Mumfords - you doubters.

[UEF]

I doubted them before and I doubt them still now. The fact that they invited a similar load of bollocks, unchallenging, nice-rock acts onstage with them at the end tells you everything you need to know. I just don't get the fuss, but if you're the sort of person who goes on a "gap yah" to "find yourself" you just might.

[rmcoboy]

They were dull as dishwater to be honest. One of the papers described their music as perfect for soup adverts which hit the nail on the head.

Agree that there is a dearth of decent youngish headliners at the mo (arctics were only marginally less dull but i saw that on sky+ as we were at Chic on Friday).

Trouble with the Pyramid is that a high proportion of the crowd go there because they feel like they ought to and so any band is going to get 70k audience and be judged as 'made it'. Mumfords were certainly not a 'Pulp moment' for me.

[rubenz]

My mum watched them on TV and was very impressed! (I wasn't though..)

[iamstreety]

As previously posted, they are my favourite band and of course I thought they were brilliant on Sunday. I don't get the whole 'thing' regarding headliners having to have a massive back catalogue of music. Both their albums have sold well, so why can't they play some album tracks?

The Arctic Monkeys set in 2007 was much better than Friday's. So the 2/3 albums (of shite) released since then haven't made much difference to the overall quality of the setlist.

[pedmills]

As previously posted, they are my favourite band and of course I thought they were brilliant on Sunday. I don't get the whole 'thing' regarding headliners having to have a massive back catalogue of music. Both their albums have sold well, so why can't they play some album tracks?

The Arctic Monkeys set in 2007 was much better than Friday's. So the 2/3 albums (of shite) released since then haven't made much difference to the overall quality of the setlist.

[More rain]

I can take or leave them. Their set was average, when they were good they were good but when they didn't play their 'bouncy' tunes they were very very dull.

I personally do not think they have enough good songs to headline.

[LondonTom]

Mates who I was camped with and Mumfords being about the only band they actually managed to get out of the campsite for said it was dull after a few songs. (And they as it turns out as pretty dull people so )

From footage it looks a bit dull, ...It's not so much I hate them...they are just dull and do nothing either way to hate or like them. Just a bit fat "Meh" it happened

[frostypaw]

Because most people get bored out of their mind by them. When it comes to headliners people want recognisable catchy hits with huge singalongs, played one after another. Most album tracks are filler that only 1% of the audience will actually like.

[pedmills]

This is kind of the problem - it's a pop music festival not a greatest hits parade.

If it continues to be pushed to find headliners that the general public who aren't actually all that into music past the crap in the charts then it will fail - it's not possible. There are only so many and people then whinge if they repeat

I think SonOfTroy and me would eventually come to agree in a rather loud grumpy way that the missing thing is that headliners Should fail sometimes. A fail for some is a massive win for other fans - we all want something different and trying to please everyone ends up on the beige side with a line up from radio 1

[frostypaw]

hmmmm that's not really my point.

I just want acts to play their best songs. Most of the time what I consider their best songs are the same as what most people would consider their best songs - and these are usually charting singles.

Album tracks are usually very same-y. If you love the general sound of the band, you'll love the album tracks. But most people won't be big fans of the band.

Mumford & Sons only have three songs that have hit the uk top 40. If they had 10 of these then I expect more people would have enjoyed the set.

I'm not saying don't book newer bands to headline if they are popular enough - but I'll stay away because I know I'll be bored for 90% of their set unless I really love their sound.

[pedmills]

Yes - do this. Not in any nasty way but if you want pop greatest hits that have all had enough radio play that everyone can sing along then the festival you meant to go to is V. Vast amounts of the music at G will bore you.

Glastonbury is a music lover's festival - precisely for the more than the singles fans... look at the vast line up of bands you've never heard of.

I really think some folk would be even happier with the Big Weekend format of rolling them out for half an hour of the new single, some old hits and off to next band. That's why there's so much chatting in gig, folk are just waiting for what they already know not ears open for something new

[Chiefski]

From an armchair perspective, I respect (and I say this especially as I am not a fan) that they looked like they were giving it a go, but it just lacked that 'headline' type showing, even with the cover to make it stand out, it just felt too flat at too many points, which is a shame, could they headline again? possibly but they need to change themselves up a bit, there wasnt anything in there that would make me want to see them headline any other fest. The other two headliners had things about their sets that made it memorable, it took essentially 4 bands and a cover to create any huge redeeming thing about their set.

[essex_jim]

(Sold more than Bieber according to BBC)

[Nickyboy]

I'm not really a big fan, was talked into going by mates who didn't want to end the weekend in a tent (Phoenix was our original choice to finish), but enjoyed it simply because a lot of kids in the audience were enjoying it immensely, and their enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

Thought they did their job well, and however memorable you find their music (and I don't personally), it was a good Pyramid finale anyway. As with a lot of headliners the crowd makes or breaks the gig, and any shortfall M & S had was made up for by the delightful crowd we were stood in.

[budvar]

I'm glad Mumford fans enjoyed the set but I fear that it was far from the slam dunk that some people are suggesting.

IMO they simply didn't have enough high quality material for a set of that length. In honesty I think they thought the same too (judging by an interview I heard with one of them on 5 Live)

"With A Little Help From My Friends" was a nice touch but bringing on so many other artists felt a little desperate to me, though I appreciated the gesture

[frostypaw]

That said, I still want acts to play their best songs. And their best songs are usually their singles.

You must be able to understand this; it is not a complicated combination of attitudes.

[Matt42]

Well all the naysayers can relax now, you've now got years until they return to the fest. Feel free to push them out of your mind and let them free to only get bigger.

Glastonbury 2019, the year Mumford and Sons return to headline (calling it).

[ThomThomDrum]

Not a fan but not full of the hate for them that some have

Was at the gig, as the Mrs loves them and as I spent Friday night doing my thing alone (at Portishead) I did not want to do another night alone, and there was nothing on that I "had to see".

For me this sums it all up and more than likely sums them up also

Half way through she turned around to me and said this is awfully dull isnt it? Yes it is I said.

There you have it

They did not have balance to their set. Way too much down tempo tunes. So much for yer man saying the wanted to come and party. It felt like ballad after ballad. Very little dancing was done. Was this set list dictated by Ted and him not being able to give a high energy performance? Or was it that they do not have enough tunes to keep people going for a full set............either way it did not work at all and that was coming from a M&S fan in my better half................Also their timings seemed off at times and Marcus messing about with the timing of lyrics pissed some fans off as they tried to sing along

Poor show............

[pedmills]

I may have got you wrong - with your talk of the bands sounds and album tracks being shit it came over more a shallow pop fan thing

Thing is I look at Oasis and U2 - totally satisfy people's requirement but God awful gigs, it's so not about great singles

[pedmills]

Mumford & Sons apparently told the crowd at Hyde Park that although Glastonbury was a "pleasant experience" the crowd at Olympic Park were "shitloads better" because they hadn't done as many drugs as the people at Glastonbury.

I'm sure they said it just to whip up the excitement in the crowd, but still... it was only a week ago, and it was the biggest gig of their lives...

It doesn't exactly endear me to them.

Edited July 7, 2013 by pedmills

[GlastoSimon]

Popular band in 'you're the best crowd we've ever had' shocker.

[GuitarManDan15]

Seems they're incredible ungrateful about Eavis giving them the bump up. I hated their music and now i hate them as people. So glad i was enjoying a fabulous phoenix set!

[Muppetmark]

Mumford & Sons apparently told the crowd at Hyde Park that although Glastonbury was a "pleasant experience" the crowd at Hyde Park were "shitloads better" because they hadn't done as many drugs as the people at Glastonbury.

I'm sure they said it just to whip up the excitement in the crowd, but still... it was only a week ago, and it was the biggest gig of their lives...

It doesn't exactly endear me to them.

[pedmills]

olympic park not hyde park the rolling stones were at hyde park last night, now that was a great show.

[Vieuphoria]

I just watched it. Was ok, really really average. My friend who went said it was an odd gig, didn't feel like a headline performance. She's a fucking huge fan, and thought it felt disconnected from a glastonbury headline set and that it wasn't the best way to end the weekend.