The Killers think it will be a breeze playing The X Factor final at London's Wembley Arena.

The "Runaways" hitmakers say their scariest moment of 2013 was headlining Wembley Stadium - so they're not panicking about playing next week's show. "That was the most nerve-wracking gig we've ever done. You've always got to make sure everyone is having a good time, so for me it's like flying a 747 up in the air and you've got to keep it there," Drummer Ronnie Vannucci told the Daily Star newspaper.

The band, who will join One Direction, Katy Perry, Elton John and Tom Odell at The X Factor next weekend, have been promoting their best of collection Direct Hits - despite saying they would have liked to wait longer before releasing the record.

"I don't want to see a perfect band when I go to a show, with dots of sweat on their shirt. I want to see them looking like they've been shaken by a silver-back gorilla," Ronnie, 37, said of performing.

The band, including frontman Brandon Flowers, Mark Stoermer and Dave Keuning, are preparing for a break to concentrate on solo projects but say it's necessary to revitalize the music scene in the New Year. "We need to have this slump, it's like the stock market - you need to have those lean years. It's a challenge for us who want to keep the music pure," Ronnie explained.

After their work commitments end following the X Factor show, it's back to normality for Ronnie and his band mates. "I don't know where I'm going to be on Christmas Day, probably in Utah shoveling snow. I'm not making any New Year's resolutions as I'm so damn perfect. Ha ha," he added.

The Killers' new charity single "Christmas in LA" is out now.