THE KILLS celebrate their first decade

New music writing from Ignas Bautrenas!

The time is 7:30pm and it is cold outside, but the line to enter Terminal 5 is close to the 12th Avenue by now. Luckily I’m near the door, dreaming about the heat inside. The entrance is just a few feet away from me.

This is what myself and many others are doing hours before celebrating the 10-year birthday of one of the most prominent and iconic indie bands of the last decade. Consisting of only two members – British multi-instrumentalist Jamie Hince and American vocalist Alison Mosshart – The KILLS is a minimalistic but cardinal project. Neither one of the musicians was a newbie in an independent rock scene back in 2002 when they formed the duo, yet this particular band brought out the best in both of them. The KILLS is a loud fusion of blues and garage rock wrapped in lo-fi aesthetics and an insolent attitude deeply rooted in punk. Judging by the fact that this is the most sold-out show I have ever seen at Terminal 5 – their bluesy groove speaks to a wide audience.

The doors finally open and I make my way into the second floor balcony where I’ll stand for the rest of the night. This concert will be filmed from various angles and simultaneously broadcasted over the internet. From above I see a camera by the soundboard, a camera on the left side of the venue, a couple of handheld cameras laying on stage and it is obvious that there is a lot more I am not seeing. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 10:30pm.