Changes to concert site promised as Kings of Leon confirmed for Slane

Kings of Leon have been confirmed as the headline act for the 30th anniversary concert at Slane Castle on Saturday 28th May next year. Tickets, at €79 each, will go on sale from 8am this Friday from 100 Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. As the process of applying for a licence begins, castle owner, Lord Henry Mountcharles, said there would be a number of modifications to the concert site next year in light of a litany of complaints which followed last year’s event at which Oasis played to 80,000 patrons. “The Dublin entrance will be widened and there will be modified transport arrangements, including different turning facilities for buses and there will be a new emergency exit,” he said. Lord Mountcharles said that, in order to relieve congestion at the top end of the site, the toilets will be relocated and the perimeter will be expanded. He said he is very excited at the prospect of Kings of Leon playing the Meath venue as he is a big fan of the Tennessee-based quartet who, in the last two years, have become one of the biggest bands in the world. “I’ve been tracking them for some considerable time and their musical journey is quite special. Some of those who infuenced their music were Thin Lizzy and the Rolling Stones, two of the first acts to play in Slane and they have toured with U2,” he said. He said he also liked the internal family dynamic of three brothers and a cousin and their Southern US influences. “I was up on stage when they played at Oxegen and the crowd reaction was amazing,” he added. Lord Mountcharles also has a daily reminder also of the popularity of Kings of Leon in Slane. “My head gamekeeper, Dermot Shevlin, is such a big fan he called one of his dogs Leon!” He added: “My family wanted them to play here and there were 15,000 people on Facebook calling for Kings of Leon to play Slane. All of these things came together and, 30 years after it all started, there is a classic headline act for Slane.” Tickets go on sale at 8am on Friday morning at Ticketmaster outlets and at www.ticketmaster.ie. Lord Mountcharles said they are taking back the VIP area under their own control and anyone wishing to buy VIP tickets at €210 should contact rhonda@slanecastle.ie. Kings Of Leon’s highly acclaimed fifth album, 'Come Around Sundown’, became their third consecutive album to debut at number one when it topped the Irish and UK album charts on release. 'Come Around Sundown’ is the follow-up to the hugely successful 'Only By The Night’, which sold over six million copies worldwide and garnered four Grammy Awards. Kings of Leon was formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 1999 and consists of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ivan Nathan Followill (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Michael Jared Followill (bass, backing vocals), with their cousin Cameron Matthew Followill (lead guitar, backing vocals). Each member of the family group is known by his middle name (second given name) as opposed to his first given name. The band’s early music was an upbeat blend of Southern rock and blues influences, but it has gradually expanded its sound to include a variety of genres and a more alternative rock or arena rock sound.