Live Review: Green Man Festival 2021
The thought of going to a festival barely seemed real at the start of the summer; certainly not with the more cautious Welsh government's approach to allowing large scale events. Two test events in Liverpool, a reduced capacity Download and then a full Latitude seemed to show a positive summer for festivals.
However, the lack of convincing and thorough insurance policies and the fact all three test events were run by Festival Republic, ensured many small independent events struggled to get off the ground.
But as England removed social distancing measures and the legal requirement to wear masks in public places, Wales held off as the Delta variant began to take hold - things looked bleak for Green Man. But then came the news that fans of the festival were waited for - The Welsh government relaxed the rules and it was on! It had a full line up(see above) and all with a month to spare.
Earlier in the year, I took a look back at the festival - held at Glanusk Estate in the Brecon Beacons - and the 5 I had attended from 2015 (See link below). It has become an important part of musical life, helping to shape my tastes; and this year was no different.
Thursday is a day of acclimatising, taking in the stunning beauty of the site - and praying it doesn't chuck it down when you're putting the tent up. Thankfully, it was to stay dry for the forseeable future and the party could start finally. Wet Leg open the Far Out Tent - the festival's second stage and most eclectic line up. The hype around the band's current single 'Chaise Lounge' saw a large crowd form. The set is short and sweet with crowd participation for the 6 Music endorsed single.
The first act that really holds my attention however is the superb Yard Act from Leeds - Think Gang of Four's sonic unpredicability with the loose fit slacker funk of the Happy Mondays, fronted by a young Jarvis Cocker with 'The Collected Works of John Cooper Clarke' for company. A highlight is recent single 'Fixer Upper'; that pokes fun and takes aim at Middle Class aspirations of multiple home ownership at a time when many can't afford to buy one. Listen to the track below.
The party really gets started when Working Men's Club crank up the volume with their New Order-inspired collection of songs. There's a definite mass release from the crowd that is palpable; people have waited to dance like this at a festival for quite some time - and boy do they go for it.
Friday is perhaps - at least on paper - the weakest day of the bill for me. I take this as an opportunity to explore some of the more obscure names of the bill, particularly early on. First on in the Far Out Tent is the ferocious two-piece John - with riff after riff calvacading out of the speakers and a singing drummer. Obvious comparisons are to Royal Blood and Death from Above 1979, but John have a darker, more intetesting edge to them both.
📷 Natalie Wright
Big Joanie arrive as we take our first real foray to the Mountain Stage; the festival's stunning central location. A feminist punk band on Kill Rock Stars who supported Bikini Kill on their U.K leg of the European Tour - they go down well with a sizeable crowd. As do The Surfing Magazines - a band consisting of members of The Wave Pictures and Slow Club. It's a fun hour full of amusing anecdotes, playful surf and effortless, dreamy solos.
Indecisiveness means we only see a bit of both of Los Bitchos and Stephen Fretwell's sets - the latter's charm and wit making up for the annoyance caused. We redeem ourselves by heading back to the Mountain Stage for an incredible set from Nadine Shah. Her vocals are raw with emotion and it's overwhelming for both artist and audience.
The first real crowd pleasing set of the day we see is by Django Django. Like Working Men's Club before them, there's a sense that the crowd are well up for this. That sense of togetherness stretches into a sublime set from headliners Caribou, and the joy is very much a pertinent reminder of the importance of being in the moment.
The thing with being in those incredible mountains is you're never far from a drop of rain - and so it turned out most of Saturday morning. In fact, the forecast was for much more during the day. Now I'm not one for exaggerating, but Chester's own Peaness definitely got rid of the rain with the power of great Pop music, harmonies and a positive attitude - definitely needed after wading through mud to see them.
Mid-afternoon on the Mountain Stage is a laidback affair. Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita create a beautiful union between Finch's harp and the 21-stringed kora - an instrument from Keita's native Senegal. They're followed by Nottingham singer Yazmin Lacey who creates a smooth blend of Soul and Hip Hop that reminds me of Soul II Soul.
The highlight of the day though is an extraordinary set from Tyneside folk oddball and Green Man institution Richard Dawson. Arriving on stage on his own, Dawson announces he is going to play the whole set unaccompanied and begins his set with a 12 minute a ccapella about a murderous quiltmaker. The linear crowd reaction ranged from laughter to bemusement, all the way through to rapture by the end. Dawson weaves tracks from his '2020' album with anecdotes and older material and it's a truly special hour from a truly special writer and performer.
Returning to Green Man again as penultimate act of the day is Gruff Rhys, frontman of the legendary North Wales indie stalwarts Super Furry Animals - A band I've seen many times over the years, including their 2015 Green Man headline set. Playing songs from his numerous solo albums, Rhys' set is rousing indie pop in a day that has often had a much lower tempo.
Finishing the day on the Mountain Stage is a return for Scottish Post Rock legends Mogwai. The experimental soundscapes of their new album 'As The Love Continues' make up the majority of their set; not entirely surprising as it was a surprise Number 1 for the band. The band take the volume up a notch towards the end of their set and the likes of 'Mogwai fear Satan' soar out of the speakers in a crescendo of noise.
The biggest star on the Sunday is the very one we weren't expecting it to be - the sun comes out for the whole day! So much so, we actually end up sunburnt later in the day due to a lack of suncream; lesson leaned, always expect the unexpected in these hills! We start at the beautiful Walled Garden stage with some bands we knew nothing about: The slick 80s influenced pop of Speedboat and the Americana meets The National sounds of The Golden Dregs. Both go down rather well with some breakfast cider.
Steamdown raise the temperature even further with their Jazz, Funk and Hip Hop fushion on The Mountain Stage. Their vibrant performance wakes up even the most hungover in the crowd. It's almost perfect support for the absolutely intense show of musicianship from Thundercat. Clad head to toe in Gold, with Gold dreadlocks and trainers for good measure, Thundercat is clearly the coolest man at the show. Effortlessly shredding on his 12 string bass and singing angelic falsettos like Prince, this set blows plenty of minds.
It's the Far Out Tent that has the best of the closing acts however. Snapped Ankles bring their Krautrock and Rave inspired antics early evening - it's an absolute joy to behold. If you like the idea of grown men dressed as Yetis laying down some serious grooves, these lot are for you. For pure Pop, it's Self Esteem that steal the show. Rebecca Taylor's upbeat message of female empowerment goes down well with a rammed tent. Taylor gets openly emotional throughout the set and it's clear we're watching someone who will play much bigger stages than this in the coming years.
It's a tough call on who to choose when the last headliner's are clashing and they happen to be Fontaines D.C and Teenage Fanclub. We opt for the latter and the Glaswegian veterans play a mix of material from their new album and classics from their 30 year plus career. It's a solid set that appeals to the nostalgia in us.
After Teenage Fanclub end, the Green Man is set alight in the festival's symbolic and spectacular ending - fireworks shoot across the night sky and it heralds the end of Green Man for another year. It's a moment that is joyous, yet tinged with sadness as we remember a difficult 18 months. Thank goodness then, that places like Green Man exist to allow us to dream, escape and play.
Comments
Post a Comment