KINGS OF LEON were forced to cut short a gig in St Louis on Friday night – because of flying pigeon excrement.

Pigeons in the rafters of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre began to leave droppings when support acts the Postelles and the Stills played their opening sets.

And though Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill said the band “couldn’t believe what the Postelles and the Stills looked like after their sets, we didn’t want to cancel the show, so we went for it.”

The band tried to complete a full set but were forced to cut it short after just three songs. As the Guardian reports:

Minutes later, an announcement came over the PA saying that the concert had been cancelled “due to concerns over the band’s safety”. The audience reportedly booed, hissed and – slightly inaccurately – yelled “Bullshit!”

The band’s manager said the band had tried to play but Followill was hit “several times during the first two songs”, and that pigeon poo had “landed near his mouth” during the third song, Taper Jean Girl.

“They couldn’t deal any longer,” the manager said. “It’s not only disgusting – it’s a toxic health hazard.”

On Twitter, Jared’s brother Nathan, the band’s drummer, asked fans not to take out their anger for the gig’s curtailment on Jared, saying: “It’s the f**king venue’s fault… So sorry St Louis, pigeons s**tting in Jared’s mouth… we had to bail.”

The venue’s management have admitted a “significant pigeon infestation problem” and the gig’s promoters have offered full refunds.