The Green Man Festival
Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons
17th August, 2007

View: all over the show

The loveliest, friendliest event on the calendar lived up to its brand of gentle hype, with three days of cider-goggled pastoral beauty. An utter triumph – and that was just the food and lavs – included Fanfarlo, Euros Childs (formerly of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), Bill Callahan (Smog), Joanna Newsom and stoners Dead Meadow, while lo-fi folk Monkey Swallows The Universe’s Gravestones was perhaps the highlight. Other fine performances came from The Broken Family Band, the uplifting Vetiver, The North Sea Radio Orchestra and Vashti Bunyan, with a set drawing on both her 70s and 2005 material. This was all in stark contrast to the ferocious post-punk of Battles. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation provided several recent tracks, then a handful of climactic Led Zep classics, including Whole Lotta Love, which won loudest cheer of the weekend. The ‘most bizarre set’ prize was snatched from the lounge Misty’s Big Adventure by the harp-screeching, jazz-drumming two-piece, Directing Hand – acid flashbacks all round. Arab Strap’s Malcolm Middleton and Alasdair Roberts energised the main stage before a virtuoso John Renbourn. Devendra Banhart (who followed Super Furries frontman Gruff Rhys) opened with Seahorse and a lively set was dominated by new material such as the Santana-esque Carmencita. Any festival where you can lie on the floor listening to Shirley Collins lecture on traditional Sussex songs and watch a Children’s Craft Parade is a winner.

Reviewed by Jono Scott
<< Back to Issue 343

Login Here

Free Newsletter


Subscribe to
our email newsletter by emailing:

anna.bowen@
metropolis.co.uk