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How the hell did Kings of Leon get so big?

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited March 2010 in Other Music
Its funny to think that a few years ago the Followills were a small up and coming band that ed and the boys gave shout outs to and toured with of course.

Now they are one of the biggest bands in the world, an arena rock band. I imagine them very much as a U2-ish band, who can sell out arenas. They have the anthemic sing along songs necessary for those venues as well. Not too many bands can play these shows, and its clear to me, KOL can do this.

How and why did these guys blow up?

I personally still like them. Dont listen to them as much though.
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  • theserialthrillatheserialthrilla Posts: 15,760
    argee with you...i liked them alot .. but you are right about the fast rise to fame..but i sooner have 1 king of leon then 20 or so of other bands out there..who seem to come and go in a blink of the eye..long may the kings continue to make great music.

    kings and pj at a fest this year would be very cool..

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  • SH17171SH17171 Posts: 425
    It all happened after supporting Pearl Jam in Australia :lol: They have changed there sound a lot over the years. I like the early stuff but they still rocked on the latest l.p.
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  • No CoderNo Coder Brisbane Posts: 1,126
    They cop a lot of flak from some of their early fans for their change of style, but I happen to love all their albums. Got into Aha when it was released, then got Youth pretty much straight away and loved that as well. couldn't wait for BOTT and it was brilliant- My fave album of theirs. Liked the new one, and happened to love Sex on fire. I think it is a great album, but it is their first with a song I can't stand - 17. also skip Use somebody now, but that's only because of overkill. Think that Closer, Crawl and Cold desert are 3 of their best songs from any album. Have seen them 3 times live in Oz and they were great, the only downfall of the latest tour was the crowd, but that's what happens when you have hit singles
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me

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  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,721
    couse mtv play them alot,and general the music channels
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  • StonerladyStonerlady Posts: 240
    Two great records in the beginning, but little success. So they sold themselves (sounds horrible, but that's how I think about it) and are successful now. Unfortunately they lost everything I used to like about them and are now "just another girl's rock band".
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    No Coder wrote:
    They cop a lot of flak from some of their early fans for their change of style, but I happen to love all their albums. Got into Aha when it was released, then got Youth pretty much straight away and loved that as well. couldn't wait for BOTT and it was brilliant- My fave album of theirs. Liked the new one, and happened to love Sex on fire. I think it is a great album, but it is their first with a song I can't stand - 17. also skip Use somebody now, but that's only because of overkill. Think that Closer, Crawl and Cold desert are 3 of their best songs from any album. Have seen them 3 times live in Oz and they were great, the only downfall of the latest tour was the crowd, but that's what happens when you have hit singles

    Yeah I agree about the last record, while it's not their best, it does still have some really good stuff on it. I can't help thinking it would have maybe worked better as an EP if they had thrown out 17, I Want You, Revelry and Be Somebody - I don't get an awful lot out of those songs.
  • jervin007jervin007 Posts: 3,182
    They have been an arena band in the UK for a while now. It's about time the US audience caught onto their greatness! They are so much better than most of the garbage out there!
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  • CobCob Posts: 858
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    couse mtv play them alot,and general the music channels

    Things must be WAY different on the other side of the pond, MTV hasn't played music videos in YEARS in the United States and neither has VH-1!
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  • thunderDANthunderDAN Posts: 2,094
    teenage girls liked their new album.
  • Yellow LedbellyYellow Ledbelly Posts: 3,749
    jervin007 wrote:
    They have been an arena band in the UK for a while now. It's about time the US audience caught onto their greatness! They are so much better than most of the garbage out there!
    In my experience if you really want to know the best up-and-coming bands you need to look to the UK press.
    I remember reading about KoL before Youth and Young Manhood was released or right after it had been in NME I believe it was and had heard not a single thing about them in he US.
    Been a big fan ever since and although I was a bit put off by the direction of OBtN I think they will be one of the best bands for years to come.....having finally gained the acceptance of the US audience I think they will make at least somewhat of a return to a more rock sound the next time around
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  • lockedlocked Boston Posts: 4,039
    edited February 2010
    double post
    Post edited by locked on
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  • lockedlocked Boston Posts: 4,039
    locked wrote:
    Yellow Ledbelly wrote:
    jervin007 wrote:
    They have been an arena band in the UK for a while now. It's about time the US audience caught onto their greatness! They are so much better than most of the garbage out there!
    In my experience if you really want to know the best up-and-coming bands you need to look to the UK press.
    I remember reading about KoL before Youth and Young Manhood was released or right after it had been in NME I believe it was and had heard not a single thing about them in he US.
    Been a big fan ever since and although I was a bit put off by the direction of OBtN I think they will be one of the best bands for years to come.....having finally gained the acceptance of the US audience I think they will make at least somewhat of a return to a more rock sound the next time around



    Great post.. my thoughts exactly...!

    I laugh at all the people who post about KOL selling out and being a teenage girls band.
    People want the bands they like to be THEIR OWN SECRET so they can be seen as "cool" (aka Radiohead)..

    Its the songs man...put the headphones on and KOL's songs, Caleb's singing is brilliant.
    and more importantly ORIGINAL... no one sounds like them (right now) THANK GOD..

    You young whippersnappers don't realize it but we heard the exact same gripes when Nirvana and Pearl Jam went big !

    Every girl was woooed by Eddie singing "Daugher" and "Elderly Woman"..
    Grow up people!
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  • BALLBOYBALLBOY Australia Posts: 1,032
    It is called Hype but i doubt it was done by them. They had a big single & it all blown out of proportion especially here in the UK, they are very good at doing that. I would say most of their fans now had not known much about them before Sex on Fire.
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  • BALLBOYBALLBOY Australia Posts: 1,032
    Cob wrote:
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    couse mtv play them alot,and general the music channels

    Things must be WAY different on the other side of the pond, MTV hasn't played music videos in YEARS in the United States and neither has VH-1!
    Why do they still call it MTV? It has nothing to do with music, the biggest load of shit on the box nowadays.
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  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    The main MTV channel here in the UK doesn't really show much music. But they do have about four or five different channels, each dedicated to playing specific types of music, including MTV Two which plays all kinds of rock, from indie to metal.
  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,940
    I guess I'm late to the KoL party, but they are a really awesome band. They write creative songs, have a distinctive sound, and have actual talent. I've been working my way back through their catalog, and I'm very impressed. The "Live at O2" blu-ray is awesome!

    For all those who've been fans for 5 years already, I am truly sorry to water down the fan base by having just gotten into this band in the past year or so. I promise I won't say "I loved that band before they were big" or anything along those lines! That said, I am a fan of good music, not just what I hear on the radio. So, I'm not gonna feel guilty for being late to the party!
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  • lockedlocked Boston Posts: 4,039
    Johnny Abruzzo wrote:
    I guess I'm late to the KoL party, but they are a really awesome band. They write creative songs, have a distinctive sound, and have actual talent. I've been working my way back through their catalog, and I'm very impressed. The "Live at O2" blu-ray is awesome!

    For all those who've been fans for 5 years already, I am truly sorry to water down the fan base by having just gotten into this band in the past year or so. I promise I won't say "I loved that band before they were big" or anything along those lines! That said, I am a fan of good music, not just what I hear on the radio. So, I'm not gonna feel guilty for being late to the party!


    Oh no....! You're NOT COOL anymore!

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  • youngsteryoungster Boston Posts: 6,576
    I saw them last April at Agganis Arena in Boston which is a hockey rink for Boston University, about 8,000 capacity. By September they were playing Mansfield (where PJ usually plays) with a capacity of 19,000. That is a huge venue jump in 5 months time.
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  • SOLAT319SOLAT319 Posts: 4,594
    musicismylife78 wrote:
    How and why did these guys blow up?

    They discovered that the secret to make it big was to start writing songs for those who wear Mom jeans.
    I have no patience for bad music and stupid people...

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  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    who knows but they fuckin deserve it. kol are amazing.
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  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Worcester, MA Posts: 2,948
    not from me listening to them :)
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  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 42,422
    They were already huge in The UK. In the US probably cuz somehow we caught up with the rest of the world when Sex On Fire and Use Somebody became huge.

    Me personally I discovered them in '03. They opened up for The Strokes at the Tower Theater in philly and i was instantly hooked. Saw them headlining the TLA a few months later and became a huge fan (right up front, got set list and a few guitar pics :D).

    Their latest album is probably my least fav. Love their first album and Because Of The Times. Thought Because would make them "superstars" here with Black Thumbnail, Fans, Charmer, and others. I think On Call helped a lot in getting them more recognition and paved the way for Sex and Use Somebody.
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  • mulva9mulva9 Posts: 417
    youngster wrote:
    I saw them last April at Agganis Arena in Boston which is a hockey rink for Boston University, about 8,000 capacity. By September they were playing Mansfield (where PJ usually plays) with a capacity of 19,000. That is a huge venue jump in 5 months time.

    I saw them at Paradise less than a year before the Agganis show!
  • Dru_CortezDru_Cortez Posts: 953
    When you appeal to the lowest common denominator,
    word spreads. "Your sex is on fire" is a ridiculous lyric... Oh wait, but it's
    got the word 'sex' in it, + a decent riff behind it, so it's somehow awesome.
    Yeesh... On some level, I am happy for KoL. But seriously, how did
    this happen?
    The true test will come with their next album, which might rock or might be
    another "Because of the Times."
    Will all these fly-by-night fans keep filling big venues,
    or will they band-wagon-jump like Calgary Flames fans?
    Cheers.
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  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Because Of The Times is a brilliant album, can't beat songs like Knocked Up, Black Thumbnail, Ragoo, Fans and especially Arizona - that song is a stone cold classic.
  • Drum Machine89Drum Machine89 Posts: 2,157
    My sister loves them alot, i think there okay. I do think there a good live band! 8-)
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  • nuffingmannuffingman Posts: 3,014
    KOL have the honour of more shite being written about them than probably most bands. OBTN had some dodgy stuff but also some really strong songs. I've seen them twice in the last 14 months and most of the crowd near me would never see a 30th birthday again. References to them as a teenage girls band is not the case in the UK.

    They'll disappear out of sight before too long as the antics of Caleb will make this band implode.
  • Jeff MurrayJeff Murray Posts: 1,259
    They hit it big with by writing pop songs. I've liked these guys from the beginning and caught them live a couple of times. I hope their next album is along the lines of the untitled blues song they played at the Spectrum last year. I think they could really pull of a great blues sound, it would be a great progression in their sound in my opinion.
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  • lephtylephty Posts: 770
    i saw them live at MSG last year i think it was... damn good live show, and the audience was saturated with gorgeous females! i felt like i was at a fashion show=p

    i like all of KOL albums, the newest album is a bit poppy but its still good. i am willing to bet they will be the next Bon Jovi in that when you go to a bar in 10 years and someone puts on some rocking "bar music" that everybody knows, it will be KOL.
  • lockedlocked Boston Posts: 4,039
    how can anyone deny the power and originality of Caleb's voice???????

    I went to see them live just to confirm its as cosistantly powerful up close as on record..

    Holy Sh*T.. He is destined to be considered one of the all time greatest singers in Rock..

    Just my opinion..

    Let's argue this after a couple of more years..
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