"We're going to play some old stuff; we're going to play some new stuff. It's not up to you, we're not just playing all old stuff," Caleb Followill told us after a couple of tracks (one new, one old, as promised).
But he needn't have worried: the four songs Kings Of Leon treated us to from soon-to-be-released album Mechanical Bull sounded great at the Roundhouse in London for gig 11 of the iTunes Festival series.
In fact, by the sounds of it, the family band's sixth record is going to take us right back to their roots, with a gritty sound reminiscent of their first two albums we so dearly love.
The band start with the first track from MB, Supersoaker, before lurching into a rousing rendition of The Bucket. Other new tracks interspersed with hits like Fans, Molly's Chamber, Knocked Up and Be Somebody include Don't Matter, Family Tree and Wait For Me.
While the crowd of guests and competition winners fell a tiny bit flat (only closing song Sex On Fire could interrupt the game of musical statues being played by a row of suits in front of us), seeing the sell-out arena band in such an intimate venue was a rare privilege for those among us that were already familiar. And by familiar, we do mean mildly obsessed.
Kings Of Leon were supported by Jimmy Eat World, who finished their warm-up set on teen movie classic The Middle (cue men who are old enough to know better jumping extremely high and spilling beer on previously-mentioned competition winners and suit-wearers).
The iTunes Festival continues tonight, with a special one-off headlining set by Elton John. He will be supported by Tom Odell.
Supersoaker
The Bucket
Notion
Closer
Crawl
Don't Matter
Fans
Back Down South
Pyro
Family Tree
Four Kicks
Molly's Chambers
Be Somebody
Wait For Me
On Call
Cold Desert
Knocked Up
Use Somebody
Radioactive (Encore)
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Sex On Fire
