M reports on the highlights from this year’s Green Man festival, with help from PRS for Music’s field team.
1. Swans, Far Out Stage, Sunday
Blimmineck, no one could have prepared the Far Out tent for Swans. These scary hairy noise merchants closed the festival with an intense two-hour set of decaying psychedelia that must’ve blown everyone’s eardrums if not a few minds too. With just five songs in their set, this classic US post-punk outfit wigged out longtime, with waves of feedback, guitar thrum, percussion and wild drumming combining to deliver a bone-shaking performance that we’ll not forget anytime soon.
1. Swans, Far Out Stage, Sunday
Blimmineck, no one could have prepared the Far Out tent for Swans. These scary hairy noise merchants closed the festival with an intense two-hour set of decaying psychedelia that must’ve blown everyone’s eardrums if not a few minds too. With just five songs in their set, this classic US post-punk outfit wigged out longtime, with waves of feedback, guitar thrum, percussion and wild drumming combining to deliver a bone-shaking performance that we’ll not forget anytime soon.
Flamingods were serious contenders for Best Show of the Weekend - a big lovely warm surprise! Their mix of performance, percussion and passion had everyone going wild in the graveyard midday slot. Dubbed ‘ethnic pop’, this Bahraini five-piece chuck tribal rhythms, eastern melodies and freak folk into a pot, bringing it to the boil with gusto. They even had belly dancers!
3. Fuck Buttons, Far Out Stage, Friday
More insane noise, this time from an up-for-it Bristolian duo with an electronic bent. Fuck Buttons are Green Man regulars and it’s easy to see why – they coast over the coveted Friday night Far Out headline slot with building soundscapes and bouncing beats, always managing to work revellers into a frenzy. We were defenceless.
4. Patti Smith’s harp version of John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy, Far Out Stage, Thursday
Spine-tingly and sad, this was the highlight of Patti’s Thursday night performance. She also made Summertime Blues sound spiritual but defiant.
5. Money, Far Out Stage, Thursday
Esoteric indie four-piece Money were in their element both on and off stage at the Far Out tent, with frontman Jamie Lee mingling in the crowd for an impromptu pre-gig a capella before jumping onto the stage and unleashing a wave of lush melodies from anticipated debut album The Shadow of Heaven. Mesmerising stuff.
6. Local Natives, Mountain Stage, Sunday
Ironically, this Los Angeles band seemed perfectly at home singing to a full moon over the Brecon Beacons. Yet another moment when the weather, setting, music and real ale seem to add up to more than the sum of their parts.
7. Veronica Falls' Beachy Head, Walled Garden, Sunday
Jumping around to nihilistic female doom-pop provided a novel break from the Walled Garden beards and banjos!
8. James Endeacott in conversation, Talking Shop, Saturday
Band manager, A&R and ex-Loop guitarist James Endeacott discussed everything from signing the Strokes and the Libertines to working on the selection formula behind the X Factor (‘keep the top 10 percent and the bottom 10 percent’). Also in this tent: Edwyn Collins meets Julian Cope for the first time in 30 years. Amazing!
Esoteric indie four-piece Money were in their element both on and off stage at the Far Out tent, with frontman Jamie Lee mingling in the crowd for an impromptu pre-gig a capella before jumping onto the stage and unleashing a wave of lush melodies from anticipated debut album The Shadow of Heaven. Mesmerising stuff.
6. Local Natives, Mountain Stage, Sunday
Ironically, this Los Angeles band seemed perfectly at home singing to a full moon over the Brecon Beacons. Yet another moment when the weather, setting, music and real ale seem to add up to more than the sum of their parts.
7. Veronica Falls' Beachy Head, Walled Garden, Sunday
Jumping around to nihilistic female doom-pop provided a novel break from the Walled Garden beards and banjos!
8. James Endeacott in conversation, Talking Shop, Saturday
Band manager, A&R and ex-Loop guitarist James Endeacott discussed everything from signing the Strokes and the Libertines to working on the selection formula behind the X Factor (‘keep the top 10 percent and the bottom 10 percent’). Also in this tent: Edwyn Collins meets Julian Cope for the first time in 30 years. Amazing!
Marin, official photographer, Various Stages
Listen, if it wasn’t Cheech it was his double. I think Green Man is the kind of festival that might actually employ Cheech.
10. The good nature, everywhere, every day
The festival managed to be freed-up and feral without compromising what you’d expect of a major event. Everything felt hand chosen. Even the security guards were laughing.
Listen to our Green Man playlist here.
Each year, PRS for Music sends a field team to work backstage at all the major UK festivals. They gather set lists from all the performers and the information is processed so that songwriters get paid when their music is played on-stage.
If you are a PRS for Music member and want to report your festival appearances, please email MajorLiveEventsandTours@prsformusic.com
This year's field team at the Green Man festival were: Dave Butler, Mike Knight, Steve Barker and Anita Awbi
Listen, if it wasn’t Cheech it was his double. I think Green Man is the kind of festival that might actually employ Cheech.
10. The good nature, everywhere, every day
The festival managed to be freed-up and feral without compromising what you’d expect of a major event. Everything felt hand chosen. Even the security guards were laughing.
Listen to our Green Man playlist here.
Each year, PRS for Music sends a field team to work backstage at all the major UK festivals. They gather set lists from all the performers and the information is processed so that songwriters get paid when their music is played on-stage.
If you are a PRS for Music member and want to report your festival appearances, please email MajorLiveEventsandTours@prsformusic.com
This year's field team at the Green Man festival were: Dave Butler, Mike Knight, Steve Barker and Anita Awbi
