The band had curated the line-up for their headlining day at the festival and were joined on stage by a number of artists they had put on the bill, including The Vaccines, Dermot Kennedy and Lianne La Havas.
Their highly anticipated performance was a groundbreaking success, highlighting the band’s status as veterans in their field with over 12 years of music under their belts.
Opening with Guiding Light – the lead single from their latest record, Delta – crowd favourites like Little Lion Man and The Cave were played early in the piece, sparking joyous sing-a-longs from a crowd basking in the late evening sunshine.
Rose Of Sharon bled into I Will Wait, their biggest crowd pleaser that left everyone screaming along, before ending on Delta, the title track of their most recent album.
But this wouldn’t be a Gentlemen Of The Road show without a closing track that saw the acts from across the day hit the stage. With the likes of The Staves, Dermot Kennedy and The Vaccines joining them, they broke into The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends, leaving the crowd with a smile.
Ahead of Mumford’s highly anticipated performance, we sat down with some of the acts that the band cherry-picked for the day. From crowd favourite Dermont Kennedy to upbeat pop from Dizzy and soulful buttery tracks courtesy of Delilah Montague, here’s what makes these acts tick all the Mumford & All Points East boxes.
DERMOT KENNEDY
Can you remember the first time you played music in front of an audience?
It was a school talent show. It was an alright experience, but I was really nervous. It was my first year in school, I was 11 years old. I played Don’t Look Back in Anger. I was mad because I never played for people, but then I had to play in front of 700 people.
What is your favourite festival memory?
It goes without saying that one of my favourites was Electric Picnic last year in Ireland. It was in front of 10,000 people and I hadn’t been home in ages too.
How would you describe your sound?
I usually just say that it’s a singer-songwriter kind of music, but it’s influenced production-wise by hip hop to a small percentage.
Do you remember the first song you wrote?
I can. It exists on the internet. Sadly.
What is the biggest problem facing the music industry today?
I get people complaining about streaming, but then again, I wouldn’t be booked for this festival without the services. You ultimately have to learn to exist within the industry that you land in. I talked about this with the guys from Mumford and their first album was from the time when you sold CDs and Vinyl and now it’s all about streaming. It’s completely flipped. It must be quite jarring for them, but I’ve only been doing moderately well in the streaming age. It’s all I know, and it’s been quite good to me.
What’s your purpose as an artist?
My purpose is just to leave a legacy of good work that I didn’t compromise on.
DELILAH MONTAGU
Can you remember the first time you played music in front of an audience?
I remember performing in school but I was so shy at the time. So I stepped on the stage, just me and my guitar and I felt strangely confident. Performing simply came naturally to me.
What is your favourite festival memory?
Playing All Points East for sure. I’ve never played with a band before and the crowd was amazing.
How would you describe your sound?
I find that so difficult. I’d say classic songs, typical songwriting – classical modern pop songs.
Do you remember the first song you wrote?
Yes, I remember it really well. I still play it. It’s called ‘The Death Song’ but it’s so funny. Don’t look so concerned, it’s actually a really funny song. I was about 6 or 7 when I wrote it.
What is the biggest problem facing the music industry today?
I think women should have power and strength without having to act aggressively. Or wear something really dark and have a general ice-like attitude. It’s happening more now, but women should be respected more in the industry. And another thing that really gets me is people trying to pigeon-hole artists. We should stop trying to put people in a box.
What’s your purpose as an artist?
I just want to spread joy and love.
DIZZY
Can you remember the first time you played music in front of an audience?
As the 4 of us, we remember playing a very small festival in front of a tiny crowd a while back. But in spite of its capacity, it was still nerve-wracking. We’re getting better at it though.
What is your favourite festival memory?
There’s a festival in Montreal called Osheaga that had the best food and catering in the world. There was also a festival in Toronto that we played, and Toronto is hometown for us, so that was a special experience in itself.
How would you describe your sound?
It’s pop music for sure. Like pop song but with stories behind them.
Do you remember the first song you wrote?
The first song that we wrote together as a group was a song called Temporary. It doesn’t exist anymore. It might be somewhere on the internet but it will take you forever to find it.
What is the biggest problem facing the music industry today?
Artist compensation is a big one. We’re all guilty of streaming, but it’s also the streaming services’ responsibility to compensate artists better. We’d also add that not too many people take into account artists’ mental health. It should be a more open conversation.
What are your purposes as artists?
I think it’s nice to tell stories and if people can connect to them, that’s pretty special in itself. It’s a good purpose to have.
