NME Festival Guide
2009

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Reading Festival boss blames 'connectivity' failure for Kings Of Leon headline slot

Kings' performance was much-criticised by fans

September 10, 2009 | 15 Comments
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Reading Festival boss Melvin Benn has spoken about last month's Kings Of Leon headline slot at the event, which was much-criticised by fans.

Many NME.COM users posted messages online outlining their dissatisfaction with the performance, with drummer Nathan Followill in turn having a pop at fans for their attitude to his band during the show through Twitter.

"The performance was flawless," Benn told NME.COM, "but the connectivity between the band and audience wasn't as good as it could have been. The connectivity with the audience in Leeds was incredible.

"It's an incredibly strange one. They can't put their finger on it, we can’t put our finger on it. Watching Kings Of Leon isn't hit or miss. It isn't likely that the band take the stage and you have no idea whether it's going to be the best performance in the world or the worst performance in the world.

"The truth is, musically, it was flawless."

EDders

Sep 10, 2009

I'm so glad I was at Faith No More! Even though the crowd was relatively small for a headline act, the connectivity between band and crowd I thought was incredible....

hawklord

Sep 10, 2009

but the connectivity between the band and audience wasn't as good as it could have beenwtf - they bombed, thing is it's done and dusted now, get over it!

Moz_1983

Sep 10, 2009

Nothing to do with the fact that a huge proportion of the crowd were part-time trendy fashionistas there for a couple of hits only? Granted, the band threw their dummy out of the pram like prats, but when they were hit with a 120db soundblast during the opening bars of Sex On Fire and Use Somebody and a relatively muted response during most of their other songs... that must be a bit of a shitter.

hagihowells

Sep 10, 2009

I love Kings of Leon and i was there at Reading and musically th performance was brilliant. However the way that they behaved i thought was apalling. Ok maybe there were fans only there to see a couple of hits but there were fans like myself there to see all of the set and i was disappointed at the way they acted like babies! Thats why there is a bad reaction to the performance because thats all that people can remember from it now!

kanejb

Sep 11, 2009

What do they actually expect when half of the blood crowd doesn't even know Red Morning Light, or Molly's Chambers, or any other songs from their 1st album. I bet the crowd though Sex On Fire is the only song they have ever released. That's the price of being mega famous.

bazodazo

Sep 11, 2009

I can safely say that performance ruined their music for me. Whenever i listened to their stuff i just imagined this indie band, just playing what they liked and enjoying it. When i saw them at Reading, all i saw was a bunch of pretentious tw*ts getting annoyed when the crowd only knew two songs. Well i can say the crowd were singing along to every song, i know because i was too. And as for them getting annoyed that they only sang the two songs....thats what you get for selling out.I can see Kings of Leon heading in a downwards spiral, ending like Oasis.RIP Kings Of Leon

dannydanish90

Sep 11, 2009

I was at leeds and it spread round that something had happened at reading but at leeds they were amazing the atmsophere was incredible, Caleb really inspired the whole crowd, at one point saying "this is for the fans who have come for more than just two songs" it was just a beautiful ending to a brilliant festival shame reading had such a negativity between the band and the crowd and the fact readings final headliner was radionhead!

Ginger Beard

Sep 11, 2009

What was up with the hour long set as well? Incredibly short time for a band with a great back catalogue. As for the mood, I can't really say I blame them too much to be honest. Its not that Sex on fire and use somebody are bad songs , just that these cluselss 14yr old fashionistas turned up knowing just two songs and were a bit too worried about their hair wax sweating off their precious heads, thus draggin the mood down. Saying this, is wasn't fair blaming the whole of Reading for the shite reaction. A lot of people were still there to see KOL, not two overplayed songs

bennymass

Sep 11, 2009

I was at Leeds and they were absolutely amazing. They seemed really appreciative of the crowd and every song they played was appreciated. This is not the first time that bands have not enjoyed Reading and it will not be the last!! The line which sums up their feelings was, 'This is a song for everyone who came to hear more than two songs!!'

grahamajoyce

Sep 11, 2009

They were boring at Glastonbury as well a couple of years ago.

Cheeseandonion

Sep 11, 2009

Always thought they were a bunch of unoriginal beardy tw*ts from the outset, and since their music morphed into lowest common denominator stadium rock, even more so.

Ginger Beard

Sep 11, 2009

Dannydanish,i need to inform you that Radiohead were amazing at Reading. We got the reverse from Radiohead of what you got from KOL. Ive seen that Radiohead didn't play Creep or Karma Police, but we got the full set at Reading for some reason

PIRATE SAVVY

Sep 20, 2009

To Ginger Beard - KOL played as KOL, not as CROWD PLEASESERS for just for 2 overplayed songs. The hour long set was cut short because - if you did'nt notice! smashing of guitars and walkiing off SIGNALLED the end of the set by the band!

purpleplatypus

Sep 26, 2009

We were really enjoying the set, so was everyone around us, then they just threw a total showbiz wobbly- everyone was bewildered. They'd barely spoken to the crowd so hadn't built any rapport, they were technically good and maybe people just wanted to listen, after all, the singing bit is what they are there to do. I felt there was a strange atmosphere when they came on as if something had happened back stage. Tis true the crowd at Reading were too young to know much of the old stuff, festivals arent' really designed for people of their age- bit too much of a baptism of fire. There were also a number of people there who walk the muso image walk but their musical knowledge could be written on the back of a stamp. There should be more festivals for teenagers. Watch a video of Arctic Monkeys, The Progidy and Radiohead;KOL as they were freakin' awesome, that's how it's done- if the crowd aren't feeling it KOL, you make them- that's your job!

ellietreagust

Sep 26, 2009

IT's awfully hard to escape the fact that KoL are actually just a mediocre band with a few "good" sell-out hits that everyone knows, and as such can't be bothered to explore their back catalogue because they're just not interesting enough. And who's arrogant enough to asume the whole crowd knows all their albums?! I've never been particularly interested in them as, frankly, I can't see much difference between them and the next incredibly boring "indie" rock band who emerges on the scene. Obviously the crowd has something to do with what you get out of a performance, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it your all and later blame them for your short comings as a bands.