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

[mike99]

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."

[j...rox]

They were still good, just Only By The Night has ruined them forever.

[Lithium05]

Personally I blaim it on KOL being a shit booking for a headlining slot.... but that's just me.

[sidthecat]

It is up to the band to create that connectivity - some crowds are harder than others but if the band is professional then they should be able to find the right buttons to push.

I love the KOL (well their first two albums anyway) but after the way Caleb "We're the KOL so FU" Followill threw his toys out of the pram at Reading I will never make an effort to see them live again.

[Budweiser]

Well, i think it's Calebs fualt - he's a c**t and up his own ass. That'll be all, thank you.

[ArcticMonkeysUK]

Did you even listen to what he said? He said "to all the people who dont give a shit us about us - we understand, but we worked hard to get here so anyone thats got anything to say about us - f**k you"

[Budweiser]

Did you even listen to what he said? He said "to all the people who dont give a shit us about us - we understand, but we worked hard to get here so anyone thats got anything to say about us - f**k you"

[Sparticus]

whilst it wasn't the best thing to say during a headline slot, it's understandable. They were a band who were loved in the uk from the start, got all their initial success here, and ignored in their homeland until "only by the night" came out. Must have been infuriating that all those fans from 05 (and i'm guessing 07 as i was drunk out my face at brand new) had been replaced by people who didn't care about them other than those two songs.

Just a thought.

[VCK]

I remember when I saw them in 2005, when they were on before the Foos (ironically I thought they were too high up the bill!) and they came across as really humble and maybe even a bit intimidated by the size of the crowd. Four years later and a lot has changed, and obviously the result of Sex On Fire has gone to their heads a little.

[Mamba]

I remember when I saw them in 2005, when they were on before the Foos (ironically I thought they were too high up the bill!) and they came across as really humble and maybe even a bit intimidated by the size of the crowd. Four years later and a lot has changed, and obviously the result of Sex On Fire has gone to their heads a little.

[Trani on 10]

KOL were great at Reading, they always are. But there sounded like there were some sound issues, which maybe prevented the crowd getting 'into' it as much. And when you listen to what he actually, said, it wasn't as bad as everyone made out, imo.

If anything though, I blame the massive amount of Southern tossers who only knew Sex On Fire.

[504329lt]

Personally I blaim it on KOL being a shit booking for a headlining slot.... but that's just me.

[Azzy G]

Personally I blaim it on KOL being a shit booking for a headlining slot.... but that's just me.

[beLIEveR]

Did you even listen to what he said? He said "to all the people who dont give a shit us about us - we understand, but we worked hard to get here so anyone thats got anything to say about us - f**k you"

[ivan]

I was at Leeds , and I have to say that on the Friday there the atmos at the main stage was flat

all day. Only picked up when I saw White Lies in the tent.

Think it was just the weather to be honest , had it been a lot nicer day , and less windy things

would have been different.

For Ian Brown I left my mates by the right rear speaker to head down to the front for more atmos.

I came back after 10 mins cos there was none.

[tomisnothere]

I hear what you're saying, but I didn't get paid half a million quid to do something I wanted to do anyway, and then cry because I got a bit of stick. So f**k him and f**k you.

[beLIEveR]

completely unnecessary to say "f**k you" to him really, he's not being antagonistic towards anyone.

[tomisnothere]

tone - on the internet, in typed word, it's difficult to apply.

it's difficult to specifically understand what you meant from it, if other people want to step in and say i read it wrong then fair enough, but it just looks like you said "f**k you" straightforward.

[beLIEveR]

tone - on the internet, in typed word, it's difficult to apply.

it's difficult to specifically understand what you meant from it, if other people want to step in and say i read it wrong then fair enough, but it just looks like you said "f**k you" straightforward.

[inspectedinspector]

I think this

Did you even listen to what he said? He said "to all the people who dont give a shit us about us - we understand, but we worked hard to get here so anyone thats got anything to say about us - f**k you"

Edited September 11, 2009 by inspectedinspector

[rockinthecasbah]

If anything though, I blame the massive amount of Southern tossers who only knew Sex On Fire.

[VCK]

I keep reading this sort of statement on here, and it surprises me. Though Sex on Fire has certainly catapulted them to a different level, it wasn't like they were unknowns before it. I saw them at V last year just before Sex on Fire came out, and most of the crowd seemed to be pretty familiar with most of the material. And it's not like V crowds are known for their diverse, uncommercial music tastes. I was at Faith No More at Reading though, so can't comment on whether or not it's true.

[rockinthecasbah]

Well you have to bear in mind that V 2008 was after when Because Of The Times was released, which was a pretty succesful album in itself.

[VCK]

True, but the crowds knowledge of their material didn't seem to be centred on that either. Songs off the first two albums were also getting audience reaction. Pretty much since they started they've always had mainstream media attention, which is why comments suggesting the Reading crowd only knew a few of the songs seemed surprising.

[Joshuwarr]

KOL were great at Reading, they always are. But there sounded like there were some sound issues, which maybe prevented the crowd getting 'into' it as much. And when you listen to what he actually, said, it wasn't as bad as everyone made out, imo.

If anything though, I blame the massive amount of Southern tossers who only knew Sex On Fire.