Kings of Leon driven from the stage by pigeons
Kings of Leon abruptly ended their concert just three songs in last Friday (7/23) after pigeons in the rafters above the stage repeatedly defecated on bassist Jared Followill, according to published reports and a press release from the group.
"An infestation of pigeons living in the rafters of the Verizon Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO, forced the Kings of Leon to walk offstage after three songs last night," the group's publicist said in the press release. "Even though opening bands The Postelles and The Stills came offstage complaining of getting riddled with large amounts of pigeon excrement, the Kings of Leon decided to carry on regardless. The band felt it would be unfair to the fans to cancel the show at that late moment."
"We couldn't believe what The Postelles and The Stills looked like after their sets," Followill said in a prepared statement. "We didn't want to cancel the show, so we went for it. We tried to play. It was ridiculous."
According to a CNN report, Followill -- whom the news outlet said describes himself as a "germophobe" -- was "bombed in the face" during the group's opening number, at which point his bass tech "wiped most of it off with a sanitary wipe."
"I was hit by pigeons on each of the first three songs," CNN quoted Followill as saying. "We had 20 songs on the set list. By the end of the show, I would have been covered from head to toe."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that, after the band walked off stage, concertgoers -- many of whom reportedly were unaware why the band cut short its performance -- heard an announcement that the concert had been canceled due to safety concerns.
"So sorry, St. Louis," drummer Nate Followill later wrote in a message posted to his Twitter feed. "We had to bail, pigeons shit in jareds mouth. Too unsanitary to continue."
Fans who attended the show can obtain a refund at the point of purchase, according to organizers.
Kings of Leon continued their tour as planned with a Saturday night concert in Chicago. The group -- which is touring behind its most recent album, 2008's "Only By the Night" -- is due to remain on the road through the end of the summer. Details are included at right.
26 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
28 - Toronto, Ontario - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
30 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
31 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 2010
3 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theatre
5 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
7 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
8 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion @ Montage Mountain
15 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival
21 - Chelmsford, United Kingdom - Hylands Park (V Festival)
22 - Shropshire, United Kingdom - Weston Park (V Festival)
September 2010
3 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
4 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
7 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
8 - Hershey, PA - The Star Pavilion at Hersheypark Stadium
10 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
11 - Virginia Beach, VA - Virginia Beach Amphitheater
13 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
15 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
17 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
18 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre at State Fairgrounds
20 - Pelham, AL - Verizon Wireless Center Birmingham
22 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
23 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
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