Not since Franz Ferdinand, have a band made such an impact with their first ever single, that they’ve stormed right to the top of the Hottest 100 – and now only Susan Boyle can keep them from the top of the ARIA charts! Yes indeed, the London based lads that are Mumford & Sons have made it – but lucky for us, they booked their Australian tour well before all this hit, or went to their heads. As such, tonight we got the (last) opportunity to see the band in an intimate Sydney setting – the Oxford Art Factory. In attendance? 100% Fans. The result? One of the best concerts you will forever kick yourself for missing.
First up was Jonathan Boulet, fast becoming one of Sydney’s favourite live talents. The fact the venue was already filled for their performance is testament to this fact. As I didn’t get much of a chance to see them at Laneway (where they’re also touring alongside Mumford & Sons), tonight was my first real experience with the 6 piece. I have only two words to say that sum up my feelings about the band: very impressive. I can see and understand the hype. And “Community Service Announcement”, which closed out the night, is so criminally catchy that I see nothing but big things for the Sydney band. Plus, anyone who can tune his guitar and play a track at the same time, is a pretty damn impressive human being. And with Jono himself being only 20, it just makes you a little jealous all the same!
Leaving the stage 5 minutes earlier than they were supposed to, Jonathan Boulet left an even longer wait for the eager crowd. As a sign of things to come, fans were clapping and chanting for Mumford & Sons some 20 minutes before they were even due to start! A sense of excitement filled me – this crowd was full of fans, not just people who had heard “Little Lion Man” a few times. And they showed themselves off as such by singing along to every word of every track the four piece played off of their debut LP Sigh No More. And the band couldn’t have been more blown away by the experience, clearly not wanting it to end. I swear I even saw tears of happiness from a couple of them at one point. At other times, they had to block their ears because we were cheering so loudly – “You’re hurting my ears!” exclaimed lead singer Marcus Mumford.
It is a unique position to be a crowd of fans from “before”, when they’ve already pushed into the “after” stages of their careers. You see a band coming to terms with it all, and there couldn’t be a better way to do it than in front of a crowd that knows the album to death. Plus, as we gave them our all, they definitely returned the favour. In one spontaneous moment, as the room fell to silence and one fan (who just so happened to be me) yelled out “BANJO SOLO!”. The room cheered, and Marcus surprisingly obliged, telling the crowd “…just you wait…” – he proceeded, along with the rest of the band, to abandon banjo player Winston Marshall, forcing him into a solo (of banjo classics, accompanied by the crowd’s off key singing). This then turned into a jam that then turned into “Roll Away Your Stone” and then the song the crowd had been cheering for all night – “Dustbowl Dance” (= AMAZING). At the end of the escapade, Marcus proclaimed “I have no idea what just happened! We’ve never done that before!”.
I claim full responsibility for this, and I guess what I’m trying to say is – you’re welcome Sydney. You’re welcome.
I don’t know what else to say beyond this other than the fact that is was a very very special experience. This is a four piece of pure talent, who can harmonise like no other, jam on the banjo like their kings of the world, and get a crowd trapped under their spell. Although in this case, I almost feel it was the other way around. We could have just about gotten them to do anything I think. There was even a chant for double bassist Ted Dwane during the encore break, to which he came out, proclaimed he was going to rap for us. Then said he was lying, and the band proceeded to perform a rare unplugged version of “Sister”, and the amazing new track “Whispers in the Dark” which closed out the night. I still would have also liked to hear him rap, mind you.
They promised they’d be back soon, and I don’t doubt it. Although they certainly won’t be seen in an intimate venue such as this. But hopefully they’ll bring even more new tracks along with them next time – I was wholly impressed by the three new tracks they played.
and now… BANJO SOLO!!!
Full Setlist
Sigh No More
Awake My Soul
White Blank Page
Timshel
Little Lion Man
Thistle & Weeds
I’ll Kneel Down (New)
I Gave You All
The Cave
Lover of the Light (New)
> Banjo Solo + Jam
Roll Away Your Stone
Dustbowl Dance
Encore:
Sister (Unplugged)
Whispers in the Dark (New)
