Temple Rhythms

We arrived in this year’s Greenman after a lengthy wait in traffic, so it was a great relief to get our stuff to Hotel Bell Tent and start to soak in the vibes . I also bumped into my mate Steve Ford who I’d been swimming with in Jackson’s Bay that very morning, and over the weekend we’d be useless at meeting up for most of the rest of the festival.

The Thursday was pretty light, it was getting our bearings, getting a beer and chilling the fuck out. We ambled up to the Walled Garden to see Sister Wives who had a highly great Folk Horror thing going on. The Bug Club, who were lots of energetic fun. The chemistry just fizzles between Sam Willmet and Tilly Harris (who has a bit of the Angus Young strut). Their new song - ‘Marriage’ is another belter. The band is at the top of their game and are constantly gigging, and all things being equal we’ll be seeing them again in November in Le Pub, which will mean that they’ll hold the hotly contested title for band I’ve seen the most times in one year fact fans.

After that it was a matter of mooching about, saw a bit of Spirtualized - who were alright - then we crashed.

Now Friday had been forecast as being very wet, so when we got got up and there ws a light mizzle that didn’t seem so bad. We finally caught Melin Melyn - who our mates love - and they were great, funny and inventive, a bit Super Furries, a bit Flaming Lips. We decided to go for a disco nap so that we could catch Devo that night. That’s where our plans went a bit tits up. We went to the Far Out stage to see Jock Strap, but by that time the forecast rain had came in and in was horrendous in there. Sian had bailed, I did after three songs, then let myself down by being short with someone who wouldn’t let me out. We saw a bit of a very enthusiastic Beth Orton and a very damp Delgardos. I came up with a genius idea, we went and camped out in the cocktail bar at the top. The miracle of cocktails had got us through a wet festival before and it worked! I even managed to cheer up a fellow festival goer who didn’t think he had it in him to go and see Devo. “You gotta go! It’s their farewell tour!” Suitably refreshed we went back to the Mountain Stage and managed to see most of The Comet is Coming’ set from the beer tent. I’ve been trying to see them for years but circumstances have intervened, but they were worth the wait, and they are another band who are throwing in the towel apparently. Unfortunately the weather had got the better of us and the prospect of dry clothes and interiors won over Devo.

Saturday was an all together better prospect, a little drizzly but soon the sun shone on the churned up mud! Hozzah! We checked out the singer/song writer Gina Birch before heading to the Far Out stage for the double header of Anna B Savage and The Wedding Present who for once were actually listed on the bill. We’d be prioritizing new bands, but what the hell, both were great, and doing the ‘indie two step’ to the Weddos got me up to my 10,0000 steps that day! We caught all of the Walkmen’s set on the main stage while having a beer. They’d never really been on my radar and - initially - I was really impressed. They were quite old school indie rock, and had a refreshing energy about them, they did tail off a bit towards the end, and the lead singer repeatedly told the crowd where and when they were formed. He may have been well refreshed.
Sian knocked it on the head soon after, which left me to fail to - yet again - meet up with Steve Ford for Goat. Goat were fucking amazing but I am worried that they might have conjured up the great god Pan. Head dresses, tribal drums, weird shit, the set had it all! Although not enough to stop me wandering off after ten songs and getting some chips. Would love to see them again when my feet aren’t encased in mud. I wandered past Self Esteem’s set and that was me done for Saturday’s Greenman.

We had a leisurely start to Sunday and wandered in to see the blissful sunny songs of Kanda Bongo Man and after that it was just packing up so we could get off. We always bail on the Sunday, but compared to last year when we were still getting over COVID we were put in a good effort. I know we didn’t make it down for the Thursday night the previous year, so we had three and a bit days of Greenman loveliness this time round. I really could have done without the rain on the Friday, but that went for everyone. The last set we saw of Greenman 2023 was Billy Nomates. I was really keen to see her, not just because she brilliant but also because of the roasting she got from Trolls for her Glastonbury performance. I don’t know if was because of this but her performance was especially ferocious and firey and I finally met up with Steve Ford! Roundabout Sadness was a particular highlight, and we were done! Another year another Greenman, it felt like it was over before it began and already looking forward to getting back there next year.