Las Vegas band beat Muse, Arctic Monkeys and more to be named the best live band of the year
Michael Baggs

10:54 23rd December 2013

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Gigwise readers have named The Killers as the greatest live act of 2013, beating some of the biggest bands on the planet to take the top spot in our end of year poll.

Click here to see the poll results in full

Over 134,000 votes were cast in our search for the best live band or artist of the past 12 months, and the Las Vegas superstars took the top spot with ease, beating Westcountry rock icons Muse into second place. The poll was a fiercely competed showdown between the two bands, and despite Muse's huge 2013 world tour, the 'Shot At The Night' stars were voted our readers' No.1 choice.

The Killers performed their biggest ever UK show in the summer 2013, performing at London's Wembley Stadium on 22 July. On the same night, the band performed a second, tiny show at The Garage in Islington, played to a handful of ecstatic fans. In our review of The Killers' Wembley show, we said:

"Blasting through radio favourites 'Human', 'Somebody Told Me' and a cover of 'I Think We're Alone Now' for good measure, The Killers demonstrate exactly why they're a modern tour-de-force of stadium rock. The true highlight of the night is the unforgettable effort that the band go to for their performance of 'The Wembley Song' - a song penned especially for tonight in tribute to every win and loss that this stadium has seen.

"In a love letter to their fans and to England, they honour Muse, Queen and every band to rock the Wembley stage and take the time to 'apologise to Green Day' over their old spat, but all in all they clearly add their name to the long list of victories that Wembley has seen.

"There isn't a dry eye in the house as 90,000 very happy people sway arm in arm to roar through a glorious rendition of 'All These Things That I've Done' as Killers confetti rains down from on high."

The Top Five greatest bands of 2013, as voted by you are below:

1. The Killers
2. Muse
3. Depeche Mode
4. Arctic Monkeys
5. The Rolling Stones

Depeche Mode toured constantly throughout 2013, including a number of epic live shows in the UK. This year was also a huge year for Arctic Monkeys, who headlined Glastonbury festival alongside Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons, as well as embarking on the biggest headline tour of their career.

Below: 9 incredible shots of The Killers 'secret' show in London, July 2013

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Photo: WENN.com