The Las Vegas bar that inspired the hit song by The Killers, “Mr. Brightside,” is closing after nearly 30 years in business.
Mr. Brightside, the consistently chart-topping single first released in 20024, was written by Las Vegas natives Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. Flowers’ lyrics are based on a real-life encounter he had at the Crown & Anchor Bar, which announced that it was closing last week.
According to The Independent, Flowers — who was working as a bellhop at the Gold Coast hotel — walked into the Crown & Anchor one night to find his girlfriend there with another guy. Thus was born the famous line, “And I just can’t look / it’s killing me.”
For its part, the Crown & Anchor was a British-style pub that played into its UK roots. The 24-hour bar served up British food like Scotch eggs, Cornish pasties, and fish and chips, and frequently hosted watch parties for English soccer games.
Despite its humble beginnings at the bar, “Mr. Brightside” went on to become one of the most well-known songs of the 2010s. In the UK, it’s the third best-selling song of all time and is the longest charting single. In the U.S., it has sold more than 3.5 million copies.
Although the location that inspired the song closed last week, there is still a second Crown & Anchor bar located at 4755 West Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas.
In the mood to belt out “Mr. Brightside?” Check out the VegasNews guide to the best karaoke bars in Las Vegas. If you want to see some local Las Vegas bands like The Killers, then check out our guide to Las Vegas music venues.
