Mumford & Sons To Host Aussie Photography Exhibition & Charity Banjo Auction

Celebrated UK outfit Mumford & Sons are only days away from kicking off their eagerly awaited Wilder Mind tour at Brisbane's Riverstage and, while expectations and excitement are already running high in the lead-up to their shows, the buzz stands to be kicked into a higher gear with the revelation of the band's planned Gentlemen Of The Road photography exhibition and accompanying charity auction this month.

Being held at Young Henry's Brewery, in Sydney, from 13-15 November, the exhibition documents — via photos taken by touring photographer Marcus Haney, as well as local snapper Ty Johnson — the band's shows across the UK, Australia, US and Canada, as well as their particular Gentlemen Of The Road stopovers, where they've brought their lauded mini-festival of the same name to more than 17 locations since its 2012 inception.

"Friends, it is with pride and excitement that we announce to you our first Gentlemen Of The Road photo show opening in Sydney," Mumford & Sons said of the new exhibition in a statement.

"This exhibition will showcase the brilliant photography of our very own tour photographer Marcus Haney. Marcus has been shooting the band since their first appearance at Bonnaroo festival in 2009. This selection of his images aims to narrate the story of the small and adventurous GOTR stopover festival as it winds its way ever further into the lesser-visited hillsides and towns of the world.

"Marcus' work is complemented by a selection of images shot by Australian photographer Ty Johnson. Ty had become a close friend and collaborator of the bands and he has weathered more than a few stopovers in his time.

"Lastly, a unique perspective is offered by two musicians who occupy their downtime taking pictures of their travels; bass player Ted Dwane and drummer Chris Maas each contribute four images shot on film and developed on the road in the tour darkroom."

The exhibition's location is no accident, either — you'll perhaps remember that Young Henry's were the brewers responsible for teaming up with Mumford & Sons to create the Wilder Mind Ale earlier this year — and you'll be able to see the photos of the Gentlemen Of The Road stopover tour from 10am-7pm daily between Friday 13 November and Sunday 15 November, during which time all artworks will be for sale.

Each day includes a special drawcard to boot — on Friday, from 12pm-6pm, a double pass to The Domain event will be given away — as will 20 free beers — every hour; Saturday will see a free breakfast from 10am, live mural painters all day, limited free beers from 11am, and Uber discounts for new and existing users; and Sunday brings in a live screen painter from 12-3pm, creating free limited-edition T-shirts, with limited complimentary beers on offer from midday.

The exhibit comes tandem with the band's plans to auction off a handful of custom-built banjos for charity, having already held similar events in the US and UK. Now, Mumford & Sons have created a custom Goodtime Banjo for each city of their Australian and New Zealand tour — Brisbane, Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney — with the proceeds set to be donated to the Australian Red Cross QLD Flood Relief Appeal, Auckland City Mission, Feed Melbourne and White Ribbon, respectively.

For more information about the banjos — replete with hard-rock American maple neck, violin-grade maple rim, matching resonator and true-black finish — and their auction events, head this way.

For further details on Mumford & Sons' imminent tour, head to Secret Sounds' website.