Onsdag 27 august 2025
Kings of Leon had not played in Oslo for 22 years, back then at John Dee, until last night (it was also the band’s first time back in Norway since their 2013 Hovefestivalen performance). Back then, the band only had one album, 2003’s “Youth & Young Manhood”. Now they have nine, and are in “middle-aged manhood”. The sense of anticipation was palpable, and despite the long absence, 11-12000 people turned up at Unity Arena to see the Followill brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared and their cousin Matthew in action.
The Tennessee band delivered a career‑spanning, 25 song set, featuring classics and newer cuts. There was a blend of a variety of music genres, including southern rock, garage rock with blues influences, alternative rock and even the occasional country vibe. Frontman Caleb Followill’s vocal presence was a strong force throughout the evening, and although he didn’t speak much, when he did, he repeatedly acknowledged the band’s absence from Oslo: “Last time we played Oslo was about 20 years ago. You were about 5 years old? Sorry it took us so long to get back.” He was only partly joking about the age, as there were plenty of 20-somethings in the crowd, along with people in their 30s and 40s.
Some of the newer songs included the opener, “Ballerina Radio” from the 2024 album “Can We Please Have Fun”, a brave choice considering the long absence from Oslo. A few songs later, there was a warm reception for “Manhattan”, and the visuals step up a notch with “Nowhere to Run”, with multi-coloured, vibrant silhouettes of men decorating the large video screens. The ice was finally broken with screams at the intro of mid set highlight “Closer” and phones are raised around the venue. Here, Caleb’s vocals were not unlike Mr Mister’s Richard Page. The guitar solo at the end segued nicely into the crowd clapping at the intro of “Waste a Moment”. Then the heavy groove of early track “Molly’s Chamber” kicked in, followed by “Mustang”.
The pace slowed again with “Pyro”, during which all the lights in the arena turn off, except for a spotlight on Caleb who stretched out his arms as the audience repeatedly sang along “Can you feel it”? It’s a powerful, simple moment of staging. The band don’t rely on theatrics or “rockstar” personalities. It’s all about the music, and their stage presence is rather humble.
“We’re gonna play a new one for you tonight”, Caleb exclaimed. This was the country-tinged, harmonica infused “We’re on to Something”. Here, as is often the case with a new track about an hour into a gig, several crowd members chose a toilet break. The atmosphere cooled a little too much. He probably noticed this so offered a few words: “The last time we played at Oslo we played at John Dee”, and some of the crowd were cheering again at his local knowledge, but this and the next few tracks, “Back Down South”, and “Comeback Story of a Lifetime” didn’t rescue the vibe that had been lost. Increased chatter could be heard in the crowd, at least from where this writer was sitting.
Finally, the atmosphere became vibrant again with an energetic performance of “The Bandit”. The main part of the set peaked with the anthemic “Use Somebody”, which was embraced by the audience who sang every word, not just to the choruses but also the verses. It’s easy to understand why the band sometimes choose it as the final song of the evening, but not tonight. There was more. The band returned to the stage with the rocker “Black Thumbnail”, which featured impressive guitar play by Matthew Followill and a throaty, raw vocal delivery from Caleb. An older cut from 2007 “Knocked Up” followed, but everyone was waiting for the anthemic power of the grand finale, “Sex on Fire”. The crowd erupted. Some people climbed on each other’s shoulders, spreading their arms high in the air. This was a visual representation of the fact that, despite decades of absence and now being middle aged, Oslo literally welcomed the band back with open arms. 4.5/6
Text and photography: Anne-Marie Forker
