[Updated update] Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan jam with Mumford and Sons in a Nashville basement (and a reader was there too)

Last night Mumford and Sons played a secret gig in the basement of a house in Green Hills in Nashville and it's no surprise, but it is a delight, that Mumford & Sons Mascot Jake Gyllenhaal was there cheering them along accompanied by WDW favourite Carey Mulligan. See if you can spot Jake in the photo below...


But first to set the scene... photos on Twitter show just how crammed this secret event was. As a claustrophobic, I'm pretty sure I would have passed out before the first note was sung. But there's nothing quite like sharing a cramped basement with Jake to bring one back to life. In this video, you can also see Jake (next to the guy in the yellow hat) singing along to a rousing rendition of My Darling Clementine.



Many thanks to the Mumford & Sons fan who was there in the basement and emailed me a brief account of what was an amazing experience. 'Saturday night Jake was at a secret basement show mumford and sons played in nashville, he was with that chick from wall street 2. He was sitting on the floor right up front bobbing his head. It was amazing, they played a few of their old songs and then they played 3 new ones that will be on their next album. I tried to get some pictures but Jake had a stand up to cancer hat pretty much covering his face up'. But he could see Carey 'sitting on an amp up front with a video camera'.



Updated to add: you can see another video above, which shows Jake, Carey and Marcus. And there are more details here: '[Jake and Carey] arrived to the party with Mumford & Sons after sharing a table and a meal with the group at City House earlier in the evening and settled comfortably into the gathering without getting targeted by other attendees for their star power. Way to play it cool Nashville. But the story gets better. After the bands’ sets ended around 1 a.m. and guests started making their way home, some 50 folks including the party host, the bands that performed, local pop success Mat Kearney and members of Old Crow Medicine Show settled into one of the upstairs bedrooms for an impromptu jam session that had Gyllenhaal picking up a guitar and showing off his skills as the room and Mulligan joined in for a sing-along of “Amazing Grace” and Old Crow’s “Wagon Wheel.”'

'Even though Gyllenhaal and Mulligan noted that they had to catch an early flight out of town, the session was still going strong as late as 4 a.m. securing its spot as quite possibly, one of the most epic bashes of 2011. “Its really incredible to all of us and a huge blessing to witness our friends become successful but more than that it’s a huge lesson to meet successful people who live out humble lives,” said party host Mike Harris. “I hope that came across last night. You’re never too cool to play in a dingy basement.”'


Jake's love for Mumford and Sons has been a topic here for a fair while, with photos of Jake with singer Marcus Mumford as well as repeated protestations of affection for the band's music, in print(to GQ and NME) and on radio (BBC Radio 6), and their album 'Sigh No More'. He told GQ: 'Horns are, to me, the most affirmative instrument to say there is something beyond where we are. In Mumford & Sons, whenever those horns come on, I feel like it’s all going to be okay. Life’s all good - for the whole world. Maybe that’s sophomoric, but I really feel that in my heart. I’m in awe of musicians when they do that. I search for that. I search for those things that make me go, ‘Okay... all right.’'



Update: many thanks to Blake for leaving this comment last night about the incredible experience at being at this intimate gig in Nashville: 'That was the most amazing night of my life. I was in the first row standing and I don't think that I will ever be a part of such a unique and surreal experience again. The Mumford guys were really cool, talking to everyone before and after the show. At one point, they had everyone sit down for the opening act, and Jake was standing right behind me, and we joked about having to do squats at a show in a tiny basement. It was like everyone who was there were all buddies and nobody really bothered the actors or band members except through casual conversation. I love this city and the chill music fans.'

Includes picture from IHJ.