Picture the scene; it's Friday afternoon at Green Man festival in the Brecon Beacons, and a storm is brewing. The wind is blowing, and a field full of people in the ‘Walled Garden’ arena are checking the sky for rain. Suddenly, the clouds part and the sun comes out, as Chelou strums his first dreamy chord.

 

The announcer mentioned that he was magical, and he proved it as he weaved his magic through his music for 45 wonderful (and incredibly, sunny!) minutes. Together with his drummer, they crafted a set which felt casual and intimate, even in front of a full crowd. The audience sat spellbound on the grass as they enjoyed the tunes of the ‘secretive’ bedroom producer.

 

The low-key staging kept a firm focus on the music, with simply the two men and their instruments. Chelou’s music uses elements of the ambient genre combined with fantastic guitar skills to create a lo-fi indie rock sound when playing live. Showcasing some amazingly laid-back tracks, the artist looked to be in his element; even though he mentioned between songs that he was nervous! The statement was met with a cheer of encouragement from the crowd, who enjoyed the set so much that by the end there was a group up and dancing to Chelou’s song “Halfway To Nowhere”.

 

I admit it may be artistic license to claim that this incredible chilled out indie artist kept the clouds at bay, but it sure felt like magic when he played. If you're lucky enough to catch a Chelou live show, be prepared to be enchanted!