Situated in the picturesque Welsh mountains, Green Man has always been a firm favourite of many punters looking for a little bit of variety in their festival experience. With a reliably fantastic curation of music, arts, comedy, and more to digest every year, they’ve never failed to live up to expectations when announcing their line-up – nor do they when the festival arrives. With it only a week away and with WAX in attendance, we’ve delved into what we believe are ten of the must-see musical performances on offer, and there truly is a little something for everyone within.
The One For The Early Birds: Sheer Mag – Thursday, Far Out
Some of you might be racing to clock off work early, pulling a sickie or driving a long distance to arrive early doors on Thursday, but if you’re lucky enough to have made it to the mountains by late afternoon then the first thing on your agenda (after putting the tent up) ought to be Philadelphia classic rock revivalists Sheer Mag. Propelled by the belting vocals of Tina Halladay and bashing out delightful power pop riffs, they’ve got all the quirks and charms of a band who simply enjoy jamming in the garage, but with more than enough pomp about them to fill a massive stage.
The Competition Winners: The Orchestra (For Now) – Friday, Mountain Stage
We’ve heard it all before somewhere; a large ensemble of fresh-faced Londoners tearing up the DIY scene with their brand of sprawling post-rock with maudlin undertones and unusual rock instrumentation choices. Despite this story seemingly being applicable to a number of bands that have emerged in the last half-decade, there’s good reason as to why The Orchestra (For Now) are being hailed as potential stars of tomorrow. The fact they’ve earned a spot opening on the Mountain Stage having won this year’s prestigious Green Man Rising competition surely proves they’re worth catching.
The Ultimate Festival Band: Personal Trainer – Friday, Walled Garden
If one seven-strong collective wasn’t quite enough, perhaps Amsterdam’s Personal Trainer ought to be next on your agenda. Having only just released their stellar second album Still Willing via Bella Union, the Dutch indie rockers have been summoned to perform where they perform best – in a field. While the feelgood quality of their songs is certainly a solid reason to pay them a visit in the Walled Garden, their unmatched enthusiasm and madcap antics are the real reason they shouldn’t be missed when gracing a festival stage. You better believe they’ll be giving their all as they always do.
The Nightlife: SHERELLE – Friday, Far Out
For the uninitiated, the Far Out is the place to be after dark if you’re after something more akin to a nightclub vibe, and the standout offering destined to set the party alight is none other than DJ and producer SHERELLE. Armed with a fine selection of jungle, footwork and breakbeats, the Hooversound co-founder will be playing into the early hours, and is certain to have the crowd in awe of her phenomenal mixing chops. If you’re wondering whether to have a coffee at 5pm to keep you going through the night, don’t bother – this set will have more energy in it.
The Hangover Cure: Rachael Lavelle – Saturday, Walled Garden
If you’ve been following this guide to the letter so far then hopefully you’re enjoying yourself, but please don’t blame me for that splitting headache you’re nursing after a big Friday night. Once you’ve mustered the bravery to emerge from your sleeping cocoon you’ll want a gentle set to restore you back to health, and the best place for that will be back in the Walled Garden with Irish art pop purveyor Rachael Lavelle. Last year’s debut album Big Dreams was a beautifully serene but inventive record that charmed our socks off here at WAX, and the fashion in which her voice soars is sure to cure any ailments.
The Hot Ticket: The New Eves – Saturday, Rising
If the last few years are anything to go by, the Rising stage always has at least one act that are on the verge of blowing up big time. Following in the footsteps of acts such as English Teacher and The Last Dinner Party, Brighton neo-folk quartet The New Eves seem to have something about them that will tip them towards stardom in the next couple of years. Sounding like a potent mix of Patti Smith, Jefferson Airplane and The Raincoats, they’re far from folk as a traditionalist might care to admit, but they’re a breath of fresh air in today’s contemporary scene. Expect the crowd to go back several rows for this one.
The Early Evening Pick-Me-Up: Ibibio Sound Machine – Saturday, Far Out
There’s always a point where you feel like the energy is running low at a festival, requiring an urgent remedy to evade disaster. Step in Ibibio Sound Machine, a band who have ‘party atmosphere’ running through their DNA. Their canny placement halfway through Saturday’s proceedings will be sure to reinvigorate anyone within a certain radius with their blend of afro-pop and bass-heavy disco. On latest album Pull The Rope they demonstrate how easily they manage to create this gigantic sound on record – just imagine how good that will be in the flesh…
The Big Headliner: Big Thief – Saturday, Mountain Stage
Every festival needs a good headline act to steal the show, and while Green Man always delivers in this area, the must-watch ones this time around have to be Big Thief. Now one of the biggest acts in the world within their field, being regarded as amongst the modern greats means that their position on the top of the bill is more than justified. They’ve been praised for their rawness as well as Adrianne Lenker’s brutally frank lyrics, so expect tearful and joyful moments in almost equal measure as the sun sets over Bannau Brycheiniog.
The One Unlike Anything Else: O. – Sunday, Far Out
While the honeymoon phase of UK jazz’s resurgence might have passed, we’ve entered a period where its convergence with other genres is beginning to seep through into the spotlight. One prime example of an act pushing the concept to absolute extremes is O., who incorporate elements of punk, metal, hip-hop and electronic music into their craft to create something that’s as jarring as it is captivating. The most surprising aspect of all of this? There’s only two of them, but with the glorious racket they make you’d be mistaken for thinking there’s more than just a baritone sax and drum kit involved in this one-of-a-kind act.
The Last Hurrah: Model/Actriz – Sunday, Walled Garden
Sure, you might want something uplifting to cap off your Green Man experience, but have you considered an all-out sonic assault of industrial noise and no wave as an alternative? Model/Actriz will most certainly have you covered on that front. Their head-spinning album Dogsbody from last year pitted punishing beats against tense atmosphere, and their live show only dials that up with the additional theatrical presence of vocalist Cole Haden. Essentially, if your journey home this year isn’t plagued by mild tinnitus, then you’ve gone wrong somewhere.
Words: Reuben Cross
Listen to the playlist below for more tasters of what’s to come at this year’s Green Man Festival, and follow them here for further updates on what’s in store.