Kings of Leon Management on Removal of YouTube Videos: 'It's Commonplace'

Kings of Leon's management has responded to criticism over their removal of Youtube clips related to the band's show at Dallas' Gexa Energy Pavilion last week, where singer Caleb Followill left the stage mid-show and never returned. The band subsequently canceled the rest of their U.S. tourour editor recommendsKings of Leon Concert Cut Short After Lead Singer's Abrupt ExitKings of Leon Management Removes Clips of Dallas Show From YouTubeKings of Leon Cancelled Tour: Their Final Performance (Video)Sneak Peek: Kings Of Leon Doc "Artists and managers pull down videos off of YouTube every day," a representative for Vector Management tells THR. "It's commonplace and instinctual." Video footage had shown several moments of Followill expressing his discomfort, telling the crowd in the 20,000-capacity venue, "I'm gonna go backstage and vomit, I'm gonna drink a beer." The band's official explanation was that their frontman was "suffering from vocal issues and exhaustion." So began a statement released the day after the Dallas show, that effectively canceled the rest of the tour. "The band is devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, they need to take this break," it read. According to Rolling Stone, Vector cited copyright claims in taking down youtube clips, though nearly all the videos removed focus on stage banter -- which is not copyrightable -- rather than the music itself. The action suggests that the company is attempting to protect its client's image, although there is also talk of potential insurance complications on future shows if Followill was intoxicated rather than ill. Since the incident, additional footage has appeared on Youtube, along with with comments criticizing the band. "How about drinking some hot tea instead of liquor if you're sick, you f---ing idiot," wrote one Youtube viewer. Said another: "The sad sad demise of a relatively decent band. Oh well." A few commenters noted that Paul McCartney played a full set at Chicago's Wrigley Field earlier this week where the temperature reached 90. To be fair, the heat index in Dallas is about to hit its 34th straight day of 100-degree-plus temperatures. Inevitably, there are many mentions of last summer's pigeon incident, when the band called off a St. Louis show after bird poop made it impossible to play. At the time, Kings of Leon managementcommented, "Jared (Followill) was hit several times during the first two songs... It's not only disgusting -- it's a toxic health hazard. They really tried to hang in there." Pigeon-gate took place on July 24, 2010; the Dallas incident was on July 29 of this year. See a collection of Followill's Dallas stage comments below while you still can. Related Topics Kings of Leon