19 August 2014

Radio silence

I just spent four days at the 2014 Green Man festival, deliberately unconnected to the rest of the world. Here are ten of the things I learnt while I had no twitter...

1) Neutral Milk Hotel not only made the single greatest album in world history, but they are also the greatest band in the world. You will all disagree with that and you're all wrong.

2) I can drink a pleasing amount of rum daiquiri and wake up without a headache. Although I recognise that this finding - based as it is on only one serious experiment - needs further research to be properly confirmed.

3) Anna Calvi is a god; a total rock star god.

4) Not knowing the football scores until Sunday morning when you find them out by reading somebody else's paper (upside-down while they don't seem to be looking) is actually very pleasant.

5) People seem to have stopped going to live music events to see bands; they seem to have gone only so they can say they were there at all, and because they think the rest of us paid to hear them talking. Loudly. During the quietest parts of Daughter's set, FFS. Oh, and shouting "Freebird" at a band because some have long hair is not even funny the first time...

6) I Break Horses, Poliça, Other Lives, Angel Olsen, Eaves are all artists I will buy stuff from soon. You probably should too. And I need more Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

7) My daughter is right, and fairies don't have arms and legs. At least not Ffolky Ffelt fairies. 

8) First Aid Kit are going to own the world. Brilliant, clever, attractive, soulless, corporate pop tunes that we will all have to own by law by Christmas 2016. The new Mumfords. 

9) It isn't always going to hurl it down with rain, even when I am utterly convinced it will. Although that doesn't mean leaving my wellies behind is a sensible option. They may have to be worn on the train just to sit in the tent, but they come along with good reason. 

10) I can do a Stroop test in under twelve seconds when sober and I could have done it faster if I'd realised it was so frigging competitive. 

I'll be back next year, Green Man. And I'd like early consideration given to booking The Decemberists. 

Thanks. 

4 comments:

Albert Freeman said...

I almost went to Green Man myself. The chance to see Neutral Milk Hotel was one of the biggest draws. I'm glad to hear that they were good.

Did you see Sharon Van Etten?

First Aid Kit are a classic example of what happens when a band leaves in indie for a major. I thought their first couple of albums on Wichita Records were brilliant, but I am struggling to form a bond with the new LP now that they are on Columbia, and have a less subtle sound.

pseudograph said...

I did see Van Etten. Didn't really float my boat, but people I was with loved her. I'm with you on FAK - I really like the first two albums. They we're just so slick, so calculated. :(

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