Atmosphere 'buzzing' and 'chilled' as Mumford & Sons headline the Reading Festival
- Published
Fans watching Mumford & Sons headline the Reading Festival have called their performance "chilled" and "incredible".
The band was a controversial booking for some when they were first announced to co-headline the rock event alongside the Libertines and Metallica.
"It was all empty threats and empty controversy," says 17-year-old Will from Kent.
"I've seen them loads and every time they get better, it's ridiculous," he adds.
Seventeen-year-old Niamh from Kent agrees with her friend Will.
"They get so much stick," she says, "but they're so good."
"Anyone that doubted them has been proved wrong tonight," chips in 18-year-old Callum from Kent as Mumford closed their set with loud fan favourite The Wolf.
"Buzzing" was how Callum summed up the atmosphere.
Mumford's performance was just shy of two hours, ending 15 minutes before the site's 11.30pm curfew.
While the set had more quiet songs than a Reading & Leeds Festival audience may be used to, it was tracks such as I Will Wait and The Cave that energised the audience.
"We came for a party," says Marcus Mumford, grinning as he addressed the thousands watching.
The singer jumped into the crowd as he performed their track Ditmas, momentarily disappearing from view as fans engulfed him.
As the rest of the band filled for time, Marcus emerged triumphantly, and crowd surfed his way through much of the song.
Mumford & Sons' main competition on Friday night at Reading came from Limp Bizkit, enjoying a nu metal resurgence and drawing thousands to the NME/Radio 1 stage.
"We only got here for half the set [after watching Limp Bizkit] and the atmosphere [for Mumford & Sons] wasn't that good," says 16-year-old Michael from Worcestershire.
"But it was actually quality other than that.
"Some people were getting into it but normally it's packed and [this time] there was space between lots of people so it wasn't as rammed as I thought it would be."
"The atmosphere was chilled," says his friend 16-year-old Josh.
Teenagers Indy and Georgina from London both agreed that Mumford & Sons' performance had been "amazing".
Indy told Newsbeat she'd lost her voice from singing and cheering so much, while the band's announcement of a UK tour in December was well-timed for Georgina who plans to go and see them "again and again".
Dry weather on site on Friday was welcomed but much of the ground remains very muddy after heavy rain earlier in the week.
17-year-old Will from Kent says his cheap tent let him down on the first night.
"It was like a shower in my tent," he says.
"I've been going to sleep very cold but I'll get through it as it's Reading and I paid £200 to be here."
Mumford & Sons headline the Leeds leg of the festival tonight.
You can watch full sets and videos from more than 40 acts at bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds.
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