Ezra Collective, Big Thief, The Waeve and more captivate crowds against the stunning setting of Green Man 2024

Kicking things off on the first day proper by opening the main Mountain Stage are The Orchestra (For Now) - winners of the festival’s annual Green Man Rising competition, and staples of the current Windmill scene (their vocalist has even donned the Brixton venue’s tongue-in-cheek ‘Guest List’ t-shirt for the occasion). “We’re used to dark, dingy venues; this is the antithesis," he proclaims, grinning at the already sizeable crowd before sharing a hug with his Black Country, New Road assortment of bandmates. 

Elsewhere, London’s underground is also being well represented. Having had to unfortunately cancel their Spring UK tour, Blue Bendy’s set in the Walled Garden feels like something of a belated celebration - an opportunity to render live their expansive debut album, ‘So Medieval’, with the help of a brand new bassist. Newcomers MRCY take to the same stage like ducks to water, giving a laugh of delight when the opening notes of debut single ‘Lorelei’ are audibly recognised by the blissed out, sun-soaked crowd. 

Having graced the festival’s smallest stage back in 2022, Lime Garden’s leap to the Far Out big-top is thoroughly justified by a performance that proves to be one of the weekend’s stand-outs. Completely assured with the task at hand, vocalist and guitarist Chloe Howard - who’s sporting one of the band’s own ‘I’m A Popstar’ slogan tees - invites us to choose whether their set should round off with ‘Pulp’ or ‘Surf N’ Turf’, both pre-album, fan favourite cuts. It’s the former which ultimately wins the cheer-off, but, at this point, there’s a sense that the crowd would have eagerly received just about anything the blossoming Brighton quartet turned out. 

It’s hard to believe it possible, but golden hour at Green Man renders the festival’s mountain backdrop even more breathtaking - and that’s before Arlo Parks steps onto the Main Stage. Everything about her is so suited to this particular slot (which in previous years has been occupied by the likes of fellow dreamers Katy J Pearson and Alex G); aesthetically unassuming yet vocally stunning, she unites what seems like the whole valley - children and adults alike - in singing along to heartfelt renditions of crowd-pleasing cuts like ‘Caroline’, ‘Eugene’, and emphatic closer ‘Softly’.

Atmospheric in a wholly different way, Mount Kimbie revel in the production opportunities granted by the onset of darkness. Shrouded in smoke and silhouetted against a simple white backdrop, the now-quartet deliver a spectacle of a set that sees them air cuts from this year’s ‘The Sunset Violent’, complete with a stellar surprise appearance from frequent collaborator King Krule. It’s an apt warm up for headliner Jon Hopkins, whose psychedelic electronica is at turns hypnotic and heavy - the ideal appetite whetter for those gearing up to discover Green Man’s eclectic late night dance offerings. 

Come Saturday morning and Lynks is doing the Lord’s work, blowing our collective cobwebs away with a set that lands as a Mr Motivator style wake-up-call-slash-workout, but with added gimp masks. Their uber-horny electro-pop may be incongruous with all the children about (“this one doesn’t have any swearing in it - kids to the front!” they joke), but the contextual ridiculousness ultimately only adds to the camp, chaos and sheer brilliance of the whole thing. 

The WAEVE, meanwhile, are somewhat more reserved (it’d be difficult to be MORE outgoing, in fairness). Ironically, the stage patter between bandmates and partners Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall doesn’t come naturally - something they later admit themselves - but any awkward pauses are soon forgotten when they lock into the music, recent single ‘City Lights’ in particular foregrounding a distinctively Bowie-like flavour that’s a pleasing contrast to the more delicate folk of their daughter-dedicated ‘Song For Eliza May’. “This is the best rhythm section I’ve played with in my life,” smiles Graham as he introduces the band, before adding a wry disclaimer/plug of Blur’s next project: “It’s all in the documentary…”

Looking out to a packed crowd at the start of their headline turn on the newly-expanded Rising Stage, Cambridge six-piece Ugly can hardly stop themselves beaming. “We’re gonna change our name to beautiful next week,” vocalist and keys player Jasmine Miller-Sauchella jokes. Perhaps more than anything else this weekend, the multi-textured arrangements and intricately layered harmonies of debut EP ‘Twice Around The Sun’ seem custom made for the folkloric feel of Green Man; as such, hearing its tracks brought to life here is even more evocative than their usual captivating fare. 

Indeed, evocative is the name of the game on Saturday night; to stand in front of thousands and have each and every person hang on your every word is a remarkable feat, but then again, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker is a singular voice. This headline set is, she reckons, the largest crowd they’ve ever played to, and yet the New Yorkers still somehow conjure an inimitable sense of intimacy, right from the first string plucks of opener ‘All Night All Day’ through to the tear-jerking finale of new song ‘Incomprehensible’. And what makes it all the more special is how genuinely moved the band themselves seem to be, too. Despite now being five albums into their career, Big Thief still hold the same emotional resonance they always have; when Adrianne tells us “I’m gonna remember this forever”, we not only believe the sentiment, but reciprocate it. 

Heading into the final day, there’s less a sense of fatigue and more a feeling of trying to soak up the festival in its entirety, be that via a visit to the Babbling Tongues comedy and panel stage, a wander through the Nature Nurture wellness area (gong bath, anyone?), or hanging a last-minute wish on Green Man’s eponymous natural sculpture. 

Afternoon musical highlights are provided courtesy of Lambrini Girls’ riotous antics, Dog Unit’s instrumental groove, and Royel Otis’s anthemic indie, but it’s the two biggest stages’ penultimate acts - Ezra Collective and The Mary Wallopers - who perfectly capture the weekend’s essence of unfettered joy. Both the former’s Mercury Prize winning jazz and the latter’s raucous take on Irish trad folk bring unbounded energy to proceedings, each utterly exemplifying the sense of unity fostered by the festival. (At how many other shows do you get complete strangers forming impromptu conga lines or lining up to stepdance together?).

And, as trails of people snake their way from Sampha’s spellbinding headline set to the annual burning of the Green Man (a strangely moving ritual which sees attendees’ wishes surrendered to the Earth), the overarching feeling you’re left with is one of undeniable connection - to the landscape, to the music, and to each other. 

Tags: Arlo Parks, Big Thief, Ezra Collective, Lime Garden, Mount Kimbie, The Mary Wallopers, The WAEVE, UGLY, Green Man, Festivals, Reviews, Live Reviews