By Lebogang Mgiba
When all 85,000 tickets sold out within minutes, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but on arriving at the Monument Amphitheatre in Pretoria couldn’t help but be blown away.
Watching Mumford & Sons play has to rate as one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. Their live performance went far beyond anything I expected, and the cherry on top was the superb acoustics – they sounded even better than their studio albums!
I also got to see The Brother Moves On perform live for the first time and they made me proud to be South African. Their unique sound and style is what makes their music magical. They are the definition of ART, but you have to see them live to fully comprehend this. That may sound absurd but I promise you, your life will never be the same.
Supporting acts included John Wizards, The Very Best and Beatenberg, who played just before the main act. The artist selection was well-thought out and the varying genres melded together to create musical synergy.
Mumford & Sons performed some of my favourite songs but I lost my mind when they performed “Believe” from their latest album, Wilder Minds. It was surreal; it was my moment for life, and I held on to it until the last song. They performed quite a number of songs from Sigh No More, Babel and Wilder Minds and the superfans sang along to every song
As if that wasn’t wondrous enough, Mumford & Sons brought the supporting acts on stage to do a new song recorded in Joburg titled ‘There Will Be Time’. I think we can look forward to some amazing collaborations coming out of this concert – I, for one, was convinced they’ve been in studio for a month writing new stuff exclusively for this show.
“I had the absolute pleasure of going to a mind-blowing concert of Mumford & Sons at the iconic Voortekker Monument on Saturday. I was astounded by the venue, organisation, sound lights, special effects, but most of all, the music. Baaba Maal was a welcome addition, as were all the other musical geniuses on stage. Marcus Mumford’s stage presence is absolutely intoxicating; his singing is even better. From meeting new friends and catching up with old ones, the entire day seems like a dream. My night ended off with dancing alongside my friends, in the pouring rain to Little Lion Man, without a care in the world, alongside 25,000 other strangers who had one thing in common – we were there to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to watch a band we all love passionately play their first ever show in South Africa (Pretoria). We blew their mind just like they blew ours.” – Sone Janson
“What an experience! I have had the privilege to see many bands live, but Mumford & Sons trumps all. To describe my experience; it was a euphoric and emotional roller-coaster. The sound, the performance and Marcus’s voice, I struggle to find words to describe the talent and unbelievable sound. No rain or thunder could keep us from dancing and singing along to the harmonious sound of Mumford & Sons. For me, this was bigger than having something on a bucket list, this was on my dream list! THEY BLEW ME AWAY! It was such a bitter-sweet moment after the performance, as I was yearning for more. I will never forget this day.” – Simone Oranje.
