The Kings Of Leon show at the Dublin RDS was cut short last Tuesday when parts of the ceiling fell in on them.

"We literally brought the house down!" said drummer Nathan Followill, one of the three brothers and a cousin who make up the Nashville-based outfit.

"We started seeing debris falling down halfway through our set, and didn't realise how bad it was until a large section of the ceiling fell down right near our guitar tech.

"There was a huge bit just dangling precariously above us, and at that point the venue officials advised our manager to get us off stage in case somebody got hurt."

Despite the safety risk, the Kings weren't happy about ending their set only one song into the encore.

Nathan added: "Our tour manager made the closing announcement to the crowd just after we performed Knocked Up, and we were annoyed we couldn't end on a big rocking tune like Charmer or Four Kicks.

"But I guess it would have been a hell of a lot worse having to cancel the entire tour due to injury!"

Having sold out Newcastle Carling Academy in the spring, tomorrow they're at the city's Metro Radio Arena, where they'll be hoping to put on another showstopping performance.

The Kings have built up a huge following since they burst on to the music scene in July 2003 with debut album Youth And Young Manhood.

Dubbed one of the driving forces behind the so-called 'new rock revolution', songs such as Molly's Chambers and Holy Roller Novocaine helped embed them in the public's consciousness.

Second album Aha Shake Heartbreak, released in October 2004, built on the southern-infused garage rock of the first, won widespread acclaim, and, like its predecessor, peaked at No 3 in the UK charts.

But their best was still to come, and third album Because Of The Times went straight to No 1 in April, selling 70,000 copies in its first week of release.

The band are already working on tracks for a fourth album, which they promise will "rock harder".

Recording is due to begin in February, after they complete their current tour, and the studio might just want to take inspect its ceilings.

It's playing live that the boys like best though. Nathan says: "We're a live band, that's our bread and butter. We like to get up there and put on a good show."

Tickets for the Arena gig, priced £22.50, are still available from (0844) 493 6666.