Friday 18/08/06 Day 1 @ The Green Man Festival, Glanusk Park Estate

A few days before The Green Man and Festivalwise is pensive. She has been watching the weather and fears the imminent flood. The socks that will never dry and the wet feet that will find no dry band. Does the man with green qualities have a cloak in the form of a great marquee? Festivalwise can pour whisky for warmth in tiny plastic bottles, but is whisky really the answer to all problems? Perhaps, but the good thing about not being surprised by rain with your mac off, is being fully aware of assured attack and standing armed with wellies and a waterproof reminiscent of a spacious family tent, with extra storage.

John Smith, the intentional de-tuner and yes he does sound a lot like the man from Gomez, but what a beautiful voice they share. John’s new song ‘The Righteous And The Wicked’, whose title he tells Festivalwise is yet to be confirmed (“it’s a bit… righteous”), receives a grand response. ‘Match-box Man’ and ‘Green Man’ (how ideal) follow suit. Country bumpkin ‘John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man’ who “strapped on his guns every day” then ran away. Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ is a plucky hit once more, and we all join in regardless of the rain. Something that “may or may not have happened a long time ago in a galaxy far far away” is the explanation to ‘Winter’; the epitome of John’s guitar as drum as one man band man.   

We call for more and he returns for a little treat that starts with ‘You Are My Sunshine’ (reborn by Norman Blake in film ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou’). “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey”, or plain raining, to the great line “that was the most fun I ever had with my clothes on”. Is John Smith the pick of the day? Him and his growing following could have easily filled, and may have preferred to be under the humid cover of, The Folkey Dokey, or even the Main Stage.

M Ward, described in the ‘mini guide’ as “smoky-voiced bluesman whose fans include Meg White, Conor Oberst and John Fahey”. Festivalwise first thinks Macey Gray at a wedding, that voice, those stretched out bass lines along lines like “like you should be loved”. Then there’s set change shenanigans and the drummer lady jumps up with guitar and hollers Elvis’s ‘Hound Dog’ which perks everyone up, and serves as an introduction to the musical change that is about to take place. John Smith must still be on the mind because Ward’s starting to ooze those deep throat blues. This energetic stuff is not of the wedding variety anymore. It’s divorce time. Cover of The Carter Family’s ‘Hello Stranger’ and it’s onto solo works and Festivalwise wonders if anyone else has noticed his double length thumb and its tantric bending backwards style of sitting. New song ‘Fuel For Fire’ fills the encore with its epic sound. “In a small small world” or festival, it suggests a Woodstock moment taking place, and a harmonica comes into play.

Circulus are on the main stage and they are on it medieval style. Introducing their new album ‘Clocks Are Like People’ and costumes involving pointy hats, colours the rainbow spits envy at, and sleeves that stop short into flailing cuffs that span (or are spun in) into as yet undiscovered galaxies. The sorcerer, or lead vocalist and founder Michael Tyack, points his finger knowingly at the little planet referred to as Green Man and notes approvingly; “Seeing so many familiar faces. Very good.” They play “the oldest tune in the book, from 1150”, entrance us into duets Steeleye Span style, and ask us if we like “pop songs from 1630?” And apparently we do. As threatened in the guide they are armed with a smorgasbord of both traditional and untraditional instruments (household implements and the like). We spin in the rain, ah yes they are forced to dedicate songs to the wicked weather, and do so generously. New song 'My Body Is Made Of Sunlight' works wierd here.

A quick peak into the shelter of The Folkey Dolkey tent for Fionn Regan.  Nevermind the shelter it’s packed and Festivalwise has a kiddy scoop of banana and toffee ice cream to keep her happy among songs of pennies in jars and checkouts. As often occurs with these folkies he strums to a cross legged and laid back audience. He sings with notions of ‘Be Good or Begone’. His yellow t-shirt shines like the sun, not with, and with the shake of a tambourine he is gone.

Friday, eight o clock, time for The Aliens. They are three part Beta Band and together quite something else. Dressed in true alien colours of all tonics fluorescent. Lead vocalist Gordon Anderson - also brother of Kenny/King Creosote who’s set to play Saturday - and undisputed nutter sings and yells and wails (not to mention shakes his head and exhales) whilst springing round the stage like the springy one in The Magic Roundabout but on twice the spice. 'Ionas Look For Space' is played during such an attack of the aliens. ‘I Am The Robot Man’ is the longest stretched tune of their set and in true Beta Band form visits in and out of other songs. 'The Happy Song' has them confirm they are ‘Happy, Happy, Happy’.  Gordon remarks “The Aliens in the Green Man; weird, isn’t it?” Quite.