(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) With kings of leon ready to play atlantis beach tonight we trace the family band?s journey from teenage chancers to us rock royalty.
kings of leon comprises the followill brothers caleb (lead vocals rhythm guitar) jared (bass) and nathan (drums) and their cousin matthew (lead guitar). the band’s name derives from all four members’ grandfather as well as the siblings’ father ivan leon followill a preacher who travelled across the southern united states with his family in tow.
as youngsters matthew and jared showed off their future rock and roll credentials when they took a trip to new york with their mothers. their rowdy behaviour included setting towels on fire stealing cigars joyriding and shooting an old lady with a paintball gun – which landed matthew with an hour in jail.
after attracting plenty of label interest caleb and nathan signed with rca records. instead of allowing the label to create a band for them the duo insisted on bringing jared and matthew into the mix. when they started as a four-piece jared had never played bass caleb had never played guitar and matthew had taken two guitar lessons. jared at first refused his new role later saying he believed “all bass players were fat and had goatees like the guy from goo goo dolls.”
kings of leon’s debut album youth and young manhood was released in 2003 – making them immediate stars in the uk where the quartet were rapturously received for their gritty rock stylings on songs like molly’s chambers and california waiting. the group’s us breakthrough would take significantly longer however hitting the top five in their homeland with fourth album only by the night. the record sold almost two million copies in the states and produced hit singles s** on fire and use somebody.
the group have a supporter in radiohead guitarist ed o’brien who once said “when i see them i think ‘man i’d love to be in that band’. they’re amazing players the drummer he’s amazing. they’re all great but he’s really special.” other famous fans include bob dylan and eddie vedder. however the gallagher brothers from oasis have been less kind with noel mockingly comparing them to u2 and liam claiming to only enjoy their early work.
after a poor reception for their fifth studio album come around sundown (2010) the band cut short their us tour by two months and went on hiatus in the summer of 2011. jared wrote on twitter that the band had “internal sicknesses and problems that need to be addressed”. however they returned triumphantly last year with mechanical bull which was well-received with the band claiming they had ironed out their problems and were in a far more settled place. “we put five records out in 10 years and toured non-stop in between. we needed a break” said caleb in an interview. “sometimes things happen to force your hand.” he also later admitted that he “pretty much checked out for that record (sundown).”
all four band members are now married. matthew was first up in 2009 when he wed uk singer-songwriter johanna bennett (who co-wrote the arctic monkeys single fluorescent adolescent with her ex-boyfriend frontman alex turner). they have two kids together. nathan married nashville singer-songwriter jessie baylin that same year. the couple welcomed their first child daughter violet in 2012. next up to the altar was caleb who wed victoria’s secret model lily aldridge in 2011 with aldridge giving birth to daughter dixie pearl the following year. lastly jared – who is still just 27 years old – married martha patterson in 2012 jokingly declaring himself “the luckiest girl in the world” on twitter.
event details
what: kings of leon live in concert• where: atlantis beach palm jumeirah dubai• when: wednesday may 28 doors open at 5pm• cost: from dhs385• tickets: go to www.platinumlist.net or www.ticketmaster.ae• for more info: see www.facebook.com/liveatatlantis
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.