Riverstage was no quiet affair last night, what with a foot-thumping, banjo-toting, waistcoat-wearing Mumford and Sons geared up and giving it to the packed-out crowd of Brisbanites gathered under the stars and stagelights.
The hill was covered in them, singing, swaying and moshing to the musical feast that is the British-bred collective, Mumford And Sons. Frontman Marcus Mumford led the crowdthrough a rapturous singalong that included selections from new album Babel, including 'Holland Road', 'Ghosts That We Knew', and 'I Will Wait', as well as timeworn hits 'Winter Winds', 'Awake My Soul' and, of course, 'Little Lion Man'.
Marcus told the hillside of fans they'd have to be the most pumped up audience the band had played for. But they needed no encouragement; they were well under the charm of the earthy sounds and lyrical intensity that is the four-man band, matured with three years of touring. The vocals from Ben Lovett (keyboards, organ, guitar), Ted Dwayne (double bass, guitar) and Winston Marshall (banjo, dobro, guitar) made for a well-blended sound, balanced with their energetic performances and well honed, on-stage relationships.
All this despite an MIA banjo, stolen (among other treasures) from their show in Perth. "Fucking thieves," Marcus laughed. "We forgive them with all our hearts." While Winston's slippers and crockery had been high tailed away, the banjo was reportedly found thrown in a bush by the side of a road, unwanted by the thieves. "Funny, because it was the one thing most important to us."
The strapping London lads delivered an impressive performance, reflecting their passion for live performances. Their blend of acoustic, folk, bluegrass, and campfire singalong quality has left them undefined as a genre, but swamped with a massive fan base, many of whom can be found in Brisbane.
Supporting Mumford And Sons were the significant ensemble that is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, whose long skirts, beards and barefooted brilliance brought moments of Woodstock '69 to mind. Sweeping up the stage with their twelve-strong musical manpower, they fiddled out an impressive range, 'Thats What's Up', 'Believer', and 'Home' among them. Alex Ebert met the crowd in the middle, cooing to them in the way only he can, while soft-spoken Jade Castrinos wowed with her heady vocals.
Crooner Willy Mason also joined the tour, his unmistakeable twang and clever acoustics evoked hot summer nights and small Southern towns, singing of moths and open-road melodies.
Off again, the tour is taking on the rest of Australia, including small stop-over town Dungog. But here's hoping they'll be back soon. Mighty soon.
