Glastonbury 2010: Mumford & Sons

As one of this year’s biggest breakthrough bands, Mumford & Sons was very high on my list of who to watch at this year’s festival. Since their rise to fame has been so recent, the folk-come-indie band were playing in the John Peel tent, which was bad news for all the poor souls stuck outside the edges of the tent tip-toeing for a view, but brilliant news for me, as I had stood my ground through Ellie Goulding and Kele (from Bloc Party)’s sets beforehand and won myself an amazing spot near the front to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime chance of seeing this band at such an intimate venue. My guess is that after the triumphant performance they gave, small stages will soon be a thing of the past!

Despite the overbearing heat, Mumford & Sons were definitely one of the best bands I saw at Glastonbury this year. Singer Marcus Mumford’s voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful and thoughtful, drawing comparisons with that of bands like Noah and the Whale (some of the members of which, incidentally, were at school with members of Mumford). However, what makes their music brilliant, I think, is the way in which it avoids the possibility of being overcome by its somewhat depressing lyrics; still retaining the upbeat, hoe-down vigour of the folk influences it has sprung from. The band biography on their official site declares that Mumford & Sons’ aim is to “to make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously” and they achieve just this. The crowd were up and dancing for the entire set, and at Marcus’s shout of “how about we have ourselves a bit of a hoe-down?” the men next to my friend and I linked arms with us and swept us up in a dance worthy of Cotton-eye Joe!

It was just a brilliant, fun and life affirming performance of perfect Glastonbury-afternoon music (Yes, I had the classic epiphany-whilst-dancing-in-a-field moment!) Above just being great musicians, they put on a fantastic show which there was no doubt that every member of the heat-drunk, mud-stained audience absolutely loved. Here’s hoping they’ll be appearing on the Pyramid Stage next year!