We hear all sorts of stories about Kings of Leon - their life with their preacherman father, an early itinerant lifestyle in the Deep South of America, an appetite for groupies that rivals a whale's for plankton --but none of that fascinating backstory came across on stage at the quartet's biggest London show so far.

Here, the three brothers and one cousin Followill simply let the music explain, blasting ferociously through three albums' worth of songs and pausing only for singer Caleb to ask, "Are y'all having a good time?" and (twice) offer the unnecessary revelation, "We're Kings of Leon".

Having emerged in 2003 as a hairy southern version of New York hipsters the Strokes, the Kings have bucked the firework band trend for making just one great album and returned this year with their strongest collection yet, Because of the Times. Incorporating both seven-minute blues shuffles and Pixies-style howlers, it sold 70,000 copies in its first week in the UK in April.

They have blown a significant proportion of their profits on a retina-searing light show, which flashed and fizzed from ceiling to floor and ably distracted from the absence of personalities on stage.

Yet songs as good as these remain the real focus. Caleb's anguished rasp sounded perfectly damaged on tracks such as King of the Rodeo and Charmer, and throughout the band were fearsomely loud.

Unlike groups that have risen too quickly, they now have more than enough great numbers to make for a substantial large-scale show, low-key tracks such as Milk and Arizona allowing the thousands to catch their breath before another rampant rocker.

They may be serious rather than showmen, but that should enable them to continue their impressive ascent from band of the moment to real long-term contenders.