Mumford & Sons – Vector Arena November 10, 2015

When did Mumford & Suns turn into The Killers? My date for the evening made the comparison after the formerly folky band rocked Vector with electric guitars turned up to 11.

Marcus Mumford and ‘sons’ – Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane – ditched their signature acoustic banjo-sound on Wilder Minds, and plugged in to mixed reviews. And after a rollicking night out on their last visit, I had a hint of trepidation to how my beloved folk songs from Sigh No More and Babel would sound.

They’d also shed the intimate over-hanging light bulbs for a blinding stadium light show, put to full effect as they rocked into the opening number Snake Eyes, from their latest album.

Mumford paused to say, “We’re only here for one night so we’re going to make it epic”, before whipping out the acoustic guitar and banjo and whipping the crowd into a frenzy with Little Lion Man. No one expected their biggest hit so early, and no one had forgotten the words to their landmark first hit.

Any all-electric fears were put to rest as their quintessential folksy sound rang out as Mumford let the crowd sing the first chorus, “It was not your fault but mine.”

He said they were going to play some new stuff, and throughout the night they ended up playing ten electric tracks from Wilder Minds, spread out well throughout their almost two-hour epic set.

And what sounded a bit lacklustre on the album had the energy and sound of The Killers or Kings of Leon live. Just Smoke was full noise early on with the catchy chorus ‘thought we were done’. And the evolution into a stadium rock band was realised with back-to-back tracks Believe and Tompkins Square Park, with electric guitars front and centre.

It was a showcase of the new but they didn’t forget the favourites as they swapped tools again effortlessly, and got the crowd up for dance with a passionate perfomance of The Cave.

Kudos to the sound techs too, Mumford’s lyrics were easily descernable all night and the double bass, banjo, and backing fiddle and horn section came through crisp and clear.

Mumford had the crowd banter down pat, teasing the English and Australians in the crowd and congratulating us on our World Cup win. With tambourine in hand he  even got right amongst the crowd for Ditmas, another powerful Springsteen-influenced track off their latest.

But after the raw and dark closer of Dust Bowl Storm (which brought sparks down from the ceiling), the band disappeared then popped up behind the sound desk on a tiny stage, with just one microphone.  With just his acoustic guitar in tow Mumford asked us politely, “I need you to be really f**king quiet”, and the four boys lent in and sang goose-bump inducing versions of Timshel and Cold Arms.

They came back to the main stage and closed out the show with a cracking cover of Bruce Springsteen’s obviously influential I’m On Fire, and the cracking lead single from Wilder Minds, The Wolf.

Any qualms about the effect of the all-electric Wilder Minds was put to rest with an absolutely rocking show, banjos and all. Mumford & Sons took a risk but they sound all the more mature for it. As Marcus said goodbye and said they always have a great time here I couldn’t agree more, I always have a great time when they’re here too.

Clayton Barnett

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Flynn:

SET LIST

Snake Eyes

Little Lion Man
Just Smoke
Awake my Soul
Lover of the Light
Thistle & Weeds
Ghosts that we knew
Believe
Tompkins Square Park
Only Love
The Cave
Roll Away Your Stone
Broad-Shouldered Beasts
Ditmas
Dust Bowl Dance
Encore 1 (Band around one microphone)
Timshel
Cold Arms
Encore 2 (Back on main stage)

Hot Gates
I’m On Fire / Bruce Springsteen cover
The Wolf