher, country music, performing "American Dream," and why Brandon's music has created a connection between Shane and his parents.
And then there's the less glamorous side of being a tribute band: ticket prices, promoters, social media rivalries, and having your band's social media accounts wiped out after being reported for impersonating another Killers tribute band.
It's a fascinating conversation with someone who understands The Killers from both sides of the stage.
🎧 Show Notes
🇮🇪 Meet Shane from Human Tribute
- How Shane discovered The Killers at age 12
- Discovering Hot Fuss on a Creative Zen MP3 player
- Seeing The Killers for the first time
- How The Killers inspired him to learn guitar, piano and singing
- Growing up with Oasis, The Strokes and Kings of Leon
- How he eventually joined an Irish Killers tribute band
🎤 What Makes a Great Tribute Band?
Shane explains why Human Tribute doesn't try to simply copy Brandon Flowers.
- "If you close your eyes, it should sound like The Killers"
- Why Shane doesn't dress exactly like Brandon
- The difference between tribute and cosplay
- Brandon's mannerisms that have naturally become part of Shane's performance
- Why authenticity matters
- How being a genuine Killers fan changes the performance
- Building setlists for hardcore fans as well as casual listeners
🎶 The Songs
Shane talks about some of his favorite songs to perform:
- Dustland Fairytale
- Don't Shoot Me Santa
- Uncle Jonny
- Bling
- Everything Will Be Alright
- Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
- West Hills
- Quiet Town
- Tiger's Blood
👀 49 Killers Shows
Shane has seen The Killers 49 times and shares some of the concerts that stand out.
- His first shows
- The 2007 Sam's Town tour
- Seeing the curtain drop and Brandon appear
- The reaction of the crowd
- Rebel Diamonds in Dublin
- Battle Born-era shows
- Phoenix Park
- Belfast
- Johnny Marr supporting The Killers
- The difference between seeing The Killers as a fan and performing their songs yourself
🏠 Pressure Machine & Thrasher
The conversation turns toward Brandon's more personal songwriting.
- Why Pressure Machine is Shane's favorite Killers album
- Sharing the album with his parents
- His mother's reaction to "American Dream"
- Country music and Brandon's changing sound
- First reactions to Thrasher
- American Dream
- Angel
- Red Ground
- Tiger's Blood
- Plans
- What Shane expects from the upcoming tour
💰 The Business of Being a Tribute Band
Not everything is confetti cannons and gold jackets.
- Playing venues ranging from 200 people to 6,000
- The cost of putting on shows
- Why Human Tribute tries not to overcharge fans
- Promoters and ticket prices
- Why they prefer booking venues themselves
- Keeping the band as a passion project
- The challenges facing live music in Ireland
📱 The Social Media Battle
Shane tells us about Human Tribute's bizarre social media situation.
- Building the band's following to around 7,000
- Having their social accounts reported
- Being accused of impersonating another Killers tribute band
- Changing the band's name
- Starting over on social media
- The sometimes competitive world of tribute bands
🏡 Life Outside The Killers
Shane also talks about:
- Being a PE teacher
- Playing in wedding and cover bands
- Writing his own music
- Why sounding like The Killers can make original music complicated
- His fiancé Megan's support
- His parents' love of music
- Neil Diamond
- The movie Song Sung Blue
🔗 Find Human Tribute
Instagram:
Human Tribute on Instagram
Facebook:
The Killers – An Irish Tribute to The Killers
Shane's personal Instagram:
Shane's Instagram (@shaneborn113)
📱 Follow Lonely Town
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@lonelytownpodcast
Derek Everitt
@droyeveritt
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📩 Contact Us
Have a question, story, or want to contribute? Reach out—we'd love to hear from you.
🎧 Credits
Produced & Edited by Derek Everitt
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