Mumford & Sons – Scala, London 16/09/09

Mumford & Sons really can’t avoid being lumped on the ever-accelerating twee folk bandwagon. And the hype surrounding them has been growing at an unstoppable pace. You try to ignore it, but you can’t, you just can’t. They’re everywhere and they’re so god damn catchy that it’s easier to just admit defeat and give in than it is to try and pretend you’re not interested.

The simple fact is these guys are really talented. And their string of sold out dates is testament to this. So with this in mind, I had high hopes for this evening…

Sadly, I missed first act Alessi’s Ark, but managed to catch the whole of the somewhat quirky second act King Charles. With his uncontrollable mane of hair, erratic dance moves and slightly disturbing attire (an all-in-one, skin tight, stripy leotard-thing) there was a lot to take in before you’d even acknowledged that there was music being played. Once I got over all of that though, I realised that I was actually enjoying the eclectic mix of country/rock/punk with a slight hint of reggae. It was different without being too try-hard and catchy without being too predictable.

So, onto the headline act that everyone was waiting for… Mumford & Sons go against the usual layout for a 5-piece band, and stand side-by-side (apart from one song where Marcus Mumford takes to the drums). Something about this way in which they stood really allowed you to appreciate each of the components making up the songs. Their voices and the way they come together is what really grabs your attention though. Marcus does take the lead vocals, but Mumford & Sons would be no way near as impressive live were it not for the spine-tingling harmonies of the group as a whole.

As they took to the stage a hush descended in the room, it was clear from the off that this set was to be taken seriously. First up came ‘Sigh No More’, which starts with a very delicate guitar and Marcus’s stripped down vocals. Gradually, more instruments come in and it builds and builds, finally erupting in a burst of banjo-led country chaos.

Next track, ‘The Cave’ followed in a similar fashion and prompted the closest we got to a bit of a singalong. The rest of the set was formed of new album tracks such as the beautiful ‘Timshel’ and ‘Thistle and Weeds’ – more on the slow side of things yet both equally compelling. The band certainly had a hold over the crowd, it was like everyone was watching with baited breath throughout – I even got shhh’d at one point.

New single ‘Little Lion Man’, with it’s fast-pace and memorable chorus – “It was not your fault but mine. I really fucked it up this time didn’t I my dear” – took things back up a notch. This led straight into the similarly upbeat ‘Roll Away Your Stone’, which put a smile on pretty much every face in the room.

Marcus took to the drums for final number ‘Dust Bowl Danc’e which has a slightly different feel to it with less emphasis on the country-esque banjo sound. The keys and rhythm led the song and then in came another singalong chorus.

As the set drew to a close, a very humble Marcus thanked us for coming and told us he was ‘flabbergasted’ at how attentive we’d been as an audience. And he wasn’t wrong, the whole of the Scala was literally hanging on their every note from start to finish. But when a band plays a set this tight, who can blame them?