Kings of Leon diss U2?

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dopper

The Fly
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144
From Billboard.com:

Followill says KOL consider themselves first and foremost a live band and don't record any song they can't pull off live. "There's nothing worse in the world than having a record you love and going to watch that band play and they've either got two guys on keyboards behind a curtain, they're playing to tracks, or they don't have that and the song sounds empty," he says.

"We've got a couple songs on this record that have keyboard parts, so our cousin Nacho is our stage manager, and we have him play keyboards on a couple of songs," he continues. "We make sure people can see him. We're not trying to be the Wizard of Oz."
 
Maybe... but again, who gives a... :wink:
 
How is that dissing U2? :confused:

Because of that whole story of "there's a guy under the stage" on U2 shows...but I don't think this one was aimed at U2 either. :shrug:
 
KOL have grown on me. Hated them as an opening act for U2, but the music is very good.
 
"There's nothing worse in the world than having a record you love and going to watch that band play and they've either got two guys on keyboards behind a curtain, they're playing to tracks, or they don't have that and the song sounds empty," he says.

"Nothing worse in the world", eh? My, my, what sheltered lives they lead. :rolleyes:
 
I don't think u2, or any major band for that matter, use a keyboard player "under the stage", for the simple reason that if said keyboardist screws up, it's a big, big noticeable mistake.
I think they would rather sequence parts or play to a tape, simply because then you take the possibility of human error out of the equation.

Besides, in u2's case, Edge plays most of the keyboard stuff.......well, let's say alot of it.:wink: So, it's not cheating in my mind. It's not as though the keyboards are equal to Bono's voice, Edge's guitar, etc.....

Re: KOL=suck.
 
I doubt he's dissing them specifically. Besides, Bono loves the band and recently they hung out together. Someone had photos of them (in PLEBA) I believe leaving a gig in a car together.
 
Terry Lawless, U2's tour keyboardist does mostly sequencing, kicking in tracks and stuff. besides, U2 got Terry up on stage on several occasions (Chamber arrangements of OOTS for example) and any fan with a fair share of knowledge or curiosity knows about him.
Maybe they were referring to U2, who knows... who cares...
Nobody expects the Chemical Brothers to have every blip of their live show actually played live, and I think that as a live act, U2 had already positioned themselves as something beyond the puritan 4 piece some 16 years ago, so I wouldn't refer to that as dissing. it's just a different evaluation of rock and roll aesthetics.

I think some U2 fans have this inferiority complex about U2 as a live band, emerging from a prevalent very narrow-minded idea of what a rock band is, or what "rules" should U2 abide by being a "rock" band. I think it's bullshit and given the speed in which KOL adopted pop aesthetics into their songwriting along their career, I won't be surprised seeing them adopting the same methods they go against in that quote above.

I recently attended a gig of a band called The Apples. Brilliant electro-funk ensemble from my country, has 2 DJ's, A drummer, A double-bass player and a complete brass section. now there was anything live about it, the show was flowing with real vibes of joy and life in the playing and in the music, although many of the sounds coming out of the PA were sequences and samples. An amazing aspect of that gig was that the guy behind the soundboard was wearing the same stage outfit as the band, and watching him react to them and interact with them, directing the music higher and cutting it sharper was a thrill. The band had great instrumentalists, but I actually spent half the gig with my back to the stage, watching that guy tweaking knobs in such an inspired and involved sense of engagement was just as fun, even though the type of music is essentially connected to live playing.

there are just so many aspects to live playing, KOL didn't write the book, they're just following one very good, but very specific chapter of it.
 
Sounds like he's dissing the Wizard of Oz...

and Pink Floyd apparently wrote Dark Side of the Moon to coincide with the Wizard of Oz.

Therefore it sounds like he's dissing Pink Floyd.

:wink:
 
...our cousin Nacho is our stage manager, and we have him play keyboards on a couple of songs," he continues. "We make sure people can see him.

I'm just intrigued by this guy, "Nacho." I wonder if he ever dips below the stage?
 
The fact that they have a cousin named Nacho is the most interesting part of that blurb. Even if they were actually dissing U2, it would still be the most interesting part.
 
Methinks dopper needs to take off the U2 colored glasses.

Anyways, it's manufactured integrity standards for fucking faux scenesters.

How about this? Play the fucking songs you wrote yourself and don't suck.
That's the only rule worth having.
 
From Billboard.com:

Followill says KOL consider themselves first and foremost a live band and don't record any song they can't pull off live. "There's nothing worse in the world than having a record you love and going to watch that band play and they've either got two guys on keyboards behind a curtain, they're playing to tracks, or they don't have that and the song sounds empty," he says.

"We've got a couple songs on this record that have keyboard parts, so our cousin Nacho is our stage manager, and we have him play keyboards on a couple of songs," he continues. "We make sure people can see him. We're not trying to be the Wizard of Oz."


So?:reject:
 
I find it funny that there is no mention of U2 in that article, completely U2-unrelated.
 
I find it funny that there is no mention of U2 in that article, completely U2-unrelated.

:scratch: Seriously, WTF! Are you guys idiots!! Just b/c another thread discusses the fact that Dallas and co assist has nothing to do with that statement. Sometimes I think people on here just want to be heard and have nothing better to do in their lives than to bring controversy - or attempt to - to Interference.
 
It's only a proper gig if it's all played live and everyone is on the stage eh?

Puritanical nonsense, people go to gigs to listen to the music and watch the band, not worry about where the music's coming from - although I think Edge groupies might challenge that!
 
Hahaa. That's funny—and totally aimed at U2.

U2 "live" shows are a few steps above a backstreet boys concert. When on tour with U2, Kings of Leon probably were like WTF is up with this?

I know pretty much everyone here drinks the kool-aid and that U2 can do no wrong, but I'll continue critizing their shows. Same scripted, sequencer-laden, ghost instrument, setlist repeating cr*p.

Love their music, but I obviously have issues with what goes down at their shows. I really hope one day that the Edge trips, drops his guitar and everyone still hears the guitar beeing played.

They could do SO much better if they cared.
 
At what point do KOL Diss U2????

Caleb & Bono are very good friends! so i think whoever posted this has got the wrong end of the stick!
 
Hahaa. That's funny—and totally aimed at U2.

U2 "live" shows are a few steps above a backstreet boys concert. When on tour with U2, Kings of Leon probably were like WTF is up with this?

I know pretty much everyone here drinks the kool-aid and that U2 can do no wrong, but I'll continue critizing their shows. Same scripted, sequencer-laden, ghost instrument, setlist repeating cr*p.

Love their music, but I obviously have issues with what goes down at their shows. I really hope one day that the Edge trips, drops his guitar and everyone still hears the guitar beeing played.

They could do SO much better if they cared.

Is this guy serious?
 
Hahaa. That's funny—and totally aimed at U2.

U2 "live" shows are a few steps above a backstreet boys concert. When on tour with U2, Kings of Leon probably were like WTF is up with this?

I know pretty much everyone here drinks the kool-aid and that U2 can do no wrong, but I'll continue critizing their shows. Same scripted, sequencer-laden, ghost instrument, setlist repeating cr*p.

Love their music, but I obviously have issues with what goes down at their shows. I really hope one day that the Edge trips, drops his guitar and everyone still hears the guitar beeing played.

They could do SO much better if they cared.

:wave:
 
Same scripted
Every U2 is a well planned performance - I even think the deviations from the norm are planned in advance.
sequencer-laden, ghost instrument
a bit maybe.
setlist repeating
Most definitely unless you're lucky enough to see a 3rd night or leg closing show.

This guy deserves some credit, although I'm not sure if doing 'so much better' would actually mean just giving us something 'different', and taking away some of the stuff we love about U2 shows.
 
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