Kings of Leon say fond farewell - to a pub!

Lots of bands start out playing gigs in small venues. Performances in bars, pubs, and local halls all help build the way a band sounds and develops. Kings Of Leon are no exception and have been acknowledging one of their early venues after news of its closure.

The White Horse in High Wycombe is a pub in the UK where Kings Of Leon played an early gig in their career. The pub is about to close its doors for the final time for financial reasons.

The band was one of several new top acts to play there including Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and The Damned. There were probably many others playing there who didn’t do as well as those bands.  

Kings of Leon, a pub and some lap dancers 

Nathan Followill when talking to the BBC in 2016 remembered the pub well:

"I've always wanted to go back and play there one last time. It was the birth of the Kings of Leon.

It was absolutely insane. We weren't allowed in our dressing room because the girls were finishing their dances. 

We're high-fiving each other because we're all young and we're playing at the same place as strippers."

It was back on February 8, 2003 that Kings Of Leon stepped onto the White Horse pub stage. That was well before they hit any sort of big time. It was certainly different times to their later experiences of huge arenas and hit albums. 

At the time youngest band member, Jared Followill, was just 16 and was apparently still learning the basics of bass guitar. The gig was 10 days before their first EP Holy Roller Novocaine was released. Their first album Youth & Young Manhood followed after another six months. Clearly, it was an important time for the band. Kings Of Leon have now paid tribute to the venue again, as the BBC reports, following the closure news.

"The White Horse was our first taste of rock 'n' roll and hardcore fans.

We never knew if we'd play another tour, so we soaked up every second and smell, the latter being an instant regret.

There will always be a special place in our hearts for the White Horse. Thank you for the memories."

The Kings Of Leon have come a long way since then. That debut album did particularly well in the UK, more so than in the US. So it’s no surprise that their time in the UK and that White Horse pub gig triggers happy memories for the band.

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