In Review: Green Man Festival 2023
Oh Green Man, you have our hearts, minds, and wallets again.
Quickly becoming a staple of the UK music calendar, almost to the chagrin of regulars like ourselves (tickets sold out in record time this year, with over 25,000 being snapped up in less than 24 hours), the festival based in the heart of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park has become one of the last true bastions of sonic and cultural celebration on the festival circuit. After all, if we don’t have culture, what do we have?
When people ask me why I think so much of Green Man, I simply reply “great music, fantastic food, a jovial party-like atmosphere, and most importantly of all, it's a festival devoid of any idiots.” It’s this community-like feel that resonates with you at Green Man, strangers become neighbours, enablers and friends across the space of four days, or seven if you opt for an increasingly popular Settlement ticket, in arguably the most picturesque part of the country (I might be a little biased, I am Welsh after all).
The Walkmen by Tom Preece
As we journeyed down from Manchester, taking in the sprawling Welsh hills that form the route to the festival gates, the weather was holding up and the queue beers began to flow. After a suspiciously easy six-man tent set up, we headed into the arena to catch the first act on the bill, fittingly, it was Cardiff’s Pigeon Wigs who lit up the expanding Chai Wallah crowd. An evening of festival teasers continues, ending for us at the Walled Garden with Bug Club’s incendiary set something truly special to behold in the confines of the festival site’s ancient walls.
Friday = Rain. Not that we let that deter our mood. After an early start, one of us opted for a warm shower, the other developed a method involving freezing cold water and a 10L container that’s now known as “the shower from hell.” Then, Brad Stank was the first act on our radar as he warmed the crowd up at the Walled Garden; we spent some time with the band afterwards and our old pal Zack (drums), grabbing a few pints to stay out of the rain. The Orielles, Floodlights, Mega Bog and Warmdsucher followed before Devo played a career-affirming set on the Mountain Stage and the night ended in a whole lot of two-stepping to Daniel Avery at Far Out.
The Orielles by Kirsty McLachlan
We started our Saturday with Dosa's for breakfast, when in Green Man eh? Then headed to catch Canada-via-London’s Joyeria at the Rising Stage, before basing up at the Walled Garden for Oscar Lang and Aoife Nessa Frances, whose respective sun-drenched sets were taken in calmly by a hazy, laidback audience.
Evening came and so did New York’s The Walkmen, ‘The Rat’ was a highlight of a near-classic set of the band's biggest hits to date. From there we went down under at Far Out with Confidence Man; front people Janet Planet and Sugar Bones had the crowd in their palms, an hour went by as quickly as a minute... we all left wanting more.
Devo by Patrick Gunning
Chilled Sunday is how it always feels at Green Man. The festival’s most ethereal and genre-spanning sets usually take place amid a scenic backdrop of luscious green mountains painted yellow by the fuzzy Brecon sunshine. DD Darillo, Drahla and English Teacher were all taken in, before a visit to H. Hawkline at the Mountain Stage to hear a mesmerising live rendition of his new album ‘Milk For Flowers’.
After decamping to the press tent to chat with Say She She (keep your eyes peeled) we caught their set, were subsequently blown away by Amyl & The Sniffers and then ended the night, as is customary at Green Man, watching the festival’s namesake effigy burn up in spectacular fashion backed up by a chorus of Welsh hymns.
Oh, it was good to be back.
Main Image: Oliver Chapman
