Mumford and Sons are a band who took over the world, and no one saw it coming. Four guys from London playing folk music with a bit of attitude somehow broke into the mainstream enough for them to, several years later, launch their own promotions company and record label, Gentleman Of the Road. Taking over the second day of Latitude, the boys not only headline but curate much of the bill.
With the Suffolk sun putting on a final show, the foursome take to the stage and immediately kick in with a guitar-laden third album cut. Moving straight into breakout track ‘Little Lion Man’, they bring out their infamous banjo; there’s an ease to their migration from new to old, seamlessly jumping between their iterations. More ‘Wilder Mind’ cuts such as ‘Believe’ deliver a rockier vibe, while major players like ‘The Cave’ initiate such immense sing alongs that you’re not even sure if Mumford and Sons are still performing.
As a special treat, Marcus Mumford welcomes Baaba Maal to the stage to do a couple of tracks from ‘Johannesburg’, the 2016 mini album they teamed up for. Following it up with another mass singalong, ‘I Will Wait’ is brought out to well and truly get the crowds windpipes going, while finale ‘The Wolf’ sees Leon Bridges pop up for a guest spot. It’s a worthy end to an enjoyable set.
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / Dork