Kings of Leon, Phones4U Arena, Manchester [18.06.14]

Listening to the rowdy, guitar-heavy blues-rock of their Holy Roller Novocaine EP back in 2003, you wouldn’t bet your bottom dollar that these unlikely sons of a preacher man from the Deep South would ever reach arena status. You certainly wouldn’t believe that Kings of Leon would be onto their fourth number one album. Although the transition from gritty blues-rock to mellow, radio-friendly arena-rock came with a certain air of controversy- it is clear, judging by the eclectic mix of new and old fans rocking up to Manchester’s Phones4U arena, that Nashville, Tennessee’s Followill family four piece are here to stay.

Opening with ‘Charmer’ was a bold statement to make and one that certainly separated the long term fans from the radio one listeners. To say that this track is arguably the rowdiest few minutes of their third LP, Because of the Times, the crowd showed about as much energy as a group of lethargic OAPs. This certainly was no fault of the band’s though as the longest serving fans tried their hardest to work up a sweat nevertheless. Although, judging by the mainly middle-aged crowd, you’d find it hard to decide whether they were the support band or the main event, opening with ‘Charmer’ instantaneously show-cased Kings of Leon’s incredible live reputation, with Caleb Followill’s high pitched screeches sounding identical to the recorded version.

‘Family Tree’ was our first glimpse into the band’s most recent chart topping album and it’s no wonder they struck gold with Mechanical Bull as every single member of the crowd seems to sing along to the soulful chorus of the track in question which introduces a groovier sound to the Tennessee quartet’s vast back catalogue. However, ‘Closer’ was a clear fan favourite with its haunting lyrics and eerie instrumental that lead guitarist, Matthew Followill, proceeded to play with his mouth- showing that the Nashville hillbillies aren’t just four pretty faces.

Upbeat tracks like ‘The Bucket’, ‘Red Morning Light’ and ‘Four Kicks’ got the crowd going to some extent, along with more Mechanical Bull material such as ‘Temple’ and their most recent hit ‘Supersoaker’ but it was the slower paced, emotionally charged songs that proved to be the saving grace of Kings of Leon’s live set. Take ‘Pyro’, for example; a track which saw the band commit rock and roll suicide back in 2010 with its generic arena-rock sound. Despite the formulated nature of the track it is impossible to deny its credibility and this was proven even further in their live performance. ‘Knocked Up’, which is a track that takes me back to my younger years every time I hear it, sounded even more remarkable live than it did seven years ago on my mum’s record player at my childhood home which is when I first fell in love with the band in question.

If ‘Pyro’ and ‘Knocked Up’ weren’t enough to leave you with a lump in your throat, you could certainly count on ‘Cold Desert’ to get the water works in full flow. Its delicate guitars, steady drums and lyrics of self-loathing and inner turmoil (“Jesus don’t love me” “nobody knows, nobody sees, nobody but me”) sounding totally identical to the record which has rightfully earned its place as one of their most precious tracks to date.

‘Black Thumbnail’ whisked the crowd away to the depths of Nashiville, Tennessee with its gritty guitars and a raging chorus that leaves us wondering how this was never a massive hit. However, closing with ‘Sex on Fire’ was an obvious move but a move that had to be made. The track that earned them the success they deserve proved to be the perfect culmination to a set that was surprisingly varied to say I was expecting Mechanical Bull track after Mechanical Bull track. To say Kings of Leon are a band that have gone from blues-rock obscurity to massive commercial success, frontman, Caleb Followill constantly reiterates to the crowd how sincerely grateful they are as a band and this truly comes across. Whether it was a conscious decision or not to start making heavy airplay anthems, the band of brothers and a cousin from Nashville certainly know how to put on a good show, enticing both the more recent recruits of their fan base and their longest serving followers.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Review: The Courteeners - 'Summer'

image: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

As soon as you hear the opening chords, it becomes pretty clear why the Courteeners have decided to name the first single from their forthcoming album, Concrete Love, after the season of sunhats and beer gardens. With a recurring guitar line that oozes summer vibes along with Liam Fray's soft vocals telling love infused lyrics- sounding less Mancunian than ever.

If you thought the band's third effort, ANNA, was a stretch too far from their anthemic fan-favouring debut then the Courteeners' new material most probably won't be your cup of tea. This track sounds like the work of an entirely different kettle of fish to the band who released hearty lad-rock anthems like 'What Took You so Long' and 'Not Nineteen Forever;' tracks you were likely to hear drunkenly slurred outside a North-Western public house by a congregation of football hooligans in Pretty Green parkas.

Nonetheless, although their debut album St Jude will always hold a special place in my heart, I quite like watching the progression of bands who aren't afraid to step out of their comfort zone. I just hope that Concrete Love turns out better than ANNA did.



Track of the Week: Kings of Leon - 'Trani'

image: smh.com.au

Set in the time where they were the hill-billy blues rockers with hair longer than mine and beards that would give the new age of male models a run for their money. Kings of Leon are since a band who have transformed into an arena-rock phenomenon, destined for commercial success. This, however, seems pretty hard to believe when you dip into the depths of their bluesy back catalogue.

The Nashville born quartet’s debut, Youth & Young Manhood, has always held a special place in my heart despite the fact that it’s worlds apart from their best known hits like ‘Sex on Fire’ and the more recent ‘Supersoaker’. One track that always stands out for me, however: ‘Trani’. Opening with laid back, lazy guitars, which is typical of their earlier material, and building up into a wondrous mess of brash percussion and jerky riffs, made even better by frontman, Caleb Followill’s deafeningly screechy vocals- ‘Trani’ is, without a doubt, one of many masterpiece’s brought to us by the colossal force that is Kings of Leon, although it is massively overlooked.

It’s highly debateable that the Tennessee based four piece have lost their edge in the past few years, following the release of their critically acclaimed fourth album Only by the Night, but who cares if they have? With tracks like this under their belt and an array of commercial hits that are still remarkable even if they do lack the rowdy, hill-billy blues of their earlier stuff.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Review: Johnny Lloyd - Pilgrims EP

It’s always terrible news when a band decides to call it a day, unless of course that band were the likes of One Direction, especially a band as precious as Tribes. The Camden four-piece brought us two stellar LPs that helped restore our faith in good old fashioned British guitar music. No gimmicks, no jazzy synths or artificial sounds; everything about Tribes was real. Over 6 months since their antagonising split, the band’s frontman, Johnny Lloyd, has gone solo, releasing a couple of tracks from his upcoming EP, Pilgrims; which, as expected, are pretty fucking excellent.

‘Dead Beat’ dips into stripped-back, restrained territory which serves as a total contrast from Lloyd’s tendency to create epic, crowd-pleasing choruses throughout his work with Tribes (‘Sappho’ and ‘When My Day Comes’ for a minor example). This track is delicate and beholds an intangible sense of fragility as a result of its barely-there, eastern-tinged guitar and Lloyd’s consistently well-crafted lyricism that never fails to get under your skin- “nothing is real, it’s just a catwalk.”

It isn’t until you hear ‘Pilgrims’, the EP’s title track, when you realise that Lloyd is quite clearly venturing into the unknown as a solo artist and leaving his infamous routes behind him. An exotic groove and sporadic use of synth go hand-in-hand to create an absolute masterpiece; not to mention the goose-bump-inducing guitar solo two and a half minutes in which sounds loosely like it could have been the work of Foals. The perfectly controlled track which maintains restraint throughout, has a slight eighties resonance which comes as a refreshingly pleasant surprise as it differs entirely from the anthemic-indie sound brought to us by Tribes.

Aside from the release of his debut solo EP, Johnny Lloyd appears to be holding his cards close to his chest in regards to what’s next for him as a musician. Although the material he has graced us with so far is somewhat ‘worlds apart’ from where he left off with Tribes, it’s obviously this is just the start for the Camden songwriter, and a long way off from the finish. For Tribes fans who are still in mourning, Lloyd’s solo return might just be the perfect counselling session to soften the blow caused by the loss of a truly valued, excellent and hugely underrated band, and who knows- he may gain some new fans along the way.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Review: Circa Waves - 'Young Chasers'

image: rockerilla.com

If you haven't yet heard about this Liverpudlian four-piece you must be a borderline recluse with no internet access. A massive buzz has surrounded Circa Waves for a good six months now and it's not surprising given their infectious post-punk sound resonant of the early-noughties indie scene (i.e The Strokes and The Libertines).

Their most recent endeavor, 'Young Chasers' sounds much more rough around the edges with scuzzy guitars and an excitable chorus that will assuredly go down well on this years festival circuit seeing as these guys are playing at pretty much every festival imaginable this year.