Kings Of Leon Review

Tennessee has traditionally been thought of as being the spiritual home of country and western music, but in recent years, this idea has been challenged by bands such as The Kings of Leon, showing that Nashville has as much rock ‘n’ roll to offer as anywhere else!

For the few lucky people that managed to win tickets on London’s 104.9 Xfm, this star studded event proved to be one of the most exclusive gigs of the year, held at the legendary 100 Club on Oxford Street. The buzz outside the venue was immense, many people trying to gain entrance to a venue, which has played host to the biggest and the best in jazz and blues artists since 1942. The atmosphere inside was intense with anticipation but the crowd went into a frenzy when the Followill brothers (and one cousin) strolled on stage in their trademark laid-back manner. Despite their nonchalant entrance, it was clear that tonight’s gig was going to be a rollercoaster mix of old and new, definitely one to remember.

The band played tracks from all three albums. Old favourites from the first two albums, such as “The Bucket” “Molly’s Chambers” and “Four Kicks” brought the 300 capacity venue to breaking point. The band dispatched these with enthusiasm and vitality, whilst the slower songs in the set like “Soft” and “Tranny” were played note perfect, with soul which turned the audiences’ mood with a click of a finger. As well as the old, the audience were treated to tracks from the new number one album “Because of the Times”. The new single “On Call” went down a storm followed by “Charmer”, where Caleb’s screams nearly brought the house down.

We were lucky enough to grab a few words with the band as they came off stage exclusively for First Live Music. When asked how they felt playing such a renowned venue Nathan replied “At first we didn’t really care, but when we received the laminate explaining the background of the club and its history we felt honoured to play in such a spiritual place” in reference to its small size Nathan said the band were really happy being able to “give something back to the fans” and they certainly did this.

Tonight proved without a doubt that the band have made the leap from indie underground to mainstream recognition. For a bunch of Tennessee lads, who spent their youth traveling through Southern America and living in a car, this is no mean feat, and The Kings of Leon deserve every bit of success they get.