Marcus Mumford was two nights into a UK tour on Tuesday night after 10 weeks trekking across the US, and clearly enjoying home comforts. “It was fine, but they don’t get it,” he joked of his American audiences. “I got called a c**t on stage in Sheffield last night,” the Mumford & Sons frontman then beamed, thankful for playing in front of foul-mouthed Brits once again. “Go on my son!” a fan with a thick cockney accent then yelled during a tender version of Mumford & Sons track Awake My Soul just a few minutes into the gig, it was clearly good to be back.
Mumford was playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire – the first of two nights at the venue – on the back of his debut solo album, (self-titled). Released in September, the beautiful and tender record revolved around the revelation of sexual abuse the singer suffered as a child and has only recently come to terms with through therapy. To transmit its thematic journey through pain, anger and then towards forgiveness, Mumford wisely played the album in full and in order at the London gig.
