Tag: Mumford & Sons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mumford & Sons @ Entertainment Centre, Sydney – 18 October 2012

I’m dragging my feet today. It takes a special show to lure me to Sydney and back midweek. I know I’ll feel sluggish and cranky the next day, so the music had better be worth it. And it was when Mumford & Sons and their exciting band of support acts graces the Entertainment Centre stage last night.

Willy Mason and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were support acts in the strictest sense of the word, but they took a much greater role in proceedings that most arists with that tag do. Members of all acts made appearances in the sets of the others, revelling in the opportunity to play amongst such accomplished and passionate musicians. The audience welcomed them all warmly, hanging on to their every note rather than using the time for toilet breaks and a few extra drinks at the bar.

Willy Mason was first up with his deep resonate voice, killer guitar skills, and gentlemanly charm. He reminded me a lot of Johnny Cash, and I lapped up his classic brand of countrified folk music. His set was simple, without bells and whistles, but when music’s that good you don’t need a spectacular show to jazz things up.

I enjoyed Willy Mason, but I was wowed by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. What a band. This was really my first introduction to their music; I’d heard “Home” of course but didn’t click that they were “that band” until their set closed. But I was enthralled from the get go. A dozen musicians sharing a stage will always make an impression, but this band has much more than bulk on their side. There’s such a lovely old-fashioned feel to the group, like they’ve just stumbled off some hippie compound with their bare feet and left of centre instrumentation. How exciting to see mandolins and trumpets and piano accordions coming together with the most exquisite harmonies! And then there’s Alex Ebert, aka Edward Sharpe, a compelling messiah-like figure with a captivating voice that dances mad, joyful jigs. I wish one of my photos could accurately convey what an incredible presence he has, but sadly the dim lighting and his rapid movements were against me. Despite my love for Mumford & Sons, I was disappointed when they announced their last song. I was just not ready for the set to end. I can’t recall ever responding so deeply to a support act.

That disappointment was pretty easy to shake off once Mumford & Sons took to the stage. These British lads must be one of the tightest bands around. I marvelled at the way their voices mingled together, with just a gentle acoustic guitar to accompany them, in the opening strains of “Lover’s Eyes.” The show kicked into a higher gear when Mumford & Sons took us back to their debut album with a raucous rendition of “Roll Away Your Stone” and “Winter Winds.” I really appreciated the way Mumford & Sons celebrated both their albums, treating fans to a roughly equal number of tracks. This wasn’t about pushing a new release; instead it was a night just about enjoying great music. As captivated as I was by the band, I loved looking down and taking in the faces of the crowd on the floor, jumping like one pulsing organism in the more frenetic moments, singly loudly and proudly along with their idols. There was an awful lot of love in the room.

All the acts were in such fine form last night, it was only fitting that Willy Mason and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes joined Mumford & Sons for their final song, a rousing rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Apparently that’s the first time they’ve all done that, and I feel so blessed that I was in the room to witness it.

Image source: own photos

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mumford & Sons Make Long Awaited Australian Return

Can you believe it’s been three years since Mumford & Sons treated us to their breakthrough album Sigh No More? The Brits will finally unleash their sophomore effort in September, and they’re wasting little time in bringing the music to Aussie fans.

Mumford & Sons will play 10 shows around the country in October including some often forgotten capitals and unusual regional centres. They’re also bringing some choice international acts along for the ride. American indie-folksters Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes will play all but the final Queensland shows, while fellow Yank Willy Mason will appear at all 10 gigs.

Tickets will go on sale from the usual outlets on Monday July 9, which gives us all a little time to save the cash!

Mumford and Sons13 October 2012 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
15 October 2012 – Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide
17 October 2012 – Riverstage, Brisbane
18 October 2012 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney
23 October 2012 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
25 October 2012 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
26 October 2012 – Royal Theatre, Canberra
28 October 2012 – Kuranda Amphitheatre, Cairns
29 October 2012 – Convention Centre, Townsville
31 October 2012 – Convention Centre, Gold Coast

Image source: Prusakolep @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mumford & Sons @ The Enmore, Sydney – 3 August 2010

I’m dragging my feet a bit today. That’s the problem with a midweek gig when you don’t live in the big smoke. Last night I was lured to the city by Mumford & Sons; I’m paying for my lack of sleep today, but goodness it was worth it.

Before I get on to the good bits, I just want to say a few words about the flaws of this mid-week concert experience. Two support acts playing relatively lengthy sets at a mid week gig really seems a bit excessive. While the ticket told us that the show started at 7:30 pm, the main act didn’t grace the stage until 9:45 pm. Sure we were entertained in the meantime, but the crowd was clearly restless before Mumford and Sons arrived. Perhaps they were thinking about being up early for work the next morning. Promoters need to realise that when a band is playing just two headline shows in the country, punters will travel. My sister and a friend came from Newcastle to attend, my husband and I from the Central Coast. I’m sure there were also fans from Wollongong, Canberra, and other far flung corners of the state. Like us, I’ll bet they sympathise with our arrival home at 2 am, my sister’s at 3. I’ll bet we’re all a bit weary today for the experience.

If I were planning the night, I’d have cut Matt Corby. I was really looking forward to his set, having been impressed by his originality on Australian Idol, but I struggled with his performance last night. He showed himself to be an excellent guitar player, with a beautiful voice. But his music also seemed quite aimless at times; filled with wailing and devoid of melodic hooks. His use of looping technology also left me a bit cold; I’ve seen artists like Howie Day use this equipment to dazzling effect and compared to that he was a rank amateur. He might be a good songwriter, but the amount of reverb in the mics left every word unintelligible. To top it all off, he gave the crowd nothing. A few mumbled words at the end of the penultimate song just don’t cut it.

I was more enthusiastic about London based indie posters Fanfarlo. I’d never heard of the band before, but I’ll definitely be exploring more of their stuff after this gig. They reenergized my spirit with their stirring, Celtic influenced modern folk songs and eclectic instruments. Any band featuring a mandolin, glockenspiel, trumpet, and clarinet already has me on side. They didn’t let the hard task of being the second support faze them. They performed with such gusto, and I applaud them for it.

I must admit, my enthusiasm waned a bit as the minutes looking at a bare stage ticked by. But I became revved up again as Mumford & Sons greeted us with the pitch perfect harmonies of “Sigh No More.” The sublime performance brought tears to my sister’s eyes, a sign of the emotion they’d stir in the next hour or so.

I might have been ready for bed once they arrived, but Mumford & Sons were definitely worth that wait. There’s was a rare show; with perfect sound, superb harmonies, spot-on instrumentation, good humor, and one of the most passionate audiences I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of. All of the right elements were there. The album tracks went down a treat, but the new material was received just as enthusiastically. That might be a sign of how good these unknown songs were, but it’s also a credit to the receptive crowd. “Roll Away Your Stone” was rollicking good fun, with a melee of musical friends joining the band on stage for a dance. “Little Lion Man,” which appeared much earlier than I expected, saw the crowd erupt. “The Cave” was bittersweet for me; I knew this was the final song, and while I was having such a good time I wasn’t quite ready for it to be all over.

I left The Enmore in a rush of adrenalin that helped make that long train ride back to the Central Coast a little more bearable. What a wonderful show Mumford & Sons treated us with, but boy am I paying for it now.

Image source: own photos