Green Man Festival
There is a piece of received wisdom that the tone of any organisation comes
from the top down and the Green Man is a case in point. Though very well
organised, its organisers shun the overt commercialism of most festivals
and go to great lengths to ensure that there’s something for young
and old and to suit all tastes. So, for those that don’t know, Green
Man is the essence of a great festival – the vibe, setting, people
and entertainment are exactly as they should be. Unfortunately, one thing
that can’t be controlled is the weather. Last year was bad, but this
year was worse and I don’t care what anyone says, wind and relentless
rain dampens ones ardour - but it was all worth it in the end.
This year’s headliners were Spiritualized, on Friday, home-grown favourites
Super Furry Animals, on Saturday, and legendary, and recently reformed, folk
deities Pentangle, on Sunday. My personal expectations of Spiritualized weren’t
great but I was pleasantly surprised: their blend of anthemic goth/indie and
almost motown-esque backing melodies kept me entertained for the entire set.
SFA’s were the perfect tonic to a miserable day stirring up a party atmosphere
with new material and old favourites delivered with their trademark humour
and imagination. Pentangle were a wee bit disappointing. Having heard rave
reviews of recent performances, I was expecting a slick and polished performance.
Whilst it had its moments of sublimity there were too many delays and head-scratching
while they worked out what was next.
Richard Thompson on the other hand was the consummate pro. A true master of
his art – as guitar player, songwriter and entertainer – delivering
an awesome performance, the highlight of which was Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
(a reference to US casualties in Baghdad). Other notable performances included
the unstructured sonic assault of Fuck Buttons, think Throbbing Gristle for
the noughties. Claire McGuire’s voice enchanted, Gomez front-man Ben
Ottewell partied like ‘99 and the Cave Singers rocked out with their
grunge influenced take on folk. Los Campesinos were effervescent guitar pop,
Simone White (The Beep Beep Song from Audi’s R8 ad) was full of beguiling
charm. And this is just a taster. For the full course book for 2009.
Glasvegas
Cardiff Barfly
Unless you've been in some uncultured coma for the last few months, you'll have
noticed the continued ascent of Glaswegian miserablists Glasvegas. They've got
the press falling over themselves for superlatives and have matched the critical
adulation with commercial success via their eponymous debut album. The band's
intimate gig at Cardiff Barfly was one final chance to see the whites of the
eyes before they inevitably make the leap into the indie big league (well, I
would have seen the whites of the eyes if it hadn't been for lead singer James
Allen's immovable wayfarer shades). Marching onto the stage in funeral black
regalia, the band was drenched in blinding pyrotechnics (it seems those wayfarers
weren't such a bad idea after all). The sound was never anything else than epic,
with Allen's soaring vocals washed in widescreen guitar hooks and melodramatic
percussion. Former single Geraldine narrated the tale of a passionate social
worker and to be honest that was as glamorous as it got. The mood did lift a
little with the howling terrace-chant of Go Square Go but for the most part Glasvegas
were happy to immerse themselves in their own gargantuan sound. The band signed
off with the morose Daddy's Gone, a retro doo-wop number that's had all its melodic
goodness bludgeoned out of it. Glasvegas will continue to captivate most, but
they'll do it with perma-fixed frown.
Keith Carey
Rain, rain, go away – come back again when the festival is over