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Post by fergal on Aug 18, 2008 11:00:39 GMT
Just got to a hotel down near the Mumbles, after a brilliant weekend. What were your highs and lows ?
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Post by rayrad on Aug 18, 2008 13:37:22 GMT
high - asking two blokes right at the front during devon sproule if they wouldn't mind having their very important conversation BETWEEN the songs - and them saying no problem and doing just that! proper GM goer niceness despite extreme drunkenness
low - jennifer gentle making the rain seem even worse
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bexj
New Member
Posts: 3
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Post by bexj on Aug 18, 2008 13:59:32 GMT
High - discovering a festival that was so friendly and brilliant music, and the cleanest toilets ever! Loved the Rumpus Room and the main stage especially - what a venue!
Low - apart from the rain, coming down with a tummy bug, making sunday a bit miserable.
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Post by yanianyan on Aug 18, 2008 14:01:20 GMT
grrr, rain. was it the mudbath like last year?
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Post by nickjansky on Aug 18, 2008 15:02:11 GMT
Highs - King Creosote & Richard Thompson
Low - the mud!!!!!!!
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krasnyi
Respected Member
Posts: 176
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Post by krasnyi on Aug 18, 2008 19:22:28 GMT
Highs - watching the mighty King Creosote with my young daughter who was so excited at staying up late and even recognised some of the songs. Many thanks to Kenny for doing a 'best of' set! Caribou - an astonishing set! Radio Luxembourg - the spirit of Gorky's lives on Richard Thompson - always better without a band.
Lows - the mud and rain, what else - Saturday was a wash-out. Realy wanted to see School of Language but couldn't face it. The behaviour of a small number of people - the amount of crap somepeople were leaving behind on the campsite was shocking.
We'll be booking again for next year, Bonnie Prince Billy please!
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Post by rogerio on Aug 18, 2008 20:55:31 GMT
Hello all. It's easy to praise the Green Man, as it is the best festival I've ever been to. So I did have a great time, with some amazing gigs, like Black Mountain, Alela Diane, Pentangle, Cate Le Bon and Wolf People. Thanks GM once more for a wicked weekend!!
BUT: I would really like to know why, WHY did they put the Folkey Dokey stage so far away from the Main Stage? Last year, in five minutes you could go from one stage to the other, so it would have been possible to catch both Caribou and Pentangle, for example. But, especially with the mud, which was worse than last year, walking up to the FD stage became a huge hassle!! And, there was NO bar by the Folkey Dokey stage! You had to walk in the mud and the rain up to the camp fire to get a drink... I DO hope they change that for next year, it was a very unwise decision as far as I'm concerned. The 2007 arrangement was much, much better.
Love to all, Rogerio
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Post by cyfarthfa on Aug 19, 2008 13:07:56 GMT
Hmm... there seems to be a bit of a gripefest going on over in the 'lounge Bar' so I'll think I'll stay here. Highspots. The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir. Orange Blossom Special. The Bowerbirds. Truckers of Husk (amazingly enough). Iron and Wine. 9Bach (again). Radio Luxembourg. SFA and the partial eclipse of the moon during their set. The high spots even have highspots: AMGC singalong to John the Revelator; OBS doing The Coocoo Bird; 9Bach doing Pontypridd; Iron and Wines song Upward over the Mountain, where it was like the world was holding its breath, and the antlers in the SFA set. The low spots.. to be honest there weren't any that anything could have been done about by anyone, short of covering the Usk valley in a giant transparent tarpaulin........
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Post by palesaint on Aug 19, 2008 13:11:48 GMT
forgot about the AMGC absolutely amazing, an amazing weekend, we live in the uk, accept the weather or stay home, i;m already looking forward to next year.... I have heard on the rumour mill that Will Oldham will be headlining one evening next year, and i hope the fleet foxes too.... only a rumour mind.
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Post by peridot on Aug 19, 2008 15:13:57 GMT
Fantastic festival High was Iron & Wine - first time to see them live and they blew me away. Low was so few people turning up to the forum meet that faeriekisses took the trouble to arrange - consider your wrists slapped Also loved King Creosote, SFA, Richard Thompson, Damian Jurado, Spiritualised and many more. Was a little disappointed with Black Mountain - they don't do it for me, and my opinion that, with Pentangle, the whole is less than the sum of the parts remains unchanged. I agree with rogerio that the FD stage is better where it was last year. I know there was some noise conflict with the main stage, but I thought it much worse with the FD impinging on the literature tend and the rumpus room on the cinema tent. Anyway ... roll on GM2009
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Post by cyfarthfa on Aug 19, 2008 16:45:35 GMT
Missed the meet I'm afraid. Would have liked to have been there, but getting everything set up took much longer than expected. Didn't see the flag by the time I got there. Yes, Richard Thompson was good, but i STILL DON'T GET PENTANGLE, and I thought the sound for their set was also very poor.
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Post by chris3 on Aug 19, 2008 17:08:32 GMT
Yeah, Pentangle were disappointing, not as good as earlier in the year, didn't seem to get going and Jacqui's voice was shot. The sound was also really bad like it was for many other acts.
Anyway, highlights.
Alela Diane, great to see her with a full band, the arrangements were great!
James Yorkston with that Lal Waterson cover.
Black Mountain, totally rocked in my opinion. Didn't realise they were that young.
Richard Thompson - brilliant, but 45 minutes is no way near long enough for him.
Laura Marling - way way better than I expected, really great voice and a really great backing band.
I was quite disappointed by a lot of acts this year and missed some stuff due to the rain.
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Post by cyfarthfa on Aug 19, 2008 19:41:24 GMT
"The sound was also really bad like it was for many other acts." Agree with Chris3 there- esp. in the Folky Dokey- seemed like a case of whack the bass up, close mic the bass drum and leave the rest to chance. I missed Laura Marling. Good point about the time- 45 mins no way long enough for some.
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Post by rayrad on Aug 20, 2008 8:07:13 GMT
yup
sound definitely not as good as last year
when vetiver said it was the best sound they had EVER had!
but not at all bad for an open air show
so difficult when there are that many bands - all demanding a different mix
and the wind's blowing!
saw bowerbirds again last night with little wings, and they definitely benefitted from being indoors!
but they still sounded pretty good on the main stage on sunday
sound mix in general probably not helped by there being so many more shouty bands this year
nightmare to be constantly sorting out sound between whispery folk warblers and bellowing idiots like cats in a mangle or whoever they were
i spent rather too much time his year wishing they'd just turn the sound OFF
hey ho
cheers ray x
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Post by kidpresentable on Aug 20, 2008 9:47:08 GMT
Highs - Watching most of the main stage acts from the hill on Friday with most of my companions in fold-up chairs was probably the highpoint. In addition, I'd say my musical highlights were probably Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, Bowerbirds, Fence Collective (Literature tent gig), The Cave Singers, SFA...I could go on.
Lows - Not many really. Obviously we knew to expect bad weather, but I'd say that was the worst we've had since I've been coming (3 years). I didn't have a late one at the Camp Fire as I usually do, which is a shame, but I'm not so sure it's the same atmosphere with so much being moved to it - it's hard to sit around singing songs if the Rumpus Room is so close. I though the sound was fine for the most part, but unfortunately whoever was mixing Archie Bronson Outfit left the vocals far too low. (I still really enjoyed their set though.)
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Post by peridot on Aug 20, 2008 20:02:35 GMT
Good point about the time- 45 mins no way long enough for some. It's a general problem at festivals isn't it? Personally I'd be happier with fewer acts and the headliners having an hour and a half, with the rest of the top five having at least an hour.
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Post by liabilityb on Aug 20, 2008 20:44:30 GMT
High: SFA, Antlers! Bubbles! Pie. TWO kinds of pie. Spiritualised! King Creosote! Alela Diane! I *liked* her.
Low: Rain starting half way through Spiritualised. Like it couldn't wait another twenty minutes. BAAAAHHHH. Missing Richard Thompson. And most other musicians, in fact. What a fool I am. Lack of walkabout performers.
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Post by liabilityb on Aug 20, 2008 20:45:23 GMT
Oh yeah. And I didn't really get Pentangle. I only staid for the first couple of tunes because I... Really didn't. It was all a bit Enyaesque for me.
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Post by liabilityb on Aug 20, 2008 20:47:38 GMT
Can't spell Stayed tonight.
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Post by peridot on Aug 20, 2008 23:15:33 GMT
Missed the meet I'm afraid. Would have liked to have been there, but getting everything set up took much longer than expected. Didn't see the flag by the time I got there. Yes, Richard Thompson was good, but i STILL DON'T GET PENTANGLE, and I thought the sound for their set was also very poor. Did you bring the Diablo? ... In which case you're forgiven. Get a folding camper for next year ... we were on site, up and running, beer in hand within an hour. Glad it wasn't just me that didn't get Pentangle - I enjoyed the Danny Thompson interview in the literature tent, but got the impression that the reunion tour is only about bolstering their pension funds
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