Mumford and Sons played at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna on May 3rd and I was one of ca. 12.000 people who watched this outstanding band perform. It has been a long time coming and the wait was definitely worth it. So here’s my recap:
First, I would like to talk about the stage because I had never seen that kind of set up in real life before and I loved the idea: instead of building the stage in one corner of the venue, the stage was located in the middle of the room. It kind of created this 360° experience which I thought was very creative. The stage itself was very plain, there weren’t any props whatsoever but I actually liked it’s simplicity. When you go to a Mumford & Sons show, there is no way you won’t enjoy yourself. It was my first time seeing them and the band did not disappoint. You can tell when artists enjoy themselves on stage and are appreciative of the opportunity to make music for a living – Mumford & Sons is one of those bands. I cannot possibly put into words how much I enjoyed witnessing the sheer talent and true artistry.
They kicked off the show with Guiding Light, which was the perfect choice because it hyped up the crowd straight from the beginning. It’s like the band skipped foreplay and just went for it. And if that wasn’t enough, they chose Little Lion Man to play next. Usually, artists play the most popular/well-known songs towards the of the show so you can imagine people’s reaction when the band played an absolute classic right in the beginning. I was tearing up a tiny bit because that song is such a timeless, genius record and to see the band perform it live was definitely a bucket list thing that finally came true last night.
My favourite album is Wilder Mind and I was VERY excited when they played a few songs (e.g. Ditmas, Tompkins Square Park). One of my highlights was when the band performed Believe. I remember listening to this song on repeat and playing out the performance in my head when it first came out. Never did I think they would sing this song in a sea of beautiful lights. The fans lit up the room with their phones and it was absolutely beautiful. Since I had a seat, I was able to overlook everything – needless to say, the view was gorgeous. Another beautiful moment was when they performed an acoustic/acapella version of Forever. Their voices blended together so perfectly and their pure love for music simply shined through the entire performance. Oh, and that moment when they asked Gang of Youths, their support act on tour, to come on stage and perform with them? Nice move.
The second to last song was I Will Wait, which the crowd sang from the top of their lungs. Mumford & Sons closed the show with Delta and I have to admit: it was a great choice. I wasn’t into the song when it came out but when I saw a live video online I changed my mind. Sometimes I feel like songs are so much better when they are performed live and to me, Delta is one of those songs. Besides, the latest album as well as the tour is called Delta so it made sense.
I was filled with a lot of joy last night and am very happy that I finally got see Mumford & Sons. I truly believe they are one of the best bands of our generation and years from now, their music will still be considered timeless and classic. What more could a band ask for?
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