We Love Green has continuously proved itself to be one of the more conscientious festivals to rise in popularity, seeking to redefine festival culture as one that is ever more welcoming and, most important of all, sustainable. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary after a two-year hiatus, the festival now makes its return to Bois de Vincennes with a strategic lineup that finds its own sweet spot between the commercial and the niche, celebrating the likes of Gorillaz, Angèle, PNL C.Tangana and Disclosure as their main headliners.
In its essence, We Love Green ensures a forward-thinking approach and encourages its attendees to re-think their own, whether that’s done through a cashless bracelet system that achieves efficient service or a re-usable cup scheme that avoids needless waste. This instantly makes a bold contrast to the normalised makeshift carelessness that translates across some festivals, opting for an adaptive and communal crowd. No trampling over one another, no chaos.
The grounds are made up of two outdoor stages and three tents, one including a Think Tank space. All in between is sprinkled with stalls that range from the local green-fingers growing basil, tooth gem connoisseurs, vintage markets and even a voting information point. These make for a wholesome retreat from the stacked lineup, offering something for even those who choose to revolt against music full stop. – Despite the weather posing an, at times, detrimental obstacle for the event, the weekend marks a bright and memorable kickstart to this summer’s festival season.
Saturday
Saturday may have found itself abruptly cut short due to heavy rain yet, in the meanwhile, the lineup spends its afternoon skipping between the expansive alté scene and the depths of the experimental. The main stage, La Prairie, first invites the visceral notes of Amaarae, one of the fastest emerging risers from Ghana. Sporting gladiator glasses, an oversized graphic tee and a tasselled red skirt, it’s debut album ‘THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW’ that grasps attention, most poignantly with viral highlight ‘SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY’. Reaching for new material, she hints towards the upcoming title. “I need a Gemini to come up on stage… Libra girl come on up!” Gathering her astrological posse of fans, what strikes most is the diversity in expression which remains a consistent unifier across the weekend. Some have come adorned in elf-like ears, others are in frilly dresses, yet all come together for one soundtrack.
Heading over to La Canopée, New York based multi-instrumentalist fills the stage with high energy, high range vocals that play just one role in the wider world of Eartheater. There is an ethereal quality to the hyper-pop game changer, able to steer her crowd into the fragile yet supercharged ‘Mitosis,’ bouncing into Aleksandir’s UKG reimagined ‘Airborne Ashes.’ It’s on ‘High Tide’ where the latex boots, silver-haired Eartheater boldly hands herself over to a, not sparse but not necessarily overflowing crowd that shows no hesitation in carrying her as she delivers haunting melodies.
As festival-goers become divided, some rep French rapper SCH with hand-drawn posters whilst others shift towards the main stage for reggae heavyweight Koffee. Hailing from Jamaica, the CLASH Issue 121 cover star situates herself as the centrepiece of her band, nodding towards the green, black and yellow flags waving amongst her supporters. “Big respect to everyone standing in the crowd.” Forming W’s with their hands, there’s an anticipation for ‘W’ and ‘Lockdown’ which despite having such a context-specific nature still excels. Making one final return for global favourite ‘Toast,’ the rain starts to inch into stormy territory, bringing the festival to a halt.
Sunday
There is a slightly hindered entrance into Sunday, suspicious of We Love Green’s optimism considering the weather forecast fears a re-visit to the previous evening’s outcomes. However, it’s difficult to argue against the rays of sunshine falling upon the main stage for Greentea Peng’s ‘Mr. Sun (miss da sun)’. Giving her praise to her band, one she fondly refers to as The Seng Seng Family, a heavily pregnant Greentea Peng dazzles in a cropped green blouse and cargos for ‘Downers’. “I know a lot of you connected to this one, I don’t take it for granted”. It’s a mellow crowd that is appreciative of Peng’s distinctive performance and husky tones, huddled in small groups along the grass. “I love green, we all love green…”
The same music fan later gravitates towards the laid-back cool of Arlo Parks. It’s hard to believe the poised riser is only 21 years old, well-rehearsed yet candid in her delivery of Grammy nominated album ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams’. Engaging with her crowd in French, there is a distinct charm between the two’s relationship.
The younger demographics have been buzzing for UK Rap breakthrough Central Cee from the get-go, instilling an urgency in arriving on time to make their way to La Clairiere’s tent. Families holding their toddlers on shoulders for previous twin duo Ibeyi make their way out, sensing a turn in energy. As the warm-up DJ weaves between French, US and UK rap, it’s the voice of Pop Smoke that resonates most. Edging towards the final countdown, the trap infused guitars of ‘Day in the Life’ make their way in and Cee follows, setting off a collective roar amongst the crowd. Up til this point, We Love Green’s audience has felt surprisingly tame, but it’s ‘6 For 6’ that swells in mosh pits. Other standout rap performances of the weekend are French duo PNL. Filling the main stage to its absolute brim, the auto-tune braggadocios win their audience over with down-tempo burners, which is no easy task considering hip-hop’s more conventional hit formula.
There is understated greatness to the festival’s Lalaland tent, tucked away in its location. Attracting a more eclectic crowd sporting neon Balenciaga Le Cagole bags and galaxy prints, they showcase their moves amongst the giant disco balls overhead. Leaning towards the heavier pulses, the afternoon steams ahead with an enigmatic booster mix from Partiboi69, venturing deeper into Detroit techno with metallic balloons spelling out his name in the crowd. Although the transition into Shygirl feels slightly mistimed, it’s a necessary breather for the pumping crowd and reaps its own rewards. “Who’s from the streets?” Weaving between smokey verses and hooks that latch on to even the unfamiliar, the club queen dominates with ‘SLIME’ and showcases new material, Later making her appearance for Slowthai’s set, the two share an audacious spark across collaborative track ‘BDE.’
There is the sense that the Northampton rapper is making his return and maintaining his punk-rock anarchy. “It’s a rainy day am I right?” Unafraid to open up about the peaks and troughs of his journey, Slowthai is starting to truly solidify a cult following, going on to invite a fan onstage for Skepta’s ‘Inglorious’ verse. Having already thrown his socks into the crowd, the rapper closes his set in boxers, bopping to Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl.’ It’s the same careless excitement, with glimmers of retrospection that fine-tune one of the most memorable moments of the weekend.
Undoubtedly, the evening’s standout headliners are Disclosure. Despite the sometimes elitist and divisive nature of the electronic, the duo’s vocal-lead take on deep house is ever-more approachable and reminiscent of the moments they’ve soundtracked. Marking an entrance with the echoes of ‘White Noise,’ there’s no hesitation to re-visit debut album ‘Settle’ and highlight its impact across the commercial. As the two brothers’ silhouettes form against the backdrop, they carry the evening with magnetic live production and elevating visuals, ensuring the tight-knit setlist makes its mark at every track. Let’s be honest, who can resist joining the ceremonial chorus of ‘Latch’, even if it is a murmur?
We Love Green 2022 draws to a close with C. Tangana. Waving the flag for Spain’s next gen, the rapper offers an engaging performance that excels in its cinematic quality. Sat around a dinner table with his flamenco band, Tangana dabbles between the traditional and the contemporary to create an intimate setting for his fans. “Guapo! Viva el Madrileño!” (Handsome! Long live the Madrilenian!) Concluding the night with slick trap banger ‘Tranquilisimo,’ Tangana brings the energy back up one more time, leaving exiting crowds in triumphant spirit.
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Words: Ana Lamond
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