|
Post by 12barney34 on Aug 20, 2007 12:26:52 GMT
Well, we had to sneak away last night to get to work this morning Had an absolutely smashing time and met some very nice people. I think we like Connan and the Mockasins best, though loved Gruff Rhys as always. Really enjoyed the Whole Lotta Love we were getting from Robert Plant Rumpus tent was mostly laughable- all that fantastic music out there and we end up with people playing the banana splits!!! Just because we like folk music doesn't mean we can't handle some decent dance tunes as well!!!! Hope everybody had as lovely a time as us and hopefully see you all next year Em n Bob
|
|
|
Post by katpaint on Aug 20, 2007 14:48:53 GMT
It was awful.
The oft-mentioned five minute walk from the parking lot was more like half an hour. Would some wheelbarrows or carts or even - gasp- an equipment drop off point be too much to ask? Someone could have made lots of money for charity with a equipment carrying service.
The Tangerine fields tent I rented was too small for two and the air mattress went down in the middle of the night. We were right against the fence near the road with lots of road noise. Also the fence is where all the blokes go to pee - day and night!
The Friday music was very so-so. Nothing that really floated my boat. The sheltered Folkey Dokey tent was maxed out when we tried to get out of the rain. Did I mention the rain? No, so you can see I was TRYing to be positive!
I can understand one entrance for security reasons, but why was it at one end of the grounds rather than in the middle? What about a few more signs in the camping area pointing to where things like showers and toilets could be found? And a few more toilets for that matter? Maybe a few paths preplanned through the tents? My poor husband fell hard over some tent ropes - and he wasn't even toasted!
My husband and I are not quite as athletic as we used to be, but from the info on the GM site and the info I heard here, I thought we could handle it. In the end the cost/benefit ratio was not sufficient to stay. Come Saturday morning, my husband and I gave up and went home.
I am sooooooooo disappointed. I really wanted to connect to like-minded folks (we've only lived in England 2 years) and all the omens seemed good. I am also really upset about all the money and time wasted. Yes, I know, experience is expensive.
I really, really wanted to like it. I did like a lot of the folks we chatted to. There were lots of lovely people and truly sweet kids running around which I really enjoyed (briefly). And, in the end, if I hadn't been so cold, wet and exhausted I could have taken it in better, I think. It is a beautiful place, particularly away from the road and fence. I'm sure the best acts were Saturday and Sunday and we left too soon, but..... I'm sure someone is going to say to me - you should have been here last year!
Sadder but wiser Kathleen
|
|
|
Post by michaeldwebb on Aug 20, 2007 15:11:39 GMT
Had a wonderful, wonderful time as well....
Highs for me:
Joanna Newsom Fence after show sing-along complete with Conga round the Green Man cafe... All the bubbles!!! Gruff Rhys's sky pilot song Broken Family Band Battles It not raining all the time The regulars (King Creosote, Aliens, Malcolm Middleton, Tunng etc) - please all come next year as well...
Other than that, I'm not sure about all the chairs - did people really need to bring them? And I really don't get Robert Plant...
|
|
|
Post by bobharford on Aug 20, 2007 16:14:51 GMT
Great time mind you I live down the road so I could escape the mud! John Renbourn Richmond Fontaine Broken Family Band seasick steve Gentle good and other fine music on the Cafe stage Michael Tyack at Green baby Bill Callahan Watching vashti Bunyan I saw a huge bubble float across the stage catching the lights prettily and then ping - it was gone. Her songs a re a bit like that for me
|
|
|
Post by bobbyperu on Aug 20, 2007 16:53:25 GMT
Musically, it was easily the best festival I've ever been to. Last year's line-up never really transcended 'ok', but they really pulled the stops out this year.
Musical highlights for me: Seasick Steve (wow) Bill Callahan (seen him loads and this was one of the very best) Joanna Newsom (amazing as ever) Malkmus + Jicks (new songs 'shred', in Malkmus parlance, also his interview on Sunday afternoon was really excellent, he came across really well) Fridge (just a totally fantastic set from start to finish) Robert Plant (what a great surprise! didn't know what to expect but had a blast- he knew we all wanted Zeppelin!) Herman Dune Alela Diane Alasdair Roberts Nancy Elizabeth ('Hey Son' is wondrous) Shirley Collins talk about Alan Lomax and the South (stunning, very moving, I'll never forget it. What a remarkable and exciting life she's led).
The weather was horrific. By about mid-Saturday afternoon I was genuinely beginning to wonder if I could last, but I'm glad I did and Sunday was great and rain-free. The rain was a real downer at times though.
The car park/camping situation, as someone above has mentioned, needs serious attention. We arrived on Fri early afternoon and had to walk something approaching a mile from the car before we could pitch. It was a real contrast to the easy transition between car park and campsite that characterised the last two years. Some of the parking spaces were located at ridiculous heights and slopes and plain weren't safe. However, I should point out to the parties above that on Sunday there was a charity taxi service for ferrying from the bridge to the car park.
Amazingly despite the huge increase in capacity it didn't feel substantially more crowded, and few idiots/flags/jesters hats were on display, which is always welcome. To be honest, I'm wondering how they're going to top this year's bill next year!
|
|
|
Post by ginger on Aug 20, 2007 16:56:12 GMT
It was a real suprise to us, as a family lugging everything from the car was a bit difficult. We were camped in a really great spot where the kids could run wild and they did. We were luckily in earshot of the folk tent. Great when the rain came. It was a great atmosphere but it did wane when the rain kept on through saturday. The mud was just unbelievable but it was all worth it. I thought Robert Plant was exceptional and am so glad I got up close to see him perform some classics. He stood head and shoulders above the rest for performance. Tunng were great and Gruff Rhys. The solar milkfloat provided some realk good quality laughs and something a little bit different.
Hopefully everyone will persevere, be good, kind and eat their greens and we will be rewarded with some good weather next year.
I saw the bubble through Vashtiu Bunyan and loved the collective aaah when it burst. The bubbles were great.
See you there (this time with a trolley)
|
|
|
Post by buckar00 on Aug 20, 2007 16:58:16 GMT
Funny how we can have such different experiences at the same event. It was fantastic. I had the best time.
Getting the lowlights out of the way: Voice of the Seven Woods' hissy fit about guitar sound Seeing a huge branch cracking off a tree and sending people below scarpering
Highlights: Joanna Newsom Massage on Saturday Alasdair Roberts The loos remaining useable Battles - fantastic atmosphere in the Folkey Dokey Tent, great set The food - didn't get to eat everything I wanted to King Creosote Wandering into the film tent at midnight on Saturday and finding a lecture on Heaven and Hell in Medieval Britain going on; the oddest thing Richard James Random conversations with strangers in queues Lisa Knapp Physics lecture on the properties of light Fernhill Singing Come on Eileen with the Fence Collective Vetiver People just getting on with it and not moaning when the mud came Diane Cluck Ringo Bingo on the Open Mic stage
The highlights list could go on and on. Inevitably I missed things I'd have liked to see and do with so much to choose from.
Good to meet a few of the peeps from this forum there.
Are they selling tickets for next year yet?
|
|
|
Post by toffee on Aug 20, 2007 17:08:10 GMT
katpaint - next year take your own tent and pitch where you want! take earplugs so no noise bothers you (i recommend the wax ones). and bring a torch for the guy ropes, and its a festival in wales - you are going to see rain, bring waterproofs. it's not rocket science!
i had a great time. the increased distance to the car park WAS a problem. a 50 min round trip to unload from the car was too much I think.
apart from that tho "it's all good"
highlights were many - all the main headlienrs were brilliant - Joanna Newsom, Robert Plant, Malkmus. Dead Meadow were on fire. Richard James was very good indeed. I am liking Cate Le Bon more I see her. Clinic were good. so yes, lots and lots of good stuff. Alun Tan Lan, David Thoams Broughton, fridge, Seasick Steve, etc etc
the increased capacity *did* work. folkey dokey stage worked better being bigger. the mainstage had a much better atmosphere with the increased capacity. green man cafe stage moved slightly from last year, and on a better stage, so acts here were watchable (unlike last year). toilet/food qs much the same as last year - hats off they did a good job! i'll be back!
|
|
|
Post by kezontour on Aug 20, 2007 17:14:21 GMT
Argh! It was muddy and rainy and everything i normally hate about festivals and camping... But I had the BEST time EVER! It's amazing what a big difference having a tent to yourself and a big snuggly sleeping bag makes to your overall mood the next day. Apologies for missing the meet up - we got there later than planned. And I broke my specs (and mobile phone) within hours of arriving, so I may have seen some you, but figured it'd be rude of me to peer too closely at people I was one of the shortest photographers there, so I want to say a HUGE thank you to the guy that grabbed my arse and gave me the biggest shove forward, pushing me to the front of the stage to get shots of Vashti Bunyan. Didn't stay for too much of her set - it's Sunday afternoon music for me, and by that time on Saturday, I just wanted to dance. My god... how much did Battles rock? Seen them live before, but never that.... electric! And the crowd for them was amazing. 100% different to the crowds they usually play. aww. want to go again!
|
|
|
Post by faeriekisses on Aug 20, 2007 18:09:23 GMT
knackered, to an extent that i've never been knackered before!! but i've enjoyed and earnt every ache and pain.
that, was fantastical. i've a million high points, and no low points.
excellent music (hard to narrow it down but think my brightest diamond and seasick steve were my faves), suprisingly good sound at all areas, wonderful food, exceptioanl people, and the rumpus room was amazing 9think i had better luck with the music as no splits in sight!).
yeah, it rained, yeah, it was muddy, yeah getting back to the car this morning in the mud was a pain in the arse, but thats just the way things are, it was a festival, and compared to other walks i've had to do, it was a breeze.
i thought there was a perfect number of people for the size, and should stay that way. if costs so go up, so they have to put the ticket price up, i'd still be there like a shot.
thank you so so much to everyone i met and didn't meet for making it such a fantastic time.x
|
|
|
Post by beckayork on Aug 20, 2007 18:49:22 GMT
Musical Highlights Seasick Steve , Victoria Williams , Vetiver & Tunng stick out .... Rain well I expected it and nowhere near as bad as it could have been it meant I got to wear my hat ... aren't wellies greatand I want me one of those raindow umbrellas v.pretty Camping was brilliant but we got there pretty early 4pm Thursday, slept brilliantly no noisy neighbours and always wear earplugs anyway... Toilets - not one bad toilet experience .... hooray Food/Bar Queues - its a question of timing and everything was excellent brilliant staff freindly smiley tasty healthy The walk to the car park... as others have commented it could have been a lot worse, bit scary getting the car out in the morning though but no idea how you could solve it Increase in capacity worked fine ... popular acts are always going to be crowded ...but you could still get pretty close . Happy Green Man Everyone !
|
|
|
Post by chickenwire on Aug 20, 2007 19:47:26 GMT
Ducks nut's Mr plant blew me away AND I was sober :-),,,,, I was just passing through the folkey when my brightest diamond started, didnt have the foggiest who they were but feck me im glad I stayed and watched, to be honest I could real off a BIG list of mostly everything there because the quality was great. Low point was running out of money, but thats really my own idiot fault, and the mud but then again I didnt bring wellies, so who's to blame for that :-) Hope to be there next year :-)
|
|
|
Post by artacus on Aug 20, 2007 20:16:21 GMT
we forgot our wellies and our tent pegs, we have two small children who fell over in the mud and were filthy, my son wacked his nose on a mug and looked like he'd been smacked in the chops for most of the weekend and we had a fantastic time! We were clearly lucky being in the family part because we just didn't have the same problems. The kids all played together, the bubbles were brill and I will treasure the memory of my daughter shouting tarantara outside the folkey dokey tent with gilbert playing inside, and seeing gruff rhys with a child each on our shoulders singing away to almost the whole set, possibly the most out of tune family there but nobody minded and seemed more happy that we were so happy. Thank you all for making it such a lovely time.
p.s. got one over on the tight general store man, he was about to rip off a girl who wanted a box of matches by selling her an ignition thing for a stove when I gave her my spare box and he lost a sale. Hurrah!
|
|
|
Post by seasonalbeast on Aug 20, 2007 20:17:19 GMT
Having been to Green Man every year since 2004, it's tempting to say it's changed. For a start the main stage that year was not much bigger than this year's beer tent. But aside from the obvious increase in size it hasn't really. Most of the bands that year keep coming back, the newcomers fit the Green Man template and the ethos is still pretty much the same. This is a festival who's only concession to corporate sponsorship is again giving free copies of Mojo away with ice cream for a couple of hours. I think I can live with that.
Musically, Sunday was to die for - I doubt I'll ever see again a more fulfilling line-up than Misty's Big Adventure (with encouragingly great new songs) / Malcolm Middleton / Alasdair Roberts / The Earlies (who sounded heavier than normal and were none the worse for that) / Gruff Rhys / Seasick Steve and Herman Dune. I wish I'd gone for Malkmus then but foolishly chose the cartoonish Aliens on the basis that I wanted to hear their great song 'Honest Again' - which they then didn't play.
From earlier days I particularly enjoyed Daimh, who are great unsung heroes of this festival, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset (for the clog-dancing especially), Tunng standing up, playing heavy metal guitar and partying with dozens of beach balls, some of Battles (especially the stunning 'Atlas') and the incredible set by Six Organs of Admittance, with Elisa Ambrogio attacking her guitar, bent double.
I was too knackered really to appreciate Joanna Newsom or Percy Plant.
Best Robert Plant associated jokes - James Yorkston breaking into Immigrant Song to wrong-foot guest vocalist Jason and Malcolm Middleton saying that they'd intended to cover Whole Lotta Love "but some **** did it last night".
Acts that I caught the last minute of and wished I'd seen more of - Richmond Fontaine and David Thomas Broughton.
Minor irritants - those chairs everywhere, the reluctance of some people to understand when it's no longer viable to sit down in Folkey Dokey, no soap in the urinals after Friday, that walk from the car park (and I was parked right by the entrance).
But these are minor - another blinding year!
|
|
|
Post by ginobuckthorn on Aug 20, 2007 20:28:30 GMT
I love Soft Hearted Scientist - bought Uncanny Tales ... on the strength of the performance and it's splendid. Always good to see new stuff!
|
|
|
Post by seasonalbeast on Aug 20, 2007 20:41:02 GMT
Oh, and another minor irritant (reminded by ginobuckthorn's post) - the price of CDs on sale.
|
|
|
Post by bobharford on Aug 20, 2007 20:52:12 GMT
From the glastonbury tent? I got the gentle good EP for a fiver- mind you some of the other prices were atrocious
|
|
lawm
New Member
Posts: 26
|
Post by lawm on Aug 20, 2007 21:41:59 GMT
highpoints
newsom, starless & bible black, alasdair roberts, mistys, john smith, diane cluck, nancy elizabeth, david thomas broughton, arborea, john renbourn, bill callahan (should have headlined instead of cock rock plant), thee, stranded horse.
low points
connan & the mockasins (why?) devendra banhart (sorry but i find him really dull these days) unconvinced that plant and malkmus made good headliners seasick steve (overrated :-)
regret
managed to miss directing hand, were great I heard.
overall
well done on another good festival. wishing for a rain free festival one day!
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Aug 20, 2007 22:35:02 GMT
I loved it.
I was also a bit surprised to discover that the short walk from the car park to the campsite was in fact a pretty bloody long one, and getting our stuff back up to the car today was a nightmare.
Our pop-up gazebo lasted only until Saturday afternoon, after which it was an interesting but useless shape until I put it out of its misery and sent it to join the other knackered gazebos in the rubbish coralle.
The weather was pretty much what we'd expected I think, and wading through mud was a pretty good bit of exercise to work off some of the beer.
I'm going to look into acquiring a camper van for next year, those people seemed to have it a fair bit easier than most where gear was concerned.
Worth it though. Saw some fantastic bands, met some amazing people, and had a hell of a weekend partying away.
|
|
|
Post by palesaint on Aug 20, 2007 22:36:53 GMT
Highpoints: Seasick Stevie Herman Dune The Aliens John Power Fence Collective Acoustic Set King Creosote James Yorskton Gwildor Vetiver Broken Family Band Andy Votel & B Music DJ Pockets Collecting my accordian from warthog (sorry i didn;t get chance to see him again) and testing it out up at the campfire on friday night. Some girl (can't remember her name) playing Columbian pop songs with the most amazing voice monday 4.00am round camp. Bubbles The Weather on Thursday and Friday The Rumpus Room (bigger) The Folkey Dokey Bigger Adderstones Cider (Great Drop) The Vibe The People The Scenery The great bunch of people I was camped with and last of all 'Cat the Duck' and 'Jack Bangler' (those who seen the aliens will know) All the above not in any particular order
Lowpoints: Rain Joanna Newsom (very average indeed) Six Organs of Admittance (would have prefered full arrangement) Voice of the Seven Woods (what happened to the acoustic set?, was great last year)
I'll be back next year defo.
|
|