Reviewed on Saturday November 14 (photo by Katrina Clarke)
This year’s Gentlemen Of The Road saw Mumford & Sons’ pet event move from the regional town of Dungog to The Domain. The weather was less than ideal, and the ground was soggier than your grandma’s Weet-Bix, but spirits were high. The food and beer selection was good, but minus ten points are awarded to whoever allowed the Knafeh food truck guys to bring a mic and PA. Not even Joel Turner made beatboxing cool.
The heavily British lineup nonetheless saw Aussie locals Art Of Sleeping kick things off, crooning to the already solid audience with their single ‘Crazy’. Meg Mac, dressed all in black, oozed confidence with her fierce cover of Bill Withers’ ‘Grandma’s Hands’.
The Jungle Giants pumped out an energetic performance, with their danceable tunes a welcome addition to the afternoon’s mood. The Vaccines treated the crowd with tracks from their latest release English Graffiti, to a generally favourable response. The UK continued to represent as Jake Bugg took to the stage, scaling the energy levels back, in what was a solid performance.
If the ground was wet before Samuel T. Herring fronted Future Islands’ second-last show after 22 months on the road, it was twice as steamy after the frontman gyrated his way across the stage. Herring’s passion is a rare, captivating sight, potentially unequalled.
The headliners Mumford & Sons opened up with some strong songs, breaking out the banjo early. It seemed as though the entire population of British citizens living in Australia had turned up for some quality ballads and banjo bashing. The set was a delicate balance between well-orchestrated climaxes and some quieter moments, as the band at one stage unplugged and shared a single microphone. Their tribute to the victims of the Parisian terrorist attacks that had occurred that day was a poignant reminder of just how lucky the audience was to be here, enjoying music in a safe and happy environment.
