I am a little apprehensive of this post, for it is not the kind that I intended to do when I set up my blog. However, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this subject, for it is very dear to me. Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to see Mumford & Sons in the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena. (I apologize for the quality of the photos, they were taken on my phone) I cannot describe in words how wonderful it was to see my favourite band in concert. The power of music always amazes me. Here are my humble thoughts...
Starting with a quick word about the support acts. The first was a British band called the Post War Years. Because I have never really liked that style of music, I was surprised to find my self really enjoying their performance - the energy and love the talented young men had for their music was obvious, and watching them perform was compelling. I was rather in awe of the lead singer's dancing - a strange dance it was but intriguing! The second act was the Dawes, all the way from America. I enjoyed their songs and will look more into their music. Obviously, the crowd went wild when Marcus Mumford was invited to do a song with them!
Finally, it was the turn of Mumford & Sons. As was to be expected the place was in uproar - the starting song was the magnificent Babel. Though I go regularly to concerts, I have never been standing, so was a little taken a back by the energy of the crowd, but by the end of the song I was jumping and singing along with everybody. Our proximity to the stage exceeded my expectations (front row!) - Ted Dwane was less than a metre away and I was able to see his beautiful Movember moustache!
The gig went on for longer than I expected - for over two hours! They played about 15 songs; classics from Sigh No More and newer tracks from Babel. Thistle and Weeds was exceptionally beautiful; with a really long building intro and the tension is slowly built up into a most divine and well composed piece of music. Hopless Wanderer was, obviously, a great one to hear live - the energy of the band is infectious! I was very pleased that Broken Crown was included, for it is my favourite; a dark but hauntingly beautiful song. It was also lovely to see Winston Marshall sing For Those below on his own - he has a beautiful voice - the audience went silent. A very surreal moment.
When we thought the concert was sadly coming to an end, the band went off stage; but then appeared at the other side of the hall. For we were at the front of the main stage, we could not see them, but heard the band play an acoustic rendition of Timshel and Reminder. Again, the crowd fell silent and it was incredible moment to hear the divine voices echoing round the place. The encore was The Cave (epic!) and The Dawes came back on to play With a Little Help From My Friends together. A very fitting ending to an incredible night.
What a great concert! I still cannot believe that I have been able to see Mumford & Sons. The energy and passion they have for their music is incredible and infectious. It is obvious that they love performing their songs and that really comes through when watching them live. Because this is a band who primarily focus on live performances, it is incredible to see them in reality, much better than listening to their albums. I definitely recommend their concerts to anyone who loves this incredible band or even just loves concerts in general. Apart from going to the Tate's Pre-Raphaelite exhibition (review coming next week), seeing Mumford & Sons has been the highlight of my life!
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