FOR one sensational night, they were the kings of Mildura.
Kings of Leon swept into town on Saturday to play the first show of their Australian tour at the Mildura Sporting Precinct and Sunraysia clearly loved them for it.
The official crowd number was not in by Sunday afternoon, but event organisers told Sunraysia Daily they believed more than 10,000 people had packed the Deakin Avenue end of the MSP’s main oval for a world-class show of rock music and stunning stage effects.
In almost perfect weather, and with a classic golden Mallee sunset behind support band The Temper Trap as they fuelled the festive mood, Sunraysia people supported the ambitious idea to bring such a big act here by voting with their feet, and voicing their approval in an enthusiastic singalong.
A police report on the event was also unavailable on Sunday, but it is believed the crowd was generally well behaved.
Concert goers heavily praised organisation of the event on social media on Saturday night and through Sunday. Many specifically mentioned the successful deployment of a fleet of shuttle buses to and from the venue as a service that had made attendance easier for them.
The closure of Deakin Avenue and Sixteenth Street did not cause the chaos many doubters had predicted, although Sunraysia Daily has been told that one disgruntled truck driver is now in trouble with police after attempting to use Deakin Avenue by pushing through a barrier.
Mayor Liam Wood said on Sunday that he was “still pinching myself that such an amazing concert happened in our region”.
“So many people came to support the event and the excitement was just electric,” he said. “It really showcased that we as a community can put on such a successful gig.”
