Mumford & Sons cancel/postpone 4 gigs 😡

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So annoyed (as are thousands of other people according to Twitter) that they have cancelled 4 dates because of logistical reasons.

Apparently they have realised they can't take down and put up their massive stage and need a days grace in order to do so. They've announced this tonight with some people only having 48 hours notice,. We are pretty disgusted with them. We've seen them twice and love them but so disappointed.

They are offering full refunds but people have spent hundreds of pounds on hotels and transport (planes and trains) many of which are not refundable. Plus people having their own logistics to even get to a gig, with booking babysitters and time off work etc etc.

Pretty poor show from such an international band. I hope whoever has cocked this up gets the sack.

PatchworkElmer Really? I thought they all gave a refund if cancelled within a reasonable time?
I feel really sorry for people who have lost money, what clowns the band are. If they had real talent they would be able to play without an elaborate stage show.

Trains and hotels should give refunds surely?

Why should they? It's fuck all to do with them.

Many hotels do different levels of rates - some are refundable and some are non-refundable (the latter usually being a fair bit cheaper). You pays your money and takes your choice. Similarly, the train is still going to wherever, their costs are still in play.

I'd still go away as planned, find something else to do instead, get my refund money and not ever book to see that group again. Simple.

Surely it would be better to put the show on with any old stage (not quite, but you know what I mean) than cancel it like this, but I'm not surprised to be honest.

DP works in the industry and the disorganisation behind the scenes is astonishing.

For example, we know Glastonbury and all the other festivals happen just about every year, on approximately the same date. The dates and bands are announced months in advance, tickets sold etc.

The people who build the stages, fix the lights, sort out the fences etc etc are mostly freelance and will often not be booked for work until a week or two before the event, sometimes it's better than that and the company that will do the lights or the stage get booked a few months in advance, but they don't actually think about booking any technicians until right before the event.

Many a time I've gone home from work and DP has said something like 'I'm going to work at XYZ festival tomorrow for a few days'.

For those who paid for the tickets on credit cards, a section 75 refund and/or consequential losses might be an avenue to pursue if the spend was for over £100 (no idea if gig tickets cost more than £100?) as the credit card is jointly liable for the product purchased being supplied.

Mumford & Sons have a massive set that can't be struck and rebuilt in 24 hours? Mumford & Sons Folky beardy Mumford and Sons?

FFS they should cancel the set and go on in front of a star cloth. Their fans would not give a shit. It's not that kind of band.

@Lonny I've been reading up on this amazing set. Which does, indeed, sound incredible. But not at all what I would expect or, in fact, want from a band like M&S. Bizarre decision to have such a mammoth set.

Wtf possible stage set could they want that would lead to this sort of crap? Giant hay bales? 50 foot scarecrows? A real band doesn’t need all that crap. Shame on them

It all sounds very odd for Milford and sons!!
If it was a massive band who put on an amazing visual set like u2 or Muse I could understand but Mumford and sons?

No trains do not give refunds. And many cheaper hotel rates are non refundable.

I do blame them though. They pay their managers and stage crews wages.

They pay the managers to manage. It's not down to the band members to make these arrangements. Don't blame them. It's absolutely a management fuck up.

That's appalling, they should just do stripped back staged where where can't get the full thing up and give partial refunds for that's dates as the fans are getting the "full experience".

As PP said Muse they are not.

I may be completely off the mark but surely there is more than one stage/production company in this country?
Why could they not pay another company to set up a stage,etc for the days their usual company could not?
I understand it might not be completely the same visually but im sure they could produce something similar?

Fleetwood Mac cancelled a show with a day’s notice a couple of years ago and never rescheduled. The promoter kept the hefty booking fee. Luckily I live in the city so hadn’t had to book travel / hotels, but it put me right off the band.

Yes there is more than one stage/production company, but the others may be being used by other bands. Or there may be contractual issues. Or it could be a safety thing that they don't want to divulge.

I was going to ask DP about this last night but he was in a mood due to a fight with the Ryanair website so went to bed early. Will ask him tonight and report back if he knows anything from his various industry contacts.

That’s terrible planning on their team’s part, you’d think such things would’ve been worked out and confirmed before the dates were even announced because they would’ve done the plans before hand!
YANBU at all, poor show – and they’ll be fine as they’re well off and I assume the tour is insured, but you’re right – people will lose their travel/accom money. They should reimburse for that as well, if they wanted to do a genuine gesture.

I’m surprised that they aren’t performing anyway. I went to one of their shows where one of them had just come out of hospital like a week (or something equally ridiculous-can’t remember) before (brain surgery). I would be tempted to tho k it wasn’t actually a logistical issue but rather a personal one that they didn’t want to share. I just don’t see how you can screw up something like that.

@fatasfook giant hay bale with hots s that eat their way out part way through the show?

Not my type of music but I'm another who is very surprised that they need such an elaborate stage.

I don't understand why they need a huge set? They are a folk band people don't go to see them for the show they go for the music.

I am amazed that they thought it would be better to cancel the gigs than to play a stripped back event, which I'm sure their fans would not have minded heck some would have probably preferred it.

I am also very concerned like a prior poster that some people had no idea the events have been cancelled, until they read it on this thread! Why aren't they contacting people to let them know??

My ex works as crew on these gigs. They rehearse putting the sets up and down in a huge arena for weeks before they go out with it (yes, they all have one set, even the really big bands!)

There’s no way they didn’t know what the logistics were.

Someone has made a balls up.

So they played Belfast on Sunday and are playing Glasgow tonight.
Need a day in between...why have they cancelled all 4 shows? Surely just needed to cancel 2??

This is not to do with stages and sets in my opinion. Some one in their tour company has ballsed something up.

Also what @Thehop said 👆

I am astonished that that is the reason they have given - surely all they need is some sound equipment to at least put on some kind of gig? They aren't exactly known for their grand stage tours aka Take That's Circus tour - just a microphone and guitar is all I assume they would need

And the pre-sale CD code tactic really does just look shitty now doesn't it?

If I was a fan and paid £13 for the CF, tickets etc, I would also be very so rant away!

Don’t be angry at the band? Why not? The buck stops with them. I’m sure they weren’t forced to have such a set. They should have considered the logistics of it on at least some level.

Blimey that's really crappy behaviour. I don't understand why they couldn't just preform with a paired down set and then offer partial refunds to those who attend.

Very shady behaviour.