Delirious?
Monday
Still crazy after all these years, anthemic rock outfit Delirious? have fans a-plenty and critical acclaim from secular and religious critics alike. Radio 1 reckons them "pop's best kept secret" and Q magazine calls their Christianity "forceful rather than force-fed". From humble beginnings as an in-house worship band they've taken the music far and wide, including support slots for Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, and now make a welcome return visit to Greenbelt.
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Friday
After headlining the closing night of Greenbelt 06 - one of the most memorable and infectious gigs the Festival has ever experienced – we're delighted that Michael Franti and Spearhead have agreed to return, this time to play the opening night headline slot. We can't wait.
Billy Bragg
Friday
Billy Bragg released his first album, Life's a Riot, almost twenty-five years ago. Dubbed �Britain�s finest rock poet� by the NME, he has collaborated with Johnny Marr, Natalie Merchant, REM and the late lamented Kirsty MacColl. But almost as much as for his music, Billy is known for his humanitarian commitments � politicised by Margaret Thatcher, he supported the Miners� Strike of 1984/85 and formed Red Wedge, an alliance of left-leaning musicians, in support of Neil Kinnock�s Labour party in 1987. More recently, in collaboration with US band Wilco, he brought some of Woody Guthrie�s unpublished lyrics to life in the Mermaid Avenue albums, released to worldwide acclaim and included in Rolling Stone�s most influential albums of the 1990s.
José González
Saturday
José González's story is rare in modern pop – a heartening case of the artist resisting the vicissitudes of musical fashion to carve out a unique, intimate style that is all his own, then defiantly following his muse all the way to the top of the charts.
Duke Special
Monday
He's not a Duke but he more than makes up for it in specialness. Dynamic, musically ambitious and charmingly eccentric, Duke Special is wowing the world with his lush but intimate musicality.
Fightstar
Monday
Splicing emo and metal influences, Fightstar’s music encompasses the delicate and the dark. "That blend of aggression and tenderness is the most important thing to us," says frontman Charlie Simpson. Drop in some good looks and great musicianship and you’ve got yourself an unbeatable formula.
Roll Jordan Roll : The Kingdom Choir, Abram Wilson & The Delta Blues Project
Sunday
With the combined might of Abram Wilson & The Delta Blues Project and The Kingdom Choir, Roll Jordan Roll is a powerful musical drama telling a remarkable true story.
Seth Lakeman
Saturday
Seth Lakeman, the West Country-born singer and songwriter credited with bringing folk music to a whole new audience since his 2005 Mercury-nominated album, Kitty Jay, has just released his eagerly anticipated fourth album, Poor Man’s Heaven, on June 30th 2008.
Beth Rowley
Sunday
With sales of her debut album Little Dreamer now approaching 100 thousand, Beth Rowley makes a triumphant return to Greenbelt. Fusing her vintage sound and sensibility with a joyous, contemporary edge, Beth Rowley has this year become essential listening.
Emmanuel Jal
Friday
After his storming set at Nelson Mandela's Birthday Party bash in Hyde Park and with the release of an acclaimed new album, Emmanuel Jal is back to play Greenbelt again on the same bill as Michael Franti. Dynamite. And his story is every bit as amazing as his performances ...
Matthew Herbert Big Band
Sunday
Restless innovator, sampling wizard, classically trained pianist and superstar collaborator, Matthew Herbert is one of electronic music's most versatile and prolific figureheads.
Howe Gelb and Giant Sand
Saturday
Inaccurately yet affectionately dubbed the Godfather of Alt. Country by the British press, Tucson, Arizona-based musician Howe Gelb has remained the epicentre and creative force behind the ever-fluid configurations of Giant Sand for over a quarter century now...
MxPx
Monday
Sometimes you can go home. Just ask the iconic, idyllic punk/pop stalwarts MxPx, who have returned to the almighty Tooth & Nail Records for their exhilarating, dexterous eighth studio album, Secret Weapon.
Daby Touré
Sunday
Music stole the life of Daby Touré, the Paris-based, Mauritanian-born virtual one-man band who has supported Peter Gabriel and been a hit mainstage act at Womad.
Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra
Sunday
One of the world’s leading beatboxers, Shlomo has worked for years to push the boundaries of beatboxing as an artform, making music with his mouth that you cannot begin to imagine.
Coldcut presents Journeys by VJ
Sunday
The Guardians Alexis Petridis calls them dance producers at the top of their game - quite a feat when you consider theyve been at it twenty years. The Times reckons their most recent release recalls Massive Attack at their distant peak, but Coldcut represent something considerably more eclectic. Matt Black and Jonathan More, in collaboration with a host of artistes across the years, have made and continue to make music which is deep, funky and clever - music for your head and your feet in equal measure.
Kanda Bongo Man
Saturday
Born in 1955 in the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Kanda Bongo Man joined a local Kinshasa band on leaving school, playing the hot rhumba sound of the time. Seeking a wider audience, he moved to Paris in 1979 where his big breakthrough came in 1981 with the release of Iyole. At the heart of the Parisian Soukous* scene ever since, Kanda Bongo Man is today one the most famous exponents of this totally infectious sound. He has also gifted the world with a new variety of dance called Kwassa Kwassa!**
The Ian McMillan Orchestra
Sunday
Take an ensemble of weird and wonderful instruments, add some charming, wistful, haunting tunes, stick a Barnsley-accented poet on top, and you’re halfway to imagining what the Ian McMillan orchestra sounds like.
Linchpin
Monday
They met three years ago at a South London skate park. They have lovely hair. And 33,000 people downloaded their first music video. Linchpin have a tight, rocking, Foo-Fighters-meets-Fall-Out-Boy sound that belies their tender years.
Iain Archer
Greenbelt favourite Iain returns to the Festival to play a special show with some of his friends. And he's very well connected!
Juliet Turner
A guitar left mysteriously on her front porch on the day of her fifteenth birthday gave Juliet Turner her first strum into making music.
Julie Lee
Saturday
Embracing gospel, bluegrass, Maryland jazz and folk roots, Julie Lee has a smooth, lilting voice that gracefully slips across the borders of genre. Assembling melodies and stories like a patchwork quilt, her music is timeless yet vital.
Julie McKee
Saturday
In a year known for young female singers, it’s tempting to ask why this one’s any different. That there is a difference is the point: Julie McKee, a classically trained pianist and songwriting chanteuse is dazzling the music scene with her quirky, jazz-toned pop.
Hummingbird
Saturday
Hummingbird are Amy Wadge, Cathy Burton and Edwina Hayes. They met on the festival circuit in the UK over the last five years and decided in late 2005 that there was safety in numbers, and so formed a band.
One Nation
Sunday, Monday
Described as one of the most exciting crossover funk acts in Britain today One Nation return to Greenbelt with their global funk sound, blending Latin and jazz with funk and world rhythms.
Chas & Dave
Monday
Top-drawer German theologian Rudolf Bultmann dedicated an entire chapter of his ground-breaking Theology of the New Testament to an analysis of the post-eschatological implications of Snooker Loopy, so it seems only fitting that Greenbelt should bow to the inevitable and book Chas & Dave. Rockney before Damon Albarn was Mockney, until recently the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, Chas & Dave have been endorsed by Pete Doherty and are riding a new crest of popularity over 30 years after the release of their debut LP One Fing n Annuvver. So, get your thumbs in your braces and get ready for a proper Cockney knees-up, Gawd bless yer.
Kathryn Williams
Friday, Saturday
Some artists grab you by the throat and force you to listen; Kathryn Williams prefers the art of slow seduction. Her gentle voice drips honey over delicate songs of intelligent beauty which worm their way into your affections.
Sarah Masen
Friday
Bearing a guitar, a wistful voice and a nice turn of phrase, songstress Sarah Masen makes a welcome return to Greenbelt. She weaves words into songs that are delicate yet arresting, dreamlike yet earthed. Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms praises her spine-tingling voice and songwriting craft and Greenbelt veteran Steve Stockman reckons she has a God-given ability to express the light and the dark and the shades where we all walk in between.
Over the Rhine
Friday
Taking their name from a downtown Cincinnati neighbourhood, Over the Rhine first got together in 1989 and have been making beautiful music ever since. The fact that the really big time has eluded them is either a sad indictment of the the music industry or a result of their failure to compromise on their musical vision, take your pick: either way, once youve discovered them, like a pearl of great price, you can congratulate yourself on being party to a criminally well-kept secret.
Soweto Kinch
Sunday
Soweto Kinch is the very definition of hot stuff. Blending jazz and hip-hop - alto sax in one hand, mic in the other - the buzz around him just keeps getting louder: Best Jazz Act at MOBO 2003; first album nominated for the 2003 Mercury prize; best instrumentalist AND best band at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards, and thats just for starters. Hes feted by jazz cognoscenti on both sides of the pond but he wont be tied down to narrow categories: Soweto kicks pure jazz and authentic rap into a brave new world, reckons the Guardian.
thebandwithnoname
Saturday
Based in Manchester and serving up great fab slabs of rock and breakbeat, thebandwithnoname was launched in 2002 by youth evangelism organisation Innervation.
Nu:Tone
Monday
Since signing to Hospital Records in 2003 Nu:Tone has risen through the ranks to become one of the most highly respected producers in the drum & bass scene, with everyone from LTJ Bukem to Dillinja busting his tunes. Nu:Tone's remixes are always guaranteed to please whether its the retro soul of his Spread Love anthem or the junglist wobble of his "Strictly Social" Re-rub.
Logistics
Monday
Winner of the 2007 BBC 1xtra "Album of the Year" award, expect to hear more of the heart-wrenching electro disco-soul drum & bass which Logistics has made his own. He moves from euphoric to melancholic in the shift of a chord: Daft Punk meets Leftfield meets Calibre in this deep and deadly soundclash.
Iain Archer
Monday
Greenbelt favourite Iain returns to the Festival to play a special show with some of his friends. And he's very well connected!
Linchpin
Saturday
They met three years ago at a South London skate park. They have lovely hair. And 33,000 people downloaded their first music video. Linchpin have a tight, rocking, Foo-Fighters-meets-Fall-Out-Boy sound that belies their tender years.
Aqualung
Sunday
This whole project has been blessed with many instances of good luck, says Matt Hales about Memory Man, the emotionally gripping new Aqualung album. Hales, of course, is the inhabiting spirit of Aqualung, a musical space that he creates with the help of his wife Kim Oliver, with whom he co-writes, and his brother Ben Hales, with whom he also co-writes and who plays guitar and bass. Trained on keyboards as a young child in England, Matt Hales sings Aqualungs songs in a voice that conveys equal parts vulnerability and a cool cerebral distance. In addition, he plays innumerable instruments, including, in his description, piano, moogbass, broken synthesizer, glockenspiel, pretend orchestra, programming, harmonium, echo choir, electric guitar, Rhodes, stairwell drums, feedback, ghosts, sirens, vocoder, memoryman, noise.
Martyn Joseph
Monday
What would Greenbelt be without him? A lot quieter, for starters; noticeably less radical; and considerably less Welsh. Tom Robinson calls him 'one of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today', and Q magazine praises his 'depth, resonance and emotional punch'.
Starfield
Friday
With their last album, Beauty In The Broken, these young Canadians achieved their best radio success to date, sold twice as many records in half as much time, and had their best touring season in their 6-year history - to say the least, they were gaining momentum.
[dweeb]
Friday
High-octane, low-sanity Coventry band [dweeb] may put their name in parentheses but they are no wallflowers. A good-humoured musical onslaught.
yfriday
Monday
Cross Rhythms simply calls them “superb”. Yfriday are keeping themselves busy (with relentless touring), and the nation's youth entertained, with their infectious brand of rocking worship.
Larry Norman: a farewell
Sunday
Larry Norman died in February this year. He was a Christian music pioneer, the ‘Godfather of Jesus Rock’. He melded the spiritual, the political and the social in his songs - the soundtrack for many a young believer.
Aradhna (with Sanctuary) : Aradhna
Bored of the same old, same old worship music? Then let Aradhna bring you songs of devotion and complete surrender – in a style that will wake up all your senses.
The Response Collective
A wee bit Lemon Jelly, a wee bit Joy Division without the singer, the Collective throw guitars, drum machines and turntables at the wall, and what sticks is a thought-provoking, unpigeonholeable mashup.
Will Tang
Raised in Rochdale, after school Will put a harmonica in his pocket and followed his Anglo-Chinese roots to Hong Kong where he established himself as the 'number one blues harp player in Asia'.
Yellow Bentines
With vibrant piano and trumpet-led melodies, Yellow Bentines' energetic and fun-filled performances have built up a huge following and won them support slots for Arctic Monkeys, Editors, Brakes and more.
Tankus the Henge
Ragamuffin, street-performing gentlemen from the banks of the wide, slow-moving Thames in London.
Elliot Jack
Purveyors of lovely acoustic/electronica, the four members of Elliot Jack love delay pedals and e-bows, Doctor Who, Radio 4 and buying keyboards from eBay that they don’t know how to work properly.
Glitch
Friday
Purveyors of the finest emo, Glitch have built up a loyal following, having notched up over seven busy years on the road.
Yvonne Lyon
Singer-songwriter Yvonne Lyon is among the best and brightest talent emerging from Scotland right now.
Foreign Slippers
Swedish songstress Gabi Fröden gave up her clarinet for the piano at the age of 14, and we're all very glad she did.
The Plymouths
Sunday
Bournemouth band The Plymouths are not to be confused with Plymouth band The Bournemouths. If you're the kind of person who likes a danceable sweatfest of huge, memorable choruses and hooks, this is a band for you.
Helen J Hicks
Once a Cambridge choral scholar, Helen now delivers jazzy tunes with intelligent lyrics in the vein of k.d. lang and Elkie Brooks.
Cathy Burton
A firm fixture on the list of Greenbelt favourites, Cathy Burton has a voice of emotional resonance and tender fragility that recalls pop goddess Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays.
Brian Houston
Acoustic sparks on stage. Brian Houston offers up intense live performance with melodic dexterity.
Electralyte
Friday
Electralyte call themselves 'a crowning glory in intelligent rock'. They cite a dizzying range of influences, but may we invoke Robbie Williams covering The Divine Comedy? Hummable tunes a-plenty.
Meltdown Hard Music sessions : A Failed Perfection, Back Pocket Prophet, Desert Sun, Ignited, Kashee Opeiah, The Steels, Voice of the Mysterons, The Irrelevants
Saturday, Monday
Meltdown have staged hard music sessions at Greenbelt for the past four years and this year's bill looks their strongest ever.
My Spoon
Saturday
Releasing their debut album Love stories and Lies in March 2006, My Spoon have since been touring relentlessly around the UK.
Andy Yorke
Monday
The man calls himself a serial band-quitter, having abandoned his long-suffering colleagues in Oxford-based (and critically acclaimed) outfit Unbelievable Truth on more than one occasion, each time to pursue an abiding interest in all things Russian, including a spell as a translator for Greenpeace.
Aaron Roche
Aaron Roche is from Nashville, where he adds his voice to an underground collective of artists and musicians. His recent musical work can best be described as "an experiment in the folk music tradition."
Eben
Sunday
Citing Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire and Radiohead as inspirations, Eben draw on a wide range of musical influences, including folk, classical and experimental, to produce a sound that pushes the boundaries of the conventional rock band.
Esther Alexander
Monday
Sweet-voiced songstress Esther Alexander has a solid background as a session vocalist - she's performed with Steve Winwood, Ruby Turner and the London Community Gospel Choir - but that's just the beginning of her talents.
Woebegone Brothers
Plucked from a storm-sodden field and flung onto a Greenbelt stage sometime way back in the 20th century, these rabblerousers enjoyed a brief but rapturous heyday, and now they're back.
Michael Weston King
Friday
Former leader of alt-country pioneers The Good Sons, Michael is now a highly acclaimed solo troubadour.
Julie Lee
Saturday
Kadialy Kouyate
Kadialy is from the Casamance region of south Senegal, born into a family of ‘griots’ oral traditional storytellers from the Mandinka culture.
Baluji Shrivastav
Baluji is one of the great sitarists of India with the ability to enthral an audience regardless of their level of understanding of the musical genre.
Mor Karbasi
Not many songs still survive from 1492, when the Ladino speaking Jewish population in Spain fled the Inquisition - only the most beautiful are kept over such a period. Mor is bringing some of these songs back to a wider public.
This Morning Call
Saturday
Following rave reviews from the likes of Channel 4, XFM and Channel M, underground Mancunian pop artists This Morning Call bring their melodic yet experimental blend of rock and electronica to Greenbelt 2008.
Electric Nightmares
From the industrial heart of the North East, Middlesbrough, comes Electric Nightmares, a young original band playing their own blend of exciting, insightful rock. With ages ranging from 13 to 16, the band writes and plays well beyond their years.
The Race
Reading-based band The Race can already boast support slots on the Supergrass spring tour and were the first unsigned band to record a hub session for BBC 6Music.
Dodds, Lawson, Woods
Saturday
What happens when you get three of london's finest improvising musicians together and let them 'just play'. No pre-written songs, no cover tunes, just the desire to make great music in the moment.
Cathy Burton
A firm fixture on the list of Greenbelt favourites, Cathy Burton has a voice of emotional resonance and tender fragility that recalls pop goddess Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays.
Kevin Max
Saturday
Hes sold over 9 million records worldwide, won four Grammy Awards, had a US Top 40 hit with Just Between You and Me; and the Morrissey-esque swagger of his second solo album The Imposter proves that Kevin Max is much more than one-third of dcTalk.
Lleuwen
Friday
Every day, when she wakes up, she thanks the Lord shes Welsh. Then belts out a hymn and a Bob Dylan classic before breakfast. The Observer calls the result "bewitchingstrangely beautiful".
Ric Hordinski Monk
Saturday, Sunday
He has more guitars than anybody should be allowed (see the list on his MySpace page, if you dont believe us), but fortunately he also knows what to do with them. For many years a member of ambient rock outfit Over The Rhine (also appearing at Greenbelt this year), Ric has played guitar and produced records for many artists over the years as well as releasing a body of solo work under the name Monk. His playing ranges from the pop to the avant-garde, and hes earned himself two Cammy awards, a Dove award and a Grammy nomination.
Denison Witmer
Sunday
Patience is a virtue, and Denison Witmer knows this well from personal experience. Until recently, only a small audience has had the good fortune to hear Witmer live or on record. All of that is changing, however, due to the company he keeps and his steadfast dedication to making worthwhile music.
Michael McDermott
Sunday
Rolling Stone Magazine labelled him a very hot prospect. Hes gone from coffee house hero to critically acclaimed troubadour, and Michael McDermott continues to captivate audiences on both sides of the pond.
Verra Cruz
Saturday
Verra Cruz rock, and hard. Theyre busy touring and building up a loyal fan base on both sides of the pond. Their 2006 debut album Emancipation Day got them plaudits a-plenty. Catch them at Greenbelt before they go supernova.
This Beautiful Republic
Monday
Poised on the brink of hugeness, these downhome boys from a small American town have a big sound and a growing following and they're coming to rock Greenbelt. With expansive choruses and muscular guitars they've drawn comparisons with Switchfoot and Foo Fighters. Theyve been building up a noise locally but are now ready for the big time, marked by the release of their first album, Even Heroes Need A Parachute, on ForeFront records.
Beth Rowley
Monday
With sales of her debut album Little Dreamer now approaching 100 thousand, Beth Rowley makes a triumphant return to Greenbelt. Fusing her vintage sound and sensibility with a joyous, contemporary edge, Beth Rowley has this year become essential listening.
Electralyte
Sunday
Electralyte call themselves 'a crowning glory in intelligent rock'. They cite a dizzying range of influences, but may we invoke Robbie Williams covering The Divine Comedy? Hummable tunes a-plenty.
Willard Grant Conspiracy (solo)
Saturday, Sunday
Theyve been called the world's first proto-garage-folk-rock band, and when youre dealing with that many hyphens you know youre onto something eclectically special. With a sound which ranges from the sparse melancolia of a Johnny Cash to the avant-garde psychedelia of a Pere Ubu, and a live show featuring anything between one and 14 people on stage (although hes solo at Greenbelt this year) its no wonder Mojo magazine declares Willard Grant Conspiracy to be reminiscent of The Band in all their gothic pomp.
Andy Yorke
Sunday
The man calls himself a serial band-quitter, having abandoned his long-suffering colleagues in Oxford-based (and critically acclaimed) outfit Unbelievable Truth on more than one occasion, each time to pursue an abiding interest in all things Russian, including a spell as a translator for Greenpeace.
Christafari
Sunday
Ranking reggae stalwarts Christafari have been at it for nearly two decades, but still manage to sound fresh and delight audiences across the world. They mix a traditional roots vibe with contemporary dancehall reggae and bring a Christian perspective to bear on a genre which is most frequently associated with Rastafarianism.
The Rising : Martyn Joseph
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
The best singer-songwriters onsite join Greenbelt favourite Martyn Joseph each day to talk about their musical inspirations, the way they go about writing their songs, and play their songs.
Ezio
Monday
Ezio Lunedei and Mark 'Booga' Fowell first started strumming together in the early 90s, and have been recording and gigging hard ever since. Their latest release is 2006s Ten Thousand Bars. Ezio prove that two acoustic guitars can make a big, big sound.
Stick it On
Saturday, Sunday
Come and join in! Each day one of our stages will be hosting a 'Stick It On' session, where you bring along a CD or your iPod and turn DJ.
VjSpir + Barcos (FuseLab) : VJ Spir, Alfredo Barcos
Friday
This electronic duo bends the boundaries of sound and images, interacting with each others media, fusing and sampling loops, tracks & beats, video sounds and imagery to create a unique set every time.
Fuse Factory : VJ Spir, Sam
Saturday
Fuse Factory, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is an audio-visual band delivering a symphony in 3 dimensions.
Rising From Death
Five-piece metal/hardcore band Rising From Death share an uncompromising faith in God and a strong message behind every song, backed up by an unshakeable stage presence.
Finchley
Ex-Supervision guitarist Ian Finch set up Finchley with the aim of producing something "melodic and beautiful" and, do you know, he might just have managed it.
The Effras
“There are not many songs that start with the line ‘West Norwood Cemetery’,” so says Living South magazine, “but then there are few bands like The Effras."
The Excuses
Offering "rock music with a difference", London-based six piece The Excuses cite The Decembrists and Damien Rice amongst their influences.
Virgin Passages
Sunday
If you're a fan of Sigur Ros, empresarios High Voltage reckon this band is "your new bible"; Virgin Passages give you chapter and verse on dreamy, spaced-out psychedelia in the tradition of Mercury Rev and Syd Barrett.
Kinzli
She's been called a musical magpie - her music spans folk, jazz, rock, country, Latin and gypsy - but her Tanita Tikaramesque delivery and solid songcraft deliver a cohesive whole.
Nikko Fir
Named after a tree, Nikko Fir gives you "music that is sharp and pungent and cleansing, with a slight air of loneliness and high places". You'll be pining for more.
Mordecai
Monday
Mordecai are a South London four-piece whose music has been described as "a deep, rich, dark sound".
Miriam Jones
Often likened to Suzanne Vega, Aimee Mann, and Eva Cassidy, Miriam Jones has a way of singing the soul back home without putting it to sleep.
Ni-Cola
Monday
Ni-Cola is a fresh talent from Manchester who mixes gospel, r'n'b and the catchiest hooks.
Garth Hewitt
Saturday
Singer - Songwriter Garth Hewitt is the director of the Amos Trust, a human rights organisation and is a Canon of St Georges Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem, and the Guild Vicar of All Hallows on the Wall in the city of London.
Keith Ayling
Monday
There are few songwriters as prolific and tenacious as Keith Ayling. Variously appearing under his own name, then 'K', then 'Kato', he now returns both to Greenbelt and his roots, some 17 years on.
Danny Cope
Friday
Songwriting lecturer by day, and acoustic guitar wielding singer songwriter by night (and weekend), Danny Cope has been compared to the likes of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and James Taylor.
AndSnsum : Andensum
Monday
Andensum are a six piece heavy rock/metal act, playing a fusion of eastern melodies with heavy metal undertones.
Jim Jones
He's not the Bishop of Liverpool, nor the suicidal cult leader: pouring his life into his music is what South West-based acoustic singer-songwriter Jim Jones does best.
Wonderland
Swedish punk-rockers Wonderland will have you in the moshpit in seconds with their no-nonsense guitar-fuelled onslaught.
Death Is Not Welcome Here
Saturday
Five guys. Five words. Far from being just the band's name, these words have become a resounding declaration, with their anthemic pop echoing around dirty venues.
The Brute Chorus
Monday
The Brute Chorus came to London from the four corners of the land to pursue their interests at college in Greenwich.
LDL
Saturday
The artists formerly known as Lies Damned Lies, Greenbelt stalwarts LDL have been making music together since 1989. Steve, Charlie and Dot cite influences as wide as Arvo Prt and Prince and produce a sound which is deep, warm, beautiful and often deceptively simple. After Virtue is their fifth album on their own Sticky Music label, which has also been home to Juliet Turner, Ricky Ross and Iain Archer.
Performance Cafe 2007
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Here's a list of all the artists appearing in the Performance Cafe at Greenbelt 2007. Day and time to follow soon!
Replenish
Sunday
Replenish are a three-piece guitar-based rock band from the south coast of England who mix fat riffs, gutsy lyrics and hooky melodies. Jam Magazine says "you may have heard this type of music before, you just may have never heard it sound so good", and who are we to argue?
Les Passagers
Les Passagers, a "groupe pop-rock acoustique tendance jazz influences celtiques", naturellement, are a firm fixture on the Christian music scene in France.
Sounds of Salvation
Collected together in equatorial Reading, Sounds of Salvation (or SoS) are a high-octane, ten-piece ska band dedicated to leading people in their own unique style of worshipping God.
Justine Berry
Formerly of chart-toppers Hey Gravity!, Justine describes her solo work as a "Janis Joplin meets Led Zeppelin".
Her Enemy
Likening their sound to "a full on car crash", Her Enemy don't like to be pigeonholed but certainly live their lives, and their music, in the fast lane.
The Burn Band
All members of the Burn church in St Albans, the Burn Band break new ground in worship with fervent, passionate torch songs in an expansive rock style.
Gareth Davies-Jones
Combining Folk, Americana, Roots and Acoustic traditions the Irish-born singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones demonstrates that the legacy of well-written, descriptive music laid down by the likes of Woody Guthrie still lives on here in the UK.
David Clifton
Monday
David Clifton had his first break with indie band Sensible Jerseys, who were discovered by John Peel & then signed to Virgin Records. He has played guitars and mandolin with Tanita Tikaram, jazz & blues singer Mary Coughlan, Steve Booker (Duffy) & Julia Fordham.
G-Force Alliance
Sunday
Richy became involved in the hip-hop at a very young age and started out Djing before concentrating on MCing/Production.
The Gentlemen
Friday
Sandman Magazine - early champions of other no-hopers like the Kaiser Chiefs and the Arctic Monkeys - reckon youll find it difficult not to like them and, dammit, weve tried, but nattily-dressed pop tunesters The Gentlemen have won us over.
Nizar Al-Issa
Monday
Nizar Al-Issa is a singer with extraordinary range and control as well as a virtuoso on the oud (a cousin of the lute). He draws on traditional middle eastern music but is not afraid to upset the purists by mixing things up a little - a habit he puts down to his refugee background. Recently hes collaborated with jazz saxophonist Gilad Atzmon and his performances have taken him around the world.
Esther Alexander
Saturday
Sweet-voiced songstress Esther Alexander has a solid background as a session vocalist - she's performed with Steve Winwood, Ruby Turner and the London Community Gospel Choir - but that's just the beginning of her talents.
Julia Harris
Monday
Saturday mornings at the Harris household started with Dad blasting out James Brown, Paul Simon and Buddy Holly, and these eclectic wake-up calls helped Julia form a sound which is hard to categorise - urban acoustic? funk-folk? - but arresting enough to have earned her support slots with the likes of Damien Rice.
Audiocalm
Friday
Theyve got folk roots but Audiocalm have done the Dylan thing, plugging in the electric guitars and sacking the cellist (OK, so Dylan didnt have a cellist to sack, but you get the idea), and they now splash epic tunes across a big canvas. Their music has been called very lovely on Radio One, to boot.
CL6
Saturday
Brimming over with soul, sweet-voiced CL6 grew up on a diet of Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. Their original speciality was a cappella but lately theyve been adding instruments to the mix in the studio with Kylies musical director.
The Guild
Friday
With a dash of Coldplay and a shake of Athlete, Sheffields The Guild are starting to get noticed: Drowned In Sound were won over by the eloquently distinctive vocal of their debut single Till Im Dust.
Where On Earth
Saturday
Where on earth? In your face, thats where. Packing a powerful pop-punk punch, this energetic foursome have played gigs galore in a relatively short time together, including a tour of Estonia.
Rubber Duck
Sunday
The music draws on a wide range of influences including rock, jazz, funk, reggae and electronica, but rubber ducks unifying vibe is catchy tunes, engaged lyrics, and the promise of a duckin good time.
somethingABOUTnothing
Sunday
They have a girl bass player, which is always to be approved of. CrossRhythms has made favourable comparisons to Oasis when Noel Gallagher could actually write decent songs (oooooh! saucer of milk for table two!). We think you should definitely maybe check them out.
Retrofect
Monday
With a sound they call Dark Disco, retrofect cite The Beatles, Radiohead and The Smiths among their influences. Ace out of Skunk Anansie has heaped praise on them: we give em big snaps for their infectious, driving rhythms and ridiculously catchy choruses.
Lucius
Friday
No nonsense from the rocking Welsh boys: meaty riffs, power chords and big tunes. Imagine the Gallagher brothers writing for Maroon 5.
Phil Pilot
Sunday
Phil Pilot is one half of Ireland's The Amazing Pilots, normally to be found behind the kit for artists such as Iain Archer and Psapp. His debut album 'Love like an Ambulance' will be released next year, preceded by a single in November.
Crave
Sunday
Touting guitar fuelled infectious riffs, this Northern Irish four-piece have four years' experience of gigging across Ireland and are embarking on a mainland UK tour later this year.
ZeroStar
Monday
Offering a mix of 'unashamed stadium rock, classic pop and ethereal atmosphere', Zerostar have enjoyed extensive radio airplay and count Grant from Feeder among their fans. Check out their new EP Hallelujah Baby.
Eben
Saturday
Citing Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire and Radiohead as inspirations, Eben draw on a wide range of musical influences, including folk, classical and experimental, to produce a sound that pushes the boundaries of the conventional rock band.
Hangman Charlie
Friday
Hangman Charlie was formed during a trip to Pizza Hut when friends Ben Judson (vocals/acoustic guitar/rhymes) and Tommy James (electric guitar/vocals) were in their first year at university. A diverse array of songs written in hall bedrooms and student kitchens soon followed.
Wille and the Bandits
Wille and the Bandits are a three-piece ensemble pushing the barriers of the roots rock scene. Forming just over a year ago, they have already achieved great things.
Echo Park
Saturday
Female-fronted indie young guns Echo Park put equal measures of guitar, keyboard, energy, Muse, Coldplay, Radiohead and none-too-shabby songcraft into the blender, and pour out something akin to a 1981 U2, if Bono had been a girl.
The Repercussion
Saturday
Combining ethereal vocals and piano with a expansive rock sound that evokes a female-fronted Radiohead, The Repercussion have recently signed to Risen Records (phew, thats a lot of rs) and are busy touring their latest release, Rushing Away.
Six Star Hotel
Saturday
Since their inception on a national stage in 2004, these four Irish up-starts have risen to the challenge of trans-European touring, self-funded releases and high-speed collisions with Hungarian HGVs.
Anna Elias and the Forlorn Hope
Anna Elias and the Forlorn Hope were formed in 2007 with the intention of exploring what would happen if you write and perform music with a simple desire to create moments of musical beauty.
Yusuf Mahmoud
Yusuf Mahmoud is the tabla player with Baluji. He is the son of Ustad Asif Mahmoud from the most famous family of tabla players in Afghanistan. This family boasts a lineage of players dating back to the 18th century. Yusuf is from, karabat, the musical quarter of Kabul.
Captain Cameron
Monday
Captain Cameron came into existence when the young rogue found that his brother was no longer worried when he opened the case for his acoustic, never mind played it. It had taken a while to rebuild the trust over the years after Capt. C spilt strawberry milkshake on his new strat.
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