Festivals Mumford & Sons’ festival ‘How To’

As their Glastonbury Pyramid Stage headline slot beckoned in 2013, Mumfords were faced with a serious ‘what if?’ when bassist Ted Dwane had to undergo an emergency operation. Dates were cancelled - including at Bonnaroo - but they still (just about) made it.

“The chaos of it was kind of amazing,” says Ted. “I grew up near there. Me and my mate used to drink cider under the main stage, when we were like sixteen. It was always going to be immensely poignant. By not dying, the poignancy was magnified. It was like a double dose of awesome, really.”

“It’s hard to know if Glastonbury was our best ever performance,” says Ben Lovett. “Probably not. But it was incredible, the experience of just being up on that stage and looking at the audience. The occasion of it is completely unparalleled across the whole world. There’s something about how festivals are done and I don’t think anyone in the world quite does it the same.”

Their Glasto near-miss came at the end of a gigantic, five-year world tour, which spanned two albums. “Physically we’re up for it. We’re pretty fit. We’re refreshed, definitely,” says Ben, when asked if they’re ready to take on a similar schedule in 2015. “We fucking love playing live,” adds Marcus Mumford. “We loved it so much that we almost burnt ourselves out. Then we stopped, and we were probably wise to stop when we did. We went away, made the album that we’re all really keen on - we’ve come back and we’re going to play live again. It’s going to be even better.”

Because of Ted’s operation, an appearance at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival had to be cancelled in 2013. But as a means of making up for it, they’re confirmed to appear at this June’s event.

Their last appearance at Reading & Leeds was one of the most over-subscribed, too. Packed out tents are always a staple, but their 2010 set took the biscuit. Plenty had to either watch from afar, or try and pick out a banjo while standing next to a burger stand. This time, they’re topping the main stage - you won’t be able to miss it. “It felt like a good idea. They asked us, and we said yes,” says Marcus. “We like that festival a lot. It’s rowdy as fuck. We love being rowdy. I don’t know if it’s going to be a difficult crowd.”

For years, Mumford & Sons have been putting on their own Gentlemen of the Road shows, spanning across both sides of the Atlantic. Remote areas which enjoy perfect calm for 99% of the year are suddenly invaded by a bunch of bands - some with banjos, some without. It’s a tradition that’s continuing in 2015, with stopovers scheduled for the Scottish highlands and New Jersey’s Seaside Heights.

“I think they’re the best line-ups we’ve done so far,” claims Ben. This year’s bill includes The Maccabees, Honeyblood and Jack Garratt, plus heavyweights the Foo Fighters and My Morning Jacket. “Foo Fighters are quite good. They’re really coming along. We’ve supported them from the beginning,” jokes Marcus.

“We poured a lot of effort into this. Ben’s amazing at hearing new bands. Ted and Win are pretty good too. I’m rubbish at it. I’ll just pick it up a few years down the line and be like, ‘Ah, have you heard of Beyoncé? She’s brilliant.’ So we had long meetings on the phone - conference calls, spreadsheets with everyone we could ask, everyone we had asked. And I just put the phone on mute for two hours and had a bath. I didn’t really have much to contribute! ‘Oh I’ve heard of Jack White!’”

For more on this year’s festivals, pick up DIY’s Festival Guide 2015, out now alongside our May issue.

Mumford & Sons will play Open’er (1st - 4th July) and Bilbao BBK Live (9th - 11th July), where DIY is an official media partner. Tickets are on sale now. Visit diymag.com/presents for more information.

Tags: Mumford & Sons, Festivals, Features