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Mumford & Sons played their first public gig since becoming a trio this weekend (April 28) at Pharrell’s Something In The Water festival – check out fan-shot footage below.

• READ MORE: Marcus Mumford on solo album ‘(self-titled)’: “I’ve never felt so fulfilled around a project”

Mumford & Sons’ Winston Marshall originally took a break from the band in March 2021 following backlash after the guitarist publicly praised a book written by right-wing agitator Andy Ngo.

However, Marshall then left the group permanently in June of that year. “This is a difficult decision first brought about by an unintentional Twitter storm,” he wrote at the time. Commenting on Marshall’s departure in an Instagram post, the remaining members of Mumford & Sons said they wished him “all the best”.

Since then, Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane and Ben Lovett have performed at a handful of private events alongside Grammy celebrations of The Beach Boys and Lucinda Williams. On Friday night though, they played their first public gig since Marshall’s departure.

The eleven-song set saw the band open with ‘Babel’ and pull from every one of their four studio albums. Rock/soul singer Celisse Henderson joined the band for ‘Believe’, ‘Ditmas’ and ‘The Wolf’.

Check out footage of the comeback gig and the complete setlist below:

Mumford & Sons first show in 3years was today at #Somethinginthewater

My wife & I had seen on their last tour for Delta

They were great pic.twitter.com/P2r0LlKXG4

— Pedestrian At Best (@AtPedestrian) April 29, 2023

Mumford & Sons played

‘Babel’
‘Little Lion Man’
‘The Cave’
‘Lover of the Light’
‘Awake My Soul’
‘Believe’ (with Celisse Henderson)
‘Ditmas’ (with Celisse Henderson)
‘Guiding Light’
‘Delta’
‘The Wolf’ (with Celisse Henderson)
‘I Will Wait’

Mumford & Sons have also shared a slip of them hanging out backstage with Pharrell ahead of their performance.

Following their gig at Something In The Water, Mumford & Sons have a string of festival dates confirmed over the next few months, including appearances at Mad Cool, Sziget and Splendour In The Grass. Their only UK show of 2023 will take place at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth alongside Jamiroquai and Kasabian.

During Mumford & Sons time away from the stage, vocalist Marcus Mumford released a solo album and collaborated with Taylor Swift.

Last year though, he teased a new Mumford & Sons album. “The next thing really is to get in the room with the boys in the band and start playing each other the songs we’ve written,” he said. “I’ve got a bunch that are kind of ready to go. And then we’ll make a record, and tour it, and get to do what we love,” he added.

Upon leaving the Mumford & Sons, Marshall said that he “got his soul back” but has since criticised the “self-censorship” that goes on in the music industry. “People are too scared to say the truth and I think that’s because there is a professional and social repercussions if you do speak the truth and that’s a serious issue.”

The post Watch Mumford & Sons play their first public gig since the departure of Winston Marshall appeared first on NME.