The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci Debuts New Band “Big Talk” at Hard Rock Cafe
Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers and his new band Big Talk took the stage Wednesday night for their debut performance at Hard Rock Cafe on The Strip in Las Vegas (Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com).
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Ronnie Vannucci is best known as the drummer of Las Vegas’ very own The Killers. Vannucci has always contributed to the songs that have made the four-piece one of the biggest bands in the world. Equally, he’s long written songs on his own, away from The Killers.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
When, in 2010, he took stock of his personal inventory, he found that he had, over the years, crafted “50 or 60” ideas that merited further investigation. With the band on hiatus after completion of the world tour in support of their third album, Vannucci realized that his long-held ambition could finally have its moment in the sun.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Ronnie Vannucci is Big Talk, which is the name of his band, the name of his album, and in, a way, both what his record is about and also not what his record is about.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
“The phrase ‘Big Talk’ is kind of a comment on all the bullshit that’s constantly being thrust at us from politics and the economy and the record industry,” says Vannucci as he busies himself in Assault & Battery on a glorious spring day. In the northwest London studio, longstanding Killers compadre Alan Moulder is mixing the songs Vannucci wrote and demoed in his Las Vegas basement, then recorded and produced with help from Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes) in the band’s Battle Born studio between November ’10 and January ’11.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
“The title is sorta tongue-in-cheek,” he adds, pointing out that it feels fitting that he’s releasing the album on his own start-up label, Little Oil (“what’s the antithesis of the big machine? Little oil…”) and in collaboration with Californian punk indie Epitaph Records.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk performs at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk backstage at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
Big Talk backstage at Hard Rock Cafe
Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.
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