Green Man 2025 (see also Thurs/Fri)
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
14th-17th August 2025
We’re watching a lot of our favourite acts on bigger stages than ever this weekend. No stages are too overcrowded, therefore we find ourselves leaning against the barrier at the front one moment, and a minute or two later wandering around at the back of the crowd, casually observing reactions of others towards the music we love already or are learning to love as the year goes on.
One of the first artists we encountered at the start of 2025 (during one of those ‘bands to look out for this year’ type events) was the glorious Jasmine. 4.t., whose Saturday afternoon appearance on the Walled Garden stage was earmarked for our first venture back into the arena full of bands making the music that has persuaded us to be here. It’s a mesmerising set of songs about heartache, homelessness and the joys of becoming a trans woman. A short while later, over at Babbling Tongues (a seated tent hosting pop quizzes, comedy and interviews), Jasmine is deep in conversation with Ash Kenazi who some of us remember as drummer in Alt- Rock/Indie-Slacker band Happyness, a band we were guilty of praising whenever we had the chance to see the trio in action a decade or so ago and before Ash became a drag artist. The conversation centres around queer identity, vulnerability, and defying genre expectations in the music industry and is as compelling as the collection of songs delivered earlier.
There’s nothing more Welsh we could be doing today than sitting under a tree listening to the mellow tones of Welsh/Cornish/English singer Gwenno singing her melodious captivating tunes whilst sitting at a piano in front of a backdrop of stunning views of the Welsh Valleys, bathed in glorious sunshine. The former Pipette’s voice is still as soothing as ever as she sets us on our way ending her appearance with the wonderful Eus Keus? a song sung in Cornish about cheese. It’s a beautiful hour spent amongst another respectable crowd having a well earned rest before the madness begins again.
For a few hundred sun tanned festival attendees the madness in store comes in the shape of Westside Cowboy, who charge their way through a set of songs and provide without doubt the most thrilling performance of the weekend. With a drummer who plays as fast and furious as anything we’ve witnessed for a while and a set of catchy songs at their fingertips, the future for this Manchester quartet is looking and sounding promising. The band’s strength is their vocals, belted out at Arcade Fire-level ferocity, that come to a standstill at the end as the four vocalists gather around a single microphone, accompanied by a single drum, as they deliver their final song acappella-style in front of a breathless, appreciative crowd.
Maintaining the fast and furious mood we’re in, it’s time to give Fat Dog another look, who charge their way through an hour of blistering dance tunes that the huge crowd warms to immediately. On our way out of the tent it’s noticeable that there are families and curious onlookers all on their feet, dancing frantically, before gathering themselves together to wander over to the main stage for everyone’s favourite festival act in 2025, CMAT. We’re sure that by the time next summer comes around we’ll be seeing Fat Dog on the largest stages available too. Everyone likes a bit of hardcore foot stomping dance music that packs a punch a hundred times more thrilling than a Madness greatest hits collection, and this band seem to be attracting more and more people as every show they perform follows the next.
Before following everyone to the main stage, though, we need to calm ourselves down in front of Leeds electronic band Honesty, who are wrapping up their atmospheric performance with a subtle moody foot-tapping remix of Adult DVD’s Do Something. We’re beaten by the first big clash of the weekend, unfortunately, during one of the busiest moments of the Festival.
The sun is disappearing and one of the weekend’s largest crowds congregate at the main stage for Ireland’s CMAT, who is in a playful mood, draping herself in the Welsh flag, name dropping famous Welsh people, chatting to us in a Welsh accent, and briefly covering Catatonia’s Road Rage. She’s obviously happy to be here today and tells us she believes this show to be the band’s best ever. With another album about to drop any day now, this won’t be the last time she performs in front of such an appreciative crowd. There’s even a CMAT doll (on a stick) on show at the front. This has been her summer and one that every festival crowd has warmed to recently.
Underworld‘s Born Slippy must surely be one of the biggest festival anthems in existence. Whether played from a burger van keeping their customers content or played by the band themselves in front of thousands, it’s an essential song that has to be heard at any festival. It’s left until the end (of course), a joyous, almost celebratory, performance that contains the dancing crowd still recovering from CMAT’s earlier set and it’s that bass drum – that bass drum that always threatens to be interrupted by the synth intro to the hit – that keeps everyone moving. Karl Hyde’s vocals alongside Rick Smith’s shimmering punchy electronics maintains everyone’s attention. What more could a festival crowd want after such a long entertaining day?
Well some of us want more throbbing electronica from Belfast’s Chalk who provide some disturbing, dark, noisy dance music. Some of it works a treat, some of it doesn’t, and following Underworld two or three fields away probably hasn’t helped.
We’re up early enough on Sunday (afternoon) to catch US punk band Upchuck, whose fast-paced songs fit snuggly alongside Amyl & The Sniffers (who they’ve recently been on tour with). When singer Kaila ‘KT’ Thompson is in charge of these short, sharp, shouty tunes it’s a thrilling ride, however her disappearance for a few songs half way though, leaving the drummer to take the microphone, causes a subsidence in the mosh pit that doesn’t really recover once they return to the line up they began with.
Warmduscher and Yard Act, both on the main stage, draw large crowds and both provide amazing performances. The former are joined half way through by Nuha Ruby Ra, who climbs over the front barrier, assists with the vocals and takes charge of the stage that she never leaves. Dancing alongside the entertaining front man Clams Baker Jr (who leaves the stage at the end walking through the front of the crowd and shaking hands with everyone he meets), her appearance with the band adds to the party atmosphere and results in yet another huge highlight of the weekend.
Yard Act‘s front man James Smith’s claim that they’ll be headlining next time they come to Green Man may be slightly tongue in cheek, however the crowd in front of this Leeds band indicate how possible this may become sometime. He delivers his words like a over confident man on a mission leaving the pub after a single pint, putting the world to rights before the bands infectious choruses wade in and provide some of the greatest songs we know that mix spoken word and sing-along sound bites…
…which is similar to what Joshua Idehen serves up over at the Walled Garden stage immediately following Yard Act. This performance in a location such as this is another one we hoped to be standing in front of one day. We’re amongst another huge crowd being entertained by the loveliest man we know who’s mixing spoken word and dance music (provided by Ludvig Parment), and it’s a captivating, eloquent, sad, funny and poignant experience. ‘This is all we have’ he tells us and encourages us to introduce ourselves to each other and tell each other how good we all are. No other artist can leave an audience in such a great frame of mind on completion of their set. It’s as though we’ve been attending a sermon whilst swaying from side to side, joining in with the chanting of ‘Love’ and ‘Rhythm’ and recognising the brilliance of this wordsmith.
Pictish Trail and Big Special complete the weekend on the same stage as we get ready to leave what has been a breathtaking weekend of high quality acts providing some of the best performances we’ve seen, alongside a few surprises and a festival crowd that cannot be faulted for the enthusiasm and support shown to anything that moves and makes music.
The weekend ends with the Green Man effigy being set alight, a decent firework display, and the sadness of the largest independent (non sponsored) festival in the UK coming to an end.
It’s been a magical four days set in one of the best locations anyone could ask for. A great crowd of festival goers, a clean site that has now found a place in the hearts of anyone fortunate to have attended that promotes ‘environmental sustainability, inclusivity, and opening minds amongst the stunning views of the Welsh valleys.’
No wonder this is an instant sell-out every year.
~
Words by Keith Goldhanger. More writing by Keith on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive. You can also find Keith on Facebook Instagram and Bluesky
Photo credits (all photos supplied):
Underworld – Patrick Gunning
Gwenno – Kirsty McLachlan
CMAT – Marieke Macklon
Warmduscher – Nici Eberl
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