Racist or not, the biggest bummer about “Radioactive” was that it wasn’t exactly the return to early KOL that you had hoped for. As one person commented, “I’m beginning to feel like all the badassery and sweet riffs from their first two was just a calculated image that I fell for… and I don’t like being made the fool.” Well, (sorry), here’s another sign that KOL are a totally different band. According to a blog post by Groove Armada’s Andy Cato, who played the V Festival alongside Kings Of Leon, KOL and their security went out of their way to alienate the other bands.
The first offense: The band had security reserve a row of showers just for them. Writes Cato:
Out of nowhere came a very large man. “Reserved for the Kings of Leon” he said, “and so is this half of the artist toilets”. It’s hard to believe that someone actually phoned their agent and said “Listen I know that Paul Weller, Kasabian, Florence, Stereophonics, Groove Armada + co are all sharing the artist village and facilities, but we require that you put a fence down the middle of the toilets and showers and put a large man there to keep them just for us.” But somebody did.
The second offense: Clearing pathways so Kings Of Leon and their entourage can drive around unimpeded:
…4 blacked out Range Rovers came round the corner. One for each King of Leon. As it became clear what all this presidential fuss was about, tom gave the worldwide one fingered sign of dislike as the cars went past. The last one stopped. The drummer got out making “come on then” type gestures. “Come on then” Tom gestured back. Instead, the drummer went back behind his bodyguards, and, pointing towards Tom, Paul Weller, and the various other musicians who were pinned by the side of the road, said “I want them removed.”
Cato says the promoter came and smoothed over the impeding fight. But after their show (Groove Armada headlined a different stage), they were once again asked to pull over in their shuttle van to and from the artist area so that Kings Of Leon could pass through. They exited their bus to “salute” KOL, who, according to Cato, once again left in four separate vehicles. He also says that other artists sent the band two cases of champagne for standing up to the Kings.
Now, the band hasn’t responded to defend themselves. And the only other report of diva-ish behavior from Kings Of Leon was when they canceled a show after too much pigeon crap rained down on them. Totally understandable by the way. Pigeons are basically flying rats. So let’s play devil’s advocate here and think of some reasons why Kings Of Leon would need their own row of toilets and showers:
- Kings Of Leon have shy bladders, and need total silence to use the bathroom.
- Kings Of Leon have irritable bowel syndrome and were just being polite to their fellow artists.
- The Followills, being raised by a preacher, grew up ashamed of their bodies, and have an unnatural fear of being seen naked.
- The Followills, being raised by a preacher, have amazing self-discipline and work out constantly. They didn’t want to make Groove Armada feel bad if they accidentally got a peek at their sick pythons while they were exiting the showers.
- The Followills are all misanthropes who started the band to make enough money to never have to interact with people again. Exactly what you would do if you were rich.
- Have you ever used a bathroom at a music festival?
(via The Daily Swarm)
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Those pigeons had the right idea. KOL *wishes* they were in Paul Weller’s league.
Everyone in this story can go and fuck themselves. Especially KOL and Weller.
They are southern new riches. What the F*** is everyone so suprised about ?
Lame.
I’m just wondering what a “sick python” is. Because what comes to MY mind wouldn’t really be helped any by a fitness routine…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIg7Zcjx8j8
Consider this comment a win.
That is awesome. And I’m sorry I apparently questioned Hulk Hogan’s word usage.
I feel like everyone here should join our group that we made on facebook “Kings of Leon are the New Nickleback” Agree? Disagree? they are awful thats all i know.. and i dont want their pythons anywhere near me.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142636249095866
to Kate: That’s just stupid. Nickelback makes the most bland, generic hick-mom rock ever known to man. Kings of Leons last album might have knocked on the DOOR of blandness, but still it came nowhere NEAR the level of shit that Nickelback is. Shame on you. Kings of Leon used to be a really good band but somewhere along the line they kinda sold out. Doesn’t mean they are Nickelback. Because Nickelback has ALWAYS made awful, awful music that caters to dumb people with no taste. There aren’t any hipsters that like them…but there are (were?) plenty of them that loved KOL. Caleb has a gift: his voice is one of the most original and powerful things in music today and while their behavior as of late is inexcusable, I have to defend them if anyone even dares compare them to drab alternative country.
to cody3212: well said. completely agree.
Although I agree that no one will ever go near to how shitty Nickelback is, cause they truly are the cream of the crap crop, I think there’s a reason why Kate called them the New Nickelback. They might have been a sick band, but where they’re headed, they might as well change their name to neo-nickelbackians. I can tell they’re headed towards hick-mom rock, which is a shame because you’d hope that talent would transcend all this music-industry-political bullshit. And yet…here we are…
Now this is a great example of the type of stories I used to love reading on Stereogum but have seen less and less of. Welcome back, I missed you so much.
I’ve never heard of Groove Amanda
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“Kings Of Leon have irritable bowel syndrome and were just being polite to their fellow artists.”
i still haven’t been able to stop laughing after reading this, and it’s been ten minutes.
I fell for it too, but nonetheless I should have known better. KOL are 100% marketing. RCA signed them before they were even a band, before they were even musicians.
From wikipedia:
Drummer Nathan added, “When we signed the deal with RCA, it was just me and Caleb. The label told us they were going to put a band together, but we said, ‘We’re going to buy our little brother a bass, he’s a freshman in high school. Caleb will teach himself the guitar. Our cousin Matthew played guitar when he was 10 and I’ll play drums.’ The record label agreed,”
ahhh wikipedia…the most reliable source of information on the internet!
i also don’t doubt any of this story…and enjoy the devil’s advocatisms
yeah i made up a word.
This is great.
I still really enjoy Radioactive though. It’s not quite a “return to early KoL”, but it seems like they’re picking up where Aha Shake Heartbreak left off. Which is awesome.
Youz suck
“I’m beginning to feel like all the badassery and sweet riffs from their first two was just a calculated image that I fell for… and I don’t like being made the fool.”
It was. And you are.
Thanks for piling it on. I still think the first two albums are great though, even after all this.
I like how Kings of Leon look as awesome as the “If I Can Dream” cast in the ad next to them. I like my music to be stylish.