Las Vegas Bar That Inspired ‘Mr. Brightside’ Has Closed

Before he found fame with the Killers, frontman Brandon Flowers worked as a bellhop at a Gold Coast hotel. One night, he went to the Crown & Anchor Pub near Tropicana Avenue and Maryland Parkway and discovered his girlfriend with someone else. That’s how his indelible song, “Mr. Brightside,” was born. This relic of Las Vegas history, the nearly 30-year-old British-style pub, closed its doors for good last week.

The song’s origin story about betrayal and the resulting catharsis is told in the Independent United Kingdom by the author of the biography The Killers: Days and AgesAfter running into his girlfriend inside the bar, Flowers collaborated with guitarist Dave Keuning to write the line, “I can’t watch, it’s killing me.” The Crown & Anchor Pub (1350 East Tropicana Avenue), opened in 1995, has built a following for its British cuisine and nightly viewings of football and other English sports.

The extensive menu featured items like sausage rolls and Scotch eggs, Cornish pastries, fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding. And the food was served 24 hours a day while the bar was open. The Crown & Anchor offered about 30 beers on tap, board games and hosted lively viewing parties each year during the World Cup. In an Instagram post, Crown & Anchor said only that it closed the establishment on Tuesday, July 2, “in order to consolidate operations.” The establishment, located at 4755 West Spring Mountain Road, remains open.