Nestling in the Brecon Beacons, Wales’
biggest festival returned for its 17th year, showing once again that there is
so much more here than just the music. To state
“there’s a bit of something for everyone” in writing a review of a festival rallies
so close to the cliché that it’s almost as close to describing “positive vibes”
(ergh) and complaining about the toilets. But when it comes to Green Man
Festival, it isn’t too far from the truth. Wellbeing
and crafts, a fantastic selection of ales and cider and an incredible line up;
Green Man has it all. Perhaps this is why Green Man has become a consistent
sell-out event every year. From the array of circus and kids’ areas to
incredible music and fantastic night-life entertainment (until 4am), the
festival offers something for everyone. Punters range from the familiar
student-age attendees to families and children, as well as the average Radio 4
or 6music listener and then your more astute music lovers.
Next up, Whitney. A cheerful bunch as always, no matter the weather. The lads strolled their way through old favourites ‘Golden Days’, ‘No Matter Where We Go’ and ‘Dave’s Song’, but also shared with us songs off their new album ‘Forever Turned Around’. The likes of ‘Giving Up’ suggesting the band have continued to lace their sunny, easygoing melodies with woeful lyircs. It’s a set that draws a large crowd, and deservedly so – I expect big, big things in the future for this band. And as always, it’s refreshing to see a band genuinely enjoy themselves onstage and not take themselves too seriously.
Other standouts included performances from newcomers Black Country, New Road on both the Far Out and the Rising stage, respectively. As a seven-piece consisting of three guitarists, a saxophonist, a violinist, a drummer, and a keyboardist, the result is something truly unique and unusual, with their song ‘Sunglasses’ being a truly spine-tingling and exhilarating release. This band are set to be cult heroes – surpassing the enigmatic Squid (sorry). The mix of genuine musical skill and shouty lyrics and abrasiveness were not to everyone’s taste but second showing (after they replaced KOKOKO! oOn the Far Out earlier) of the day was keenly lapped up by a strong hardcore following.
Sharon van Etten offered more somber reflection as the sun set and Sunday winded to its conclusion. With her almost punk rocker vibe and intense display of humility and energy that so embodies the festival, this was, in my opinion, arguably the set of the weekend. Having followed her from her early records of ‘Tramp’ and ‘Are We There’, she is now accompanied by a multi-talented band and at times, free to roam the stage without her guitar. Van Etten gave a commanding and confident performance, one which will stay in our memory for a long time to come. Flying through emotions during her hour set, from ‘Jupiter 4’ to ‘Serpents’ and ‘Comeback Kid’, the hyped mood crescendoed during the back-to-back performance of ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’. She had it all. Since expanding her sound with lavish and opulent new layers, her music has taken on an intricate kind of power, and as a live performer she wields it with breathtaking skill. Her set sparkles and glooms in equal parts. It is hard not to see her as a future headliner of not only Green Man, but the world’s very biggest stages.
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| Main stage crowd |
Being my third pilgrimage, with a 5-year
absence, the journey did not disappoint – not even the weather could put us
off. After only moments after arriving on-site, you get a feel of the sense of
community and togetherness. People helping people with no ulterior motive – a
rarity in today’s modern society. In
contrast to Glastonbury‘s vast size and straggly hedonism, Green Man is small
enough to feel personal. It has expanded rapidly since its first iteration in
2003 – now catering for more than 20,000 people – but has not lost any of its
charm: families are well-catered for with science exhibitions and workshops in
Einstein’s Garden, foodies with stalls of international and local fare,
partiers with late-night DJs and enchanting forest installations. Between
stalls offering Japanese kumihimo braiding, tree ring printing and candle wax
powered boats, the only gripe you could have is that you may miss more than you
will see. There’s a lot to fit into just 3/4 days.
This beautifully crafted weekend
has maintained its ethos of being a nature-loving, child-educating,
family-friendly, compassionate and charitable staple on the festival circuit,
that many of us feel is needed more than ever during these “shitty times”.
Green Man 2019 was not only a refresher to what is going on across the land and
beyond, but a celebration of diversity, equality and the creative triumphs of
bands, artists, crafts, food, booze, charities, science and our future.
And now that’s before all the
music…
Green Man champions a phenomenal booking team
– each year garnering the best of the current crop of folk, indie/rock and cult
heroes, as well as the alternative old-schoolers and local talent. Each year, a
line-up which is unlike any other in the UK (or Europe for that matter) –
something which is hard to come by nowadays. In its history, Green Man has
progressively twisted its folky image into exciting and intriguing new shapes,
perhaps best displayed this year by the top billing of Four Tet. His undulating
left-field electronica turns his Saturday night headline slot into a mega-party
that confidently dispels the idea that Green Man can’t “large it up”.
Despite a delayed arrival (thanks to our
‘driver’ and ‘navigator’ – not naming names), we weren’t able to catch the
delightful Bess Atwell. So, first up were New York’s Bodega.
Drawing the first ‘big’ crowd of the festival at the Far Out stage, their
dance-punk set, featuring one drum kit split between two band members, went
down a treat with all those in attendance. For those unaware, the frontperson
drumming could seem one-dimensional – I disagree. Tunes such as ‘Shiny New
Model’ and those from album ‘Endless Scroll’ all hit the mark and set the tone
for the rest of the weekend. Due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ and late
arrival, Thursday’s headliners Amadou & Mariam were moved to Friday
evening and as a result, The Wedding Present made their second
consecutive ‘surprise’ appearance at Green Man. Stepping in here, the band
delivered a pristine set – all aligned to the fans, but for those of us not
very much in the club, a hard win.
Chai Wallahs, tucked away in a quiet corner of
the park, was home to some of the weekends more eclectic acts. And this was the
set for majority of the late nights – with a variety of acts including Broken
Brass Ensemble, The Mauskovic Dance Band and the Urban Folk Quartet.
Moving into Friday, while the music made a
very encouraging start, it is when you look in all the other corners of this
compact site that you begin to realise why Green Man thrives; the stalls
covering everything from knife-throwing to candle-powered boats, cinema and the
Babbling Tongues tent. It was here that the inimitable Caitlin Moran
delivered a profound yet very funny hour of reflection in conversation with Nadia
Shireen to arguably the largest audience of the weekend (in this tent). The
best-selling author was full of pointed anecdotes and send-ups as she mused on
her unique brand of feminism. So I heard, at least.
The multi-generational crowd are the hardy
souls prepared to go that extra mile when the weather takes a downward turn on Friday.
I would argue it was torrential rain for at least 9 hours straight. This comes
as no surprise to the festival’s many veterans who come appropriately attired,
but it’s impossible not to feel sorry for one unfortunate Snapped Ankles
fan who apparently really did snap one of his sliding in the mud while waiting
for their late night turn in the Walled Garden. Their appearance last year in
the same location saw the band set an impressively high bar. This time round
they clear it with metres to spare. And while it’s a joy to see the converts (a
theme at Green Man, with many people open minded) properly lose their shit to
the throbbing pulses of ‘I Want My Minutes Back’, it pales in comparison to
seeing the novices who get sucked in by ‘Tailpipe’. Surely the Far Out stage
beckons next year?
Earlier in the day, Penelope Isles
produced a mesmerizing early-afternoon performance, showing genuine gratitude
to playing “a festival with such a great line-up”. Elsewhere, the recently
expanded TVAM delivered a flawless but somewhat lost set (for this
crowd). Yet, despite a lengthy delay in set-up and a lost guitar, The Beths sped
through their back catalogue with undeniable aplomb. Crunchy rock tunes ‘Future
Me Hates Me’ and ‘Happy Unhappy’ serving up that feel-good feel despite the
lack of sun. And while the Far Out (for which the weather at least reaped
rewards for many bands playing this stage on Friday), Babbling Tongues, and
cinema tents offered protection from the never-ending rain – the real
highlights of the day were found at the main Mountain stage, a perfectly
located ampitheatre at the foot of the Black Mountains. The sensational Julia Jacklin displayed
her incredible vocals and songwriting skills, playing tracks from her debut
record ‘Don’t Let The Kids Win’, and this year’s wonderful ‘Crushing’. Her
hour-long set is split between the two, with Jacklin’s confessional lyrics at
times being so stark and blunt that watching her at times feels borderline
voyeuristic; it’s no small feat to hold a main stage crowd enraptured, but she
manages this with seeming ease and for a festival, the crowd is remarkably
respectful and, believe it or not, quiet.
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| Julia Jacklin |
Next up, Whitney. A cheerful bunch as always, no matter the weather. The lads strolled their way through old favourites ‘Golden Days’, ‘No Matter Where We Go’ and ‘Dave’s Song’, but also shared with us songs off their new album ‘Forever Turned Around’. The likes of ‘Giving Up’ suggesting the band have continued to lace their sunny, easygoing melodies with woeful lyircs. It’s a set that draws a large crowd, and deservedly so – I expect big, big things in the future for this band. And as always, it’s refreshing to see a band genuinely enjoy themselves onstage and not take themselves too seriously.
As the rain persisted and Friday evening set
in, there was more unorthodox joy to be found in Stealing Sheep’s
bonkers early-evening set at Walled Garden, combining smart stage routines,
giant inflatables and irresistible hooks. The all-female three-piece from
Liverpool are nearly a decade old, but their unique set-up remained fresh.
The nature of festivals mean it is impossible
to see and do everything, so it was with a heavy heart we were forced to miss Squid,
Pigs x7, Villagers, Bill Ryder-Jones, and first headliners Yo
La Tengo – where one punter described their set as “so good that it made
every other band on the planet redundant” (for us, it seemed like the greatest
show nobody else knew about, verging on the indulgent and ridiculous). But this
was more than made up for by the triple whammy of recently added Fat White
Family, Khruangbin and Maribou State.
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| Whitney |
Fat White Family performed an anthemic, rewarding and exhilarating set for fans. As
the heavens lash downwards and mist shrouds the peaks of the Black Mountains
that loom behind them, it’s as if the cover of their new album Serfs Up! had
come to life. Since that record’s release they’ve been on colossal form as
performers, but the scene around them lends that extra air of power to their
sleaziness, particularly as the low chorus opens ‘Tastes Good With The Money’
and the sun sets behind thick dark clouds. It was as if we were all subject to
some ancient energy. Khruangbin
brought their 1970s grooves to bear – with bassist Laura Lee, as
usual, utterly captivating on stage dressed in a frilly pink prom dress. With
her, leather-clad guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald Johnson produced 75
minutes of funk splendour. To finish the
proceedings, the mighty soundscape of Maribou State highlighted the
incredible diversity that this festival brings. The massive ‘Turnmills’
bringing one the greatest dancing moments of the weekend (maybe other than Father
John Misty Shy FX). Bringing with them a variety of special guests,
including the impressive Holly Walker and including the aforementioned
Khruangbin for ‘Feel Good’, the band have come a long way and were greeted by
an open-minded mixture of young and old.
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| Fat White Family |
Saturday started as Friday didn’t – for it
was sunny. First on our agenda was the charismatic Stella Donnelly.
There’s not much to say here other than what I’ve said before in a prior
blog post here. As always, she remained hilarious and perfectly executing
of her tales and tuns of the anxieties of a 20-something year old. This time
adding some Welsh spice to her arsenal – as she is half Welsh after all. A
delight for the local crowd. For those who wanted something a bit
different, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker made his festival debut packing
out the Babbling Tongues tent for his presentation around the extraordinary and
mastering your creativity. Also, there was time for The Big Moon
frontwoman Juliette Jacklin to receive – and accept – a marriage proposal from
her boyfriend at the end of their set, having met here 4 years earlier
(congratulations!).
The fascinating thing about Green Man is the
aforementioned open-mindedness of all punters to the acts performing. It’s a
theme which is seen the whole weekend – not many big singalongs or massive
crowd moments, but many intrigued and nodding heads. Perhaps this was best
demonstrated by the size of the crowd that gathered to watch Sons of Kemet
take to the main stage later, in addition to the numbers there later on for Stereolab
and Four Tet. The band shed light on how far the British jazz scene has
come, shown also be the inclusion of The Comet Is Coming and Ezra
Collective on the bill. All of which maintained their large crowds, and
were greeted with respect and rousing applause.
Camped very much at the mainstage, Lee
Fields & The Expressions then began our evening in the sun,
with a funk-filled masterclass on The Mountain Stage, before the mesmerising Big
Thief put on one of the finest performances of the weekend. Playing tracks
from their recently-released album ‘U.F.O.F.’, glorious back-catalogue and forthcoming new
record ‘Two
Hands’, Adrianne Lenker and co. were truly on top form.
Highlights included ‘Shark Smile’, ‘Cattails’ and the immersive ‘Not’.
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| Stella Donnelly |
Other standouts included performances from newcomers Black Country, New Road on both the Far Out and the Rising stage, respectively. As a seven-piece consisting of three guitarists, a saxophonist, a violinist, a drummer, and a keyboardist, the result is something truly unique and unusual, with their song ‘Sunglasses’ being a truly spine-tingling and exhilarating release. This band are set to be cult heroes – surpassing the enigmatic Squid (sorry). The mix of genuine musical skill and shouty lyrics and abrasiveness were not to everyone’s taste but second showing (after they replaced KOKOKO! oOn the Far Out earlier) of the day was keenly lapped up by a strong hardcore following.
After making the decision to skip Car
Seat Headrest, despite seeing their engaging and raucous performances in
Paris last year, we set up stall for an evening of electronic music. First,
a wonderfully rhythmic set from Anglo-French stalwarts Stereolab, who
were returning to the live scene after a 10-year hiatus. The chilled-out
experience brought all aspects to the varied crowd on the rolling hills, before
Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, delivered a scintillating live set quite
literally illuminated by a vivid AV and light show. Rolling through his back
catalogue, he really up-stepped the set, throwing in some techno, jazz,
psychedelia, trip hop and much more. Even the somewhat quitter songs like ‘Two
Thousand and Seventeen’ seemed gigantic. The 90-minute showcase dispelled any
notion that Green Man is a boring affair. This was a hypnotism, an immersion,
and a eye-opening moment for many folks unaccustomed to this type of music. From
the delicate chimes of ‘Planet’ through to the more considered grooves of
‘Lush’, this a welcome primer not just for the excesses that follow into the
early hours, but hopefully for more frequent “bangers” on the Mountain Stage in
the years to come.
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| Stereolab |
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| Four Tet (on a blurry, wet phone) |
The party didn’t end there though. Moving back
to the Far Out stage for the late evening, Shy FX delivered an old
school of D’n’B and jungle – something which brought joy to those men who
wanted to be young again.
Moving into the final day, there were a lot
of sore heads and sore bodies. But there was no time to moan, as arguably the
biggest day of music was ahead of us. And yet again the sun remained! Despite
missing hotly-tipped Self Esteem early doors, the high-spirited Yak surely
made up for it. The perfect antidote to a hangover (or is it?). Dialling
back the more chaotic and improvised elements of their previous tours, the band
serve up smart and sharp renditions. They still remained on explosive form
nonetheless, erupting the audience with the loud ‘Blinded By The Lies’ – and
singer Oliver Henry Burslem finding himself crowdsurging throughout the closer.
Later, was the weird but captivating Aldous
Harding. With her, it was easy to see why those in the critical classes
have compared her to Kate Bush. She bewitched the Mountain Stage crowd with her
unpredictable mix of folk and chamber pop. A new song closed the set, which
featured Harding banging a mug with a drumstick (casual Sunday right?). It
should be terrible, shouldn’t it? The fact it wasn’t, illustrates how good she
was.
Despite not headlining, Eels draw the
biggest audience of the week – essentially packing out the main stage. They are
an absolute treat, reeling off crowd-pleasing numbers – from ‘I Like Birds’ to ‘Mr
E’s Beautiful Blues’ to an early cover of Prince’s ‘Raspberry Beret’. Mark E
Everett was on fine as always – charismatic, funny (a joke a minute at times),
and nicely arrogant. His somewhat brash and manic form were extended in his
hilarious and foulmouthed monologues – “We played the fucking Shrek song for
the kids, to make up for all the ‘fucks’,” he jokes after ‘I Need Some Sleep’ or
‘My Beloved Monster’, which were used in Shrek films. Fan, and personal,
favourite, ‘Novacaine for the Soul’ was the highlight – offering jilted cheers,
pints downed, and sunblock applied.
It was also clear that this wasn’t just a case
of “let’s set up camp at the main stage and stay all day” sort of afternoon, as
tempting as it was. In fact, Ezra Collective drew a large crowd for
their vibrant distinctive take on the modern London Jazz sound at the Far Out
Stage. To near capacity, the superb sounds ensured that even those on the
outside felt like they were in it. Simple.
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| Eels |
Sharon van Etten offered more somber reflection as the sun set and Sunday winded to its conclusion. With her almost punk rocker vibe and intense display of humility and energy that so embodies the festival, this was, in my opinion, arguably the set of the weekend. Having followed her from her early records of ‘Tramp’ and ‘Are We There’, she is now accompanied by a multi-talented band and at times, free to roam the stage without her guitar. Van Etten gave a commanding and confident performance, one which will stay in our memory for a long time to come. Flying through emotions during her hour set, from ‘Jupiter 4’ to ‘Serpents’ and ‘Comeback Kid’, the hyped mood crescendoed during the back-to-back performance of ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’. She had it all. Since expanding her sound with lavish and opulent new layers, her music has taken on an intricate kind of power, and as a live performer she wields it with breathtaking skill. Her set sparkles and glooms in equal parts. It is hard not to see her as a future headliner of not only Green Man, but the world’s very biggest stages.
Before heading to Chai Wallahs
and checking out the unstoppable John Talabot to close out the festival,
it was always going to be a tricky decision regarding the Sunday night
headlinder – having to choose between the exceptional Nilüfer Yanya, the
mighty showmanship of Father John Misty and the UK’s most vital band of
the moment, Idles. We opted for parts of the second and all of the first
– sorry Idles (although we are sure to see you soon) – with some saying “without
sounding too overwhelmed, it was honestly the best thing we’ve seen or heard
all year. Granted, they don’t exactly fit the ‘theme’ of this website, but the
warmth, wit and inspiration that this band can muster, whilst all the while
making people scream at the top of their lungs and bounce around for hours,
truly summed up the past four days”. Whichever act that people decided to opt
for, they were always going to be in for a treat.
Father John Misty brought people together, celebrated diversity and championed
the power of optimism – exactly the same as the philosophy of Green Man festival.
Backed by an orchestra, dressed in a sharp suit and armed with an
enviable arsenal back catalogue of wit, in many ways there’s more than a touch
of the classic performer about him. He’s thrilled to be headlining, too –
having spent a festival season more often than not playing a few hours before legends,
such as The Cure, to a front row of unimpressed oldies. Though his longer, more
wandering ballads grow a little wearing after a while, he creates a grand sense
of occasion that makes him nothing but a crowd-pleasing closer. Nilüfer Yanya, on
the other hand, delivered a supreme set of dreamy indie-pop captivating the
evening crowd in the Walled Garden. Radio favourites ‘Baby Blu’ and ‘Heavyweight
Champion of the Year’ stand out, yet it is ‘Safety Net’ and ‘In Your Head’
which show her true skill and diverse discography. Growing up listening to the
likes of Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse and Pixies, is expressed through her husky
voice and sparse, lo-fi sound – which is a fit between soul, R&B, indie and
rock. There are hints of King Krule. She is certainly one to watch for the
future.
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| Father John Misty |
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| Nilufer Yanya |
Finally, the annual
gathering ended with the usual burning of the Green Man effigy and fireworks display,
bringing everyone to the same space one final time. The ashes of which are the
wishes we all wrote and tied beforehand, to be send to the heavens. We’d
be surprised if our wish to return next year didn’t come true. At times like this, it becomes easy to forget
that beyond these fields, there exists a world that is becoming increasingly
devoid of Green Man’s core values of compassion and community.
Come Monday morning and there’s a slight
sadness in the air knowing that it’s all over for another year. But even as we
pull away from one last glance at that spot to return to what’s deemed as
civilisation, the road ahead becomes that little bit easier to navigate in the
knowledge that it will all happen again in 12 months.
Get onboard for 2020. Early bird tickets available in September from the Green Man site - https://www.greenman.net/
Get onboard for 2020. Early bird tickets available in September from the Green Man site - https://www.greenman.net/
All photos courtesy of // EDWARD BOWER (@edward_bower).
