Green Man
The big daddy of the Welsh festival season is upon us once more. Unsurprisingly, tickets have sold out, as they often do, but if you’re looking to make sense of the gargantuanly stacked lineup without the aid of quantum physics, then we have a helping hand for you. The first night of the festival, on Thurs 15, won’t go overboard, but will feature Amadou & Miriam, Pictish Trail and These New Puritans to kick things off. The first of those, especially, will bring their effortlessly sunny and elegant Afro-pop stylings; the Malian duo’s live shows are never less than a party.
Fri 16 swings into gear proper with a set from evergreen New Jersey psych-heads Yo La Tengo, one of the most persistently imaginative US bands of the last three decades, whilst further down the bill at the Far Out stage you’ll find Gwenno extolling the virtues of cultural ambassadorship for Celtic nations. For those who’d rather be crying in terror than relaxed, the Moviedrome is screening the 1922 version of Nosferatu, though that same stage has quite an eclectic mix over the weekend – Saturday includes Being Frank and Sunday the Palme D’or winner Shoplifters, both some of the most humanely brilliant films of the past year.
The comedy stage, The Last Laugh, leans heavily on Welsh talent, with Kiri Pritchard-Mclean and Lloyd Langford taking headline spots and local favourites like Owen Niblock and Esyllt Sears also popping up throughout.
Sat 17 and Sun 18 is arguably the most stacked section of the bill overall. Four Tet’s head-expanding rhythms follow the reformed Stereolab on the mainstage, though Stella Donnelly a little bit further down the track will also hold you in good stead. The Far Out tent also sees Richard Thompson, long one of the UK’s best songwriters and guitarists, take centre stage. Whilst Thompson’s music isn’t exactly known for being cheery, you can always get even more downbeat by catching the Scots duo Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert, whose stories of depression and broken hearts will cheer up even the most miserly grump.
Sun 18 pops off with a trio of American songwriters, each unique in their own way – the rambling hipster king Father John Misty, the melodic smarts of Eels, and the heart-on-sleeve Americana of Sharon Von Etten. If you’re more into your UK end of things, Idles headline the Far Out stage that same night. Their thunderous live reputation is sure to finish things off on a high. Just don’t let them see your Sleaford Mods t-shirt.
Glanusk Park Estate, Brecon Beacons, Thurs 15-Sun 18 Aug. Tickets (sold out, check for returns): £189 weekend/£163 NUS/£121 13-17-year-olds/£21 5-12-year-olds/under-5s free with a ticket. Info www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk
Words: Fedor Tot
