WHEN it comes to picking the handful of truly great bands which have defined the first few years of the 21st century, Kings of Leon will undoubtedly be on the list.

The sheer quality of their two albums, released in 2003 and 2004, have won over any cynics which suggests their background - three brothers and a cousin with a Bible Belt southern USA upbringing - has, alone, won the hearts of the gimmick-hungry British public.

The audience at Wolverhampton knew they were about to witness a band at the peak of their powers and on the cusp of big-league stardom. The show was sold out in advance and the short, hour-long set only highlighted the "you're-lucky-to-see-us-at-a-venue-like-this" feeling that we were indeed privileged.

The music is a kind of mutant rockabilly, perfected by rockers Red Morning Light, Milk and new single Four Kicks - these alone cement their reputation as a truly unique rock band.

Yet there is an anthemic indie edge, with the glorious California Waiting and the ethereal The Bucket and, put together, the styles created an intense show which even the most ardent mobile phone chatterbox concert-goer found hard to ignore.

Ultimately, Kings of Leon may never sell as many records as Coldplay or Stereophonics yet, when we come to update the history books, it is their name which will be at the top of the page. OE