In front of an intimately sized (and privileged) crowd, the increasingly popular Mumford & Sons played a one off show at Bury St. Edmunds’ premier venue The Apex.
The show was an instant sell-out when it went on sale a few months ago and the demand for tickets was so high that the band and the venue worked together to make it possible for more people to watch. Hiring a big-screen for the square outside the venue, around another 300 people were able to see Mumford & Sons play. After the main show the band was also kind enough to do a three song encore outside, a unique treat for fans.
The band opened to a rapturous and highly anticipated reception with new material from their forthcoming 2nd album due out in September. It proved to be the first of a generous helping of new tracks that peppered the setlist. The new tracks range from going bigger and bolder (incorporating the three-piece horn section and violins) to stripping it back to an almost acoustic sound.
All-in-all it made for an unpredictable and varied performance in which the renowned crowd-pleasers like ‘White Blank Page’ and ‘The Cave’ were equally as enjoyable as the brand new numbers. The Apex has fantastic acoustics, which made Mumford and Sons’ sound fill the room and rumble the floorboards. The visuals were equally impressive too, with bespoke, rustic-looking lighting stretching from the back of the room to the front.
‘Winter Winds’ remains one of the band’s best tracks live with the horn section complimenting the variety of strings (guitar, bass, ukulele, violin) and crashes of the cymbal. Tracks like ‘Awake My Soul’ and ‘Thistle and Weeds’ work well to break up the powerhouse tracks and provide the crowd with slightly more theatrical moments of performance.
Since seeing Mumford and Sons play a tiny venue in Norwich almost 5 years ago (and stealing the show from The Maccabees at the time), the transformation from a timid and understated band to confident rock-folk stars is clear to see. The band are still humble, however, and by playing their encore outside for the extra fans, they showed that they’re still invested in making their music and performances feel special.
