Read Hayley’s blog post about the show here.

Finally got round to blogging about Green Man. It’s the fourth time I’ve been and the first time I’ve played.

I was on first on the Pub Stage, narrowly pipped at the post of being able to claim I opened the festival by We Aeronauts, the massive folk ensemble featuring James from Keyboard Choir who won the competition to play the main stage.

My set went well, the usual stuff… you’ve all seen it. Got soaked during soundcheck and the omnichord wasn’t working but it managed to sort itself by the time I came on.

You can hear a live track from my set and a brief interview with me on this week’s Bethan Elfyn show (on the listen again thing).

The rest of the festival was great. Animal Collective ruled but didn’t exactly play to the festival crowd. Bon Iver was good as I hoped. Wilco and Dirty Three were a nice surprise and I also enjoyed 9Bach and Right Hand Left Hand.

I’d forgotten how good it was actually. It’s much more relaxed than some other festivals I’ve been to, a generally friendly atmosphere and stunning surroundings. Ace.

Festivals – (1) Green Man even though it’s grown in size the festival still remains with the feeling of friendly intimacy, not that I ever went to it when it was half the size.  I don’t think I can see myself booking for something like Glastonbury, after festival experiences like this, and End of the Road in 2 weeks woop.

Films – Inglorious Basterds, ten years in the making, what?!  I can’t say I didn’t laugh because the whole concept seemed to be hodgepodged together combining a mock attempt at Cohen brothers style, with a poor man’s Ocean’s 11 and Hot Shots. It made me laugh because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing hailed as a masterpiece, I thought there were some scenes that worked really well, the opening one especially, but then Brad Pitt came along.

Things I’ve bought: a lame example of an iced latte from Coffee Tempo on the motorway, I never live and learn with this one.  2 shit coffees from the cinema ,I never learn with this one and the coffee costs more than the film, Beetroot crisps, Brew Dog beers, some razor blades which  got ID for.

Bizarre occurances: seeing Amy’s mannequin dressed up as a person with a pink wig, nearly using a jar of Tikka sauce that had been opened for three months and had turned slightly grey, Wilko wees, Waking up

Tonight is DJ Jay Krause hope he doesn’t puke on the turntables

My friend Simon is an ardent Usual Shopper; like so many of my friends, we first met on a Sunday morning at the original Brighton station car park boot sale. As well as an excellent collection of vinyl, over the years he’s accumulated an interesting selection of ways to play it, including this intriguing portable, battery-driven set-up. Here he is at the Green Man festival last weekend, spinning some tunes up against the wall as the Vertical DJ. The wooden board reading ‘Comedy Sex’ had been left there by a previous performer, he said, and was not an offer.

So there we were at the Green Man festival, looking for an escape from the rain early in the weekend (and a nice indoor cafe with a sit-down loo, but that’s another story). Couldn’t resist a poke around the local charity shops whilst off-site, of course; we couldn’t turn up any extra blankets or waterproofs, but J found a rather nice fur-collared woollen cardigan in Crickhowell, and I bought a bagful of brand-new stripey socks (£1 a pair) for myself and D in the Barnardo’s shop in Abergavenny. Were I more enterprising, I’d have bought the whole damn boxful and sold them for £2 or £3 a pair back at the festival – there must have been a lot of people there with cold or wet feet.

Planned to keep this light brown linen Zara dress (£3, car boot sale at Brighton Marina) for wearing to the office, but instead I packed it straight in my bag to take to the Green Man festival. Thought I might as well get it muddy before I washed it, and wasn’t in the mood for vintage florals in the end. Didn’t take this red cotton jacket (£2, car boot sale at Shoreham), but did wear the purple cardigan (see below) all weekend, as well as the Scandinavian one . I gave the navy blue poncho to M, who said it was one of the best festival garments ever. She sussed that it was meant to be worn with the buttons down one shoulder, not down the middle, and thus looked far better in it than I had done.

It was awesome. I write from croatia where I am working on the Electric Elephant Festival. The weather here is great, as expected but I’m blogging about how smart the weather was at GM and how it made all the difference!

Highlights for me: Zun Zun Egui, Trembling Bells, She Keeps Bees, Vetiver… wandering, some comedy… the weather…

Excellent stuff.

What a treat we all had, with the delights of bands I already knew and sought out like Animal Collective, Gang Gang Dance, Camera Obscura and Grizzly bear, to the unfamiliar Wilko, The Lesuire Society, The Gentle Good and Peter Broderick, just a few of the delights I saw stowed away in the Brecon Beacon’s last weekend.

The festival is all but a dream now, and it’s hard to imagine that I was ever there squatting on Andysloos and drinking chai brandies.

The moments were exceptional, to share beautiful music with friends and for me be the most open I have ever felt around people who I adore, was a real experience.

Some festival classics

Me getting Bon Iver confused with Akron Family, I wondered why they weren’t wearing headbands

Dom comparing everything to Battles and saying she’d have a cup of tomato ketchup

Owen’s incredible love of everything, “let’s have a lovely sit down,”  ”this wine it’s really lovely,”  ”that’s really lovely that is,”  “that’s a great photo,”  his enthusiasm obviously fuelled by his double breakfasts

Jay and his willy wees, pork scratchings and oh yes philosophy

Adam in his I’m moving vigour and real ale party antics till 6am

Amy “chai wallah wallah”

Mish to India, a rave in a cave, and the wicker man – all in five minutes

Chris, my little moomin friend, King Kreosote doesn’t suck, and if you think he does don’t say it to the man himself.

We had fun, we had chai, we had rain, we had laughs, we had scran (that one’s for Mat), it was a honkin time that will be documented

Here we come . . . whoop 

……to the Green Man Festival.  Four days of camping below Table mountain just outside Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons national park.  Fingers crossed the sun will be out and I will be able to lay out in the grounds of Glanusk park soaking up some alternative folk and psychedelia with a warm ale.  Bliss and for once I will just look at the hills and not even think about climbing them (well I am popping back the following weekend to climb them!).

Dig this- Golden Animals on a must see  esteemed list along song side Hawkwind, Jarvis Cocker and more.  The band is trudging across England completing several club dates now, before heading to Brecon Beacons for the Green Man sonic explosion at weeks end.

A GREEN MAN SELECTION
Known as a destination for the more discerning festival-goer, the Green Man festival launched in 2003 as a one-day, 300 capacity event. With the likes of James Yorkston, King Creosote and The Memory Band on that first line-up, it instantly marked itself out as the place to go to see the best artists slightly off the beaten track. Now a 10,000 capacity, three day event, this year’s headliners are Animal Collective, Jarvis Cocker and Wilco, with other acts including British Sea Power, Gang Gang Dance, Broken Records, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, Peggy Sue and She Keeps Bees. Here are a few of our favourites.

01: Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
It took me a long time to really ‘get’ the new Animal Collective album. But it was this song that kept pulling me back to it again and again until something finally clicked. Still my favourite song on there, this video for ‘Summertime Clothes’ is a bit of an assault on the senses. What a perfect way to get started.

02: Blue Roses – Doubtful Comforts
Having received a lot of critical attention this year, Blue Roses, aka Laura Groves, should win over a few more followers with her Green Man set. And she’ll win you over too right now, with this stunning lo-fi live performance.

03: Camera Obscura – French Navy
Well-established Scottish twee types Camera Obscura will be a big pull for those of you who long for Belle & Sebastian to do something again. And this track from their latest album, ‘My Maudlin Career’, suggests that you will leave happy.

04: Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – Howard
Nothing about this suggests genius. Not the name. Not the song title. And certainly not the quite terrible video. But with summery, Beach Boys-esque tones, ‘Howard’ are something quite lovely to behold.

05: Golden Animals – Steady Roller
A surprisingly short step away from the sound of Dent May, this lazily strummed 70s-style rock has quite a calming effect. A bit of sun and a few Rizlas with some dubious contents and this could be a festival highlight.

06: Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Here’s one of the songs of the year, and a band who know how to impress a crowd when they play live. You can expect this show to draw a sizeable chunk of the Green Man audience when they play the main stage on Saturday.

07: Hawkwind – Silver Machine
There will be a certain amount of tweeness at Green Man. Not when Hawkwind are on, though. When Hawkwind are on there will be a certain amount of rocking your face clean off you skull.

08: Jarvis Cocker – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time
What is there to say about Saturday headliner and national treasure Jarvis Cocker that hasn’t already been said? Probably nothing. So let us just bask in the sheer brilliance of this video.

09: Scott Matthews – Elusive
Sounding something like an understated Jeff Buckley, Scott Matthews is a bit moody. Look at his black and white video, hunched back and occasional gazes into the distance. He’ll be providing some much needed Sunday afternoon sombreness.

10: Wilco – Box Full Of Letters
Sunday headliners Wilco have been going for fifteen years now (longer if you count founder members Jeff Tweedy and John Stirratt’s previous band Uncle Tupelo), and have just released their seventh album. Let’s skip back to their first ever single, ‘Box Full Of Letters’, which was released back in 1995.

CMU Daily

I have argued before that capes and ponchos are the perfectly-evolved garments for festivals. You can throw them on over layer after layer of clothing and still be able to move one’s arms freely, and use them as picnic rugs or extra bed-covers; they effectively function as a wearable, sort-of-stylish adult comfort blanket.  I shall be wearing this smart dark navy wool-mix one over a dress at Green Man and End of the Road,  accessorised with wellies, but should stop short of wearing a silk scarf as well – there’s that fine line between retro/vintage and old ladies’ outfits. All found this week at a jumble sale this week in Ringmer.

GREEN MAN 2009 ARE AVAILABLE NOW – CLICK HERE

Spring is in the air and Green Man is less than 6 months away! We’re really excited to announce the first acts for this summer’s festival.

Grammy award winners Wilco, 2008’s hottest success Bon Iver, as well as Wooden Shjips, British Sea Power, Errors, Peggy Sue, Megson, Pivot, It’s A Buffalo, She Keeps Bees, Golden Animals, 6 Day Riot, No Thee No Ess, Sound Carriers and Martin Carr. Bella Union will be hosting a night showcasing their emerging new talent including Beach House and Peter Broderick and others. Also appearing will be The Amorphous Androgynous (AKA Future Sound Of London) taking you on a Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind for 7 hours of life changing experiences.

This year’s festival will see more than 100 acts play indie, psychedelia, americana and folk across 5 stages, while DJ’s playing everything from psychedlia, dub-reggae, modern electro and stoner rock will keep the party alive right through the night.

There are also art installations, literature and film tents, Welsh poetry, art and music, ceilidhs, poetry, theatre, science, comedy, Nature and Nurture massage area, a daily dusk till dawn bonfire, impromptu jamming sessions, and the wonderful food stalls offering a wide range of mouth watering cuisine most of which is locally sourced and organic. More than enough to keep you stimulated…and we haven’t even mentioned the local cider served from an array of quirky bars dotted around the site with the only 24-hour drinks licences at a UK festival, serving everything from real ale, wine, hot toddies to cocktails.
We also want to announce the first of many new hidden surprises around the site. Einstein’s Garden, will introduce thought provoking green issues in a fun, informative way, and Little Folk, is a larger childrens area with even more workshops, entertainment and great stuff to do.

From feedback from last year’s festival many of you wanted to include the festival into a longer holiday in Wales, so this year we are offering a Holiday Ticket, where for only an extra £30 you can arrive on site on Monday 17th and camp for a further 3 days in Glanusk Park. This exclusive offer enables you to stay on site for a full week and experience all the wonderful activities on offer in the surrounding Brecon Beacons including fishing, hiking, climbing, riding and exploring the incredible countryside.

We are all interested in supporting the environment so we are introducing a greener way for everyone to travel to and from the festival. The Green Bus will take you right into the festival site from most City destinations. Not only do you get to travel to and from the festival onboard this fantastic coach, but you’ll also be leaving the smallest possible carbon footprint both to and from the festival. We are also offering a free shuttle bus service from Abergevanny Train Station to and from the festival site for all of you coming by train. More information will be announced shortly.

All this and more, nestled amongst the waterfalls and rolling hills of the stunning Brecon Beacons in Wales, providing a real sense of escape and an opportunity of experiencing something truly unique and magical.

Tickets for this summer’s festival will go on sale on Tuesday 3rd March, available through the Green Man website. We will also be announcing the first acts on that day too. As well as regular priced tickets we are also introducing a specially discounted ticket for students this year.

This year promises to be our most magical festival yet: a unique weekend of music, dancing, film, comedy, art and culture hidden away among the mountains and waterfalls of Glanusk Park in the Brecon Beacons. This ancient and beautiful landscape is open for just these few days a year, so join us to celebrate the age-old season of renewal, with fires, ceremony, togetherness and a stunning line-up of music ranged across five stages.

Win tickets to see festival favourites on tour

This year’s Green Man Festival was all kinds of incredible: an incredible amount of rain fell, an incredible mudbath transpired, an incredibly vile chai tea was drunk (I may be alone in that opinion) and plenty of incredible music was heard. One of my two regrets was not getting to see the wonderful Mary Hampton (the other was missing Alela Diane, grr!) so I was quite pleased when this piece of news dropped into my inbox today. Mary, whose debut album proper My Mother’s Children is pure folk perfection, will be heading out on the road with fellow Green Man crowd pleaser Pete Greenwood for a 10-date UK ‘Green Man On Tour’ extravaganza, including an in-store appearance at Cardiff’s legendary record shop Spillers. It kicks off in Glasgow on November 25th and ends up in Mary’s native Brighton on December 6th.

The nice people at Green Man are offering a pair of tickets to a gig of your choice, and all you have to do is answer this easy peasy question: Who headlined the Saturday night at this year’s Green Man Festival? This website is your friend. Ping an email to carl@thegreenmanfestival.co.uk with your answer and which gig you would prefer to go to and, well, you might just get to go for free. Dates below the cut.

25.11.08 Captain’s Rest, Glasgow
26.11.08 The Bowery, Edinburgh
27.11.08 All Saints Church, Newcastle
28.11.08 Dulcimer, Manchester
30.11.08 Waiting Room, Eaglescliffe
01.12.08 The Luminaire, London
03.12.08 Cube Cinema, Bristol
04.12.08 Slak Bar, Cheltenham
05.12.08 Spillers in-store, Cardiff
06.12.08 Unitarian Church, Brighton 

Alan Pedder

Mary Hampton, ‘Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s Hair’ [live]

Celebrating the launch of their highly-anticipated debut album, Cats In Paris talk to Second City about their short time together, Paris Hilton and urine…

“When we decided to put the band together, we only had one practice to do everything. We disappeared to a floor of a disused warehouse with a 48-can crate and blankets and didn’t emerge until 9am the next day.

“There was a dark spot around 4am where everything sounded awful. We were playing a blues jam – Ben screamed and turned everything off!

“Then Sarah knocked over the bucket we’d been using as a toilet all night and there was piss everywhere. And that’s when we wrote ‘Cold Products’…”

Unconventional is probably the word that sums Cats In Paris up best. The genre-dodging foursome don’t conform to much else going on concurrently, and their abstract sound is pricking up ears nationwide.

With their first album – ‘Courtcase 2000’ – out now on Akoustik Anarkhy, the abstract band have come a long way in a relatively short while…

“We sort of became a band by accident really,” recalls Ben Summers (drums). “Cats In Paris was a name I gave to some drum tracks I put on Myspace with no intention  of doing anything with. I was living with Michael and I sent him a friend request anonymously because I was too embarrassed!

“Anyway, the tracks were passed around and someone actually asked me to play a gig, so I suddenly thought, ‘Shit, I need to get a band together!’

“Sarah’s my girlfriend and Loreon and I had played in bands before. We played that gig, someone liked it and we got asked to do a few more. We took it from there really.”

“I’d never been in a band before,” adds Sarah. “It was my first ever gig, so I was dead nervous all day. I decided just before it to lock myself in the toilet and not play, but then nobody noticed so I came out and sulked when we went onstage. That was quite funny now I think about it.”

So far, unlike most bands, the original line-up is still intact – although there have been countless changes in the instrumental setup.

“We had Sarah on drums too at one point,” explains Ben. “So we had double drums. We didn’t even have vocals at first. I was on guitar for a bit, then we changed a bit more and played with three synths, then two synths. And then I got a cowbell, and the rest is history!”

Image-wise, there have been changes too.

“We used to wear cat masks and T-shirts of Paris Hilton,” admits Michael. “We take it very, very seriously now, maybe up to 60% seriousness and 40% party humour!” And with half the band sporting t-shirts featuring felines, the fun factor is still evident.

They’ve enjoyed a busy summer, having already made a festival performance at Green Man.

“It was a great festival,” Sarah recalls. “Really good fun. It’s a very nice festival. You can just wander round and talk to anyone. We played the sunny day, so loads of people were lazing around watching us which was cool.”

“It was quite wet after that though,” adds Michael. “They all stayed but I went to my mum’s hot-tub in her garden and drank wine instead!”

Michael goes on to enthuse over what it’s like to have the album out on respected undeground label, Akoustik Anarhky.

“It’s brilliant. They have a really nice, liberal attitude, and at the same time seem to have a lot of footholds in places. So we kind of get everything sorted out for us on that front that really bores us. It’s pretty prime; I couldn’t ask for a better record situation.”

So what’s on the horizon for CIP?

“Well, we’re going to do some more recordings. We would like to do a tour, but we can’t be bothered sorting one out ourselves, so we’d like to jump on someone else’s! We want to get another 7” out – it’s going to be shark-themed. We just want to keep putting stuff out really; it’s nice to be continually talked about, y’know….”

Photos taken at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor St.

The debut album, ‘Courtcase 2000′ is out now on Akoustik Anarhky.

We’re pleased to announce that Jo and Danny, the founders of Green Man Festival have just released their debut album ‘Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World‘ on Static Caravan now. Click here to order

‘Moments of glory abound on this bright, funky and
outstandingly groovy album’. **** Mojo

‘The spirit of classic West Coast psychedelia is alive and well
and living in The Yellow Moon Band.’ **** The Independent

‘..groovy…folky pastoral…astral rocking.’  **** The Scotsman

‘…lysergically spiralling guitars….make this magic
carpet ride such a hit.’ **** Rock n Reel

‘…a beautifully bewitching listen.’ NME

‘Sweet pastrol grooves, their guitar tones
multi faceted like diamonds’ Plan B

‘It’s not even January and I’m looking forward to seeing this
record at the top of writers End of Year lists’ Shindig

‘An intoxicating gem of an album’ Piccadilly Records ‘Album of the Week

Just a reminder that we have a YouTube channel set up with lots of footage of previous performances from Green Man. Click here to visit the site.
Here’s a video of Fuck Buttons performance on the Folkey Dokey stage at this years festival