Over 50 performances, seminars and events at the Greenbelt Tree Of Life festival on 26th-29th August are put under the critical microscope by the Cross Rhythms reviews team.

MILTON JONES - Cabaret: Gold Cup - 9.30pm
Being such a huge fan of his four previous series on Radio 4 (his next series starts in October) I was very much looking forward to seeing Milton Jones for the first time live. By no means am I let down although sadly I've heard half of his material before dans la radio. But I find myself laughing at many of his repeated jokes all the same; just because I love his style of delivery and his lack of shame in using a bucket load of puns. He really is the wizard of word play cleverly teasing new interpretations into phrases we use everyday. He really is the master of the silly - somehow without becoming overtly daft or surreal. It's just good, harmless fun, only on a few occasions does he say anything that could be interpreted as harmful. But you just have to go along with him and you are soon laughing with him and in no way against him. Almost all my favourite comedians have to be either satirical/political or great storytellers but I'll always have space for the exception to my rule: Milton Jones.
Greg Sammons

DFG - Performance Café - 10pm
As any band that promotes themselves as "post modern" is likely to engender a certain suspicion from evangelical Christians and this EC has reluctantly to report that despite all my willingness to have a belly laugh with a bunch of zany loons, DFG's performance leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. Their set starts will enough - a funny spoof of disco culture. But soon we are immersed in bleak gallows humour with original songs like "I'm Waiting For My Grandparents To Die" and "Please Don't Kill Yourself Dad". Things look up again with a telling monologue about millions starving while modern man eats a Twix while a Postman Pat rap is truly hilarious. But a snidey comment about Soul Survivor, a Bruce Springsteen spoof with the line "Goddamn, Goddamn, We love Uncle Sam" and most disconcerting of all, a spoof "prayer" closer all demonstrate a mindset which confuses freedom with licence. Some would suggest that DFG are merely a more militant version of Fat 'n' Frantic but at least those old Greenbelt favourites had considerable musical talent and the wisdom to keep some things sacred. DFG show no such wisdom.
Tony Cummings

MISS BLACK AMERICA - Stage 2 - 11pm
Introducing a brand of alt/stoner rock that is rarely heard at Greenbelt, Miss Black America bring something different to the table. For what they are they are very good but the rarity of their sound is perhaps their biggest problem. The audience is made up of fans of most brands of rock and hard music but obviously not this strain of rock 'n' roll. More's the pity as it is fairly evident that these are an able and talented band with new and interesting sounds - well, you have to be to get in Rock Sound and get a Peel Session. It is an extra treat for me as I'd heard of them before but not actually heard their music; I wasn't even initially planning on seeing them. I'm glad I have caught them, as there are some wonderful sounds. Playing a kind of music that is not normally up my street and still winning me over is a job well done. The only draw back is I don't think these guys are Christian or at the very least, do not want to be attached to any kind of Christian scene.
Greg Sammons

FIRE FLY WORSHIP - Stage 2 - Midnight
It's all too rare in today's Church to hear a worship song played to the full intensity it deserves and with all the passion it requires - but thankfully Fire Fly make sure things are done properly. I'm as guilty as anyone else when it comes to praise and worship - all too often you either sing a familiar song parrot fashion or put too much effort into learning a new song to make any connection with the Lord. Fire Fly manage to break open our lack of energy and our tiredness by injecting the worship with the power and intensity of a metal score. A collection of worshipful tunes, some familiar some not so, make sure everyone in the room is willing to submit to God and praise him with all our hearts. Not all the music is hard and heavy though, some beautiful recalls diminish whilst the keys carry the tune along for a time of reflection. But the icing on the cake comes when the band realise they simply have to end on perhaps their most famous revamp of a worship song - "Seek Ye First". The whole band put everything into this song, as with the whole set, and when we all reluctantly leave at the end to go to bed we are all full of peace and God's beautiful Spirit.
Greg Sammons

MONDAY

NICKI ROGERS - Performance Café - 2.45pm
Nicki has some talented musicians supporting her, Mark Prentice, Candy Mitchell (backing vocals) and Dan Wheeler, who must have forgotten to bring his own tent because he seemed to be playing in the Performance Café the whole weekend - not complaining though, he is very good! Nicki is very relaxed, joking with the crowd and her band members. She has quite a raunchy voice for a petite lady and sings her songs about love and life effortlessly. Alternating between guitar and keyboard, her songs include "Good Lord", "Ocean", "Overboard" all from her debut album 'Colour Scheme' and "You Step In" from her latest album 'Feeder Lane'.
Ruth Saint

RISING FROM DEATH - Stage 2 - 3pm
Using the weekend as the launch of their first official release, Rising From Death are eager to please. Why two of the members felt it was appropriate to use the metal favourite 'horns' when most Christian bands try to avoid it, I'm not quite sure but hey. Quickly launching a full on metal assault they are here to take no prisoners. I remember their sound to be more metalcore when I saw them at the start of the year, whereas now more songs seem to be a more true/death metal sound. Whilst the biggest flaw from the previous time I saw them, the almost identical riff used in each song has been pretty much eradicated; they do still seem to lack a bit of diversity. However I don't think they want to stray too much from their sound anyway. I also can't help feeling their sound at times isn't quite right - the curse of Stage 2 rises again. One big strength they do have is their strong and passionate faith, which spills into their lyrics and segues brilliantly. Managing to get your message across in your lyrics and be heard is an honourable achievement in their genre.
Greg Sammons

Fire Fly

FIRE FLY - Stage 2 - 3.40pm
Finally a new Fire Fly album is upon us - and today was the day they released it (in all good record shops) to the general public. So this is the ideal opportunity to profile the album track by track (well almost every track) to a full, and very hot, house. The set is flawless bar Simon's guitar breaking halfway through "Prophesy". An amazing display of progressive and intricate metal - dipping to the most beautiful melodies, soaring to the crunching riffs that keep us metalheads happy. Fire Fly have technically gone up perhaps more than one gear - using samples alongside Scott's keys and three-way vocals on some tracks: both Scott and Mark accompanying Si. There are also some pretty nifty guitar affects along the way too but the rhythm section remains the same as ever, ever so thick and crunchy. The band have spent the last decade paying their dues, now they have an album and a live set as good as anyone else out there.
Greg Sammons

THREE STOREYS HIGH - Stage 2 - 4.20pm
I'm not entirely sure why Meltdown thought this pop-punk outfit should play at Greenbelt, as I'm reliably informed that none of these guys are Christians. I guess the main reason would be that they are tour partners with Blacktop. They are a talented enough band; it's just a shame that Meltdown didn't fill the bill with Spirit-filled bands - although I believe a couple of bands did have to pull out. I really wish Mammuth could have made it. The popular genre that 3 Storeys High fall into is populated by a large number of equally talented competitors and sadly there is little that separates them from the rest. For my money the Chucky No Stars did a better job on Saturday but that takes nothing away from the fact that the band are still talented and are able to pull a tight set and keep most of the audience entertained.
Greg Sammons

TAKING NAMES - Stage 2 - 5pm
Woah! I forgot how good these guys are! The only hardcore band I can remember seeing live that were better than these guys were Hatebreed (and they're pretty much metalcore anyway). Last year I had the privilege of seeing Taking Names at Destruction Fest, supporting Opposition Of One. At the time I think Opposition just pipped them to the post but since then Taking Names have written a whole batch of new songs that have propelled them into the premier league of UK hardcore. Not only is almost every song unbelievably tight, catchy and brutally hard but the lead singer also pumps up the audience between songs, telling us how we must fight for the lost in a contemporary way that they will relate to and understand, encouraging new Christian hardcore bands to start up too. This is the most evangelical band I've seen at this year's Greenbelt yet also one of the most talented too - God has blessed this band with something amazing! After touring the US earlier this year with Facedown band Brutal Fight I wouldn't be surprised if next year they'll be touring the US once again but this time as a Facedown band in their own right.
Greg Sammons

REPLENISH - Stage 2 - 6pm
I like this band of three from Portsmouth from the start of their performance. They are Harun on vocals and bass, Ross on guitar and vocals and Darren on drums. They are full of energy, despite the fact that some of us present are beginning to flag a bit because it is the last day of the festival and very hot. Replenish are not deterred, everyone is enjoying their heavy rock sound and the crowd get jumping as the set progresses. They play some great numbers from their new album 'Underground' such as "Another Day" and "See You" and my favourite of the set, "Message" from their debut album 'Replenish'. They finish with "Back In Town". They are touring the UK from September, for more info on dates and venues check out their website: www.replenishonline.co.uk. They were also the only band I saw all weekend who gave away free copies of their album - let's hear it for Replenish!
Ruth Saint

BODIXA - Stage 2 - 7.15pm
I'm all reviewed out and I am more tired and rambling than usual. My instincts dictate that I should do one more. "Wish I Could Say" sets the scene. Anna's disarmingly vulnerable voice is perfectly poised against a confident acoustic backdrop. And then there are those harmonies: never overstated, they are simultaneously measured and daring. If Anna and Emily were Sirens not a single sailor would remain alive. The lyrics do not contain explicit Christian content. Bodixa (pronounced Bo'dicka) are making a bit of an impact in the mainstream. The songs address and reflect on love and life. Sometimes stairs are involved. The words read like poetry. "A Room In Rome", Anna helpfully informs us, is "actually about Rome." Funny girl. This song is in a lilting 6/8, the perfect vehicle for the band to show off its comfortable precision. An ethereal guitar break smiles gently with modesty. "Sapphire" teases us with its funky rhythms and although it is happy, we are sad. Bodixa leave the stage. For me, the discovery of the festival.
Stuart Blackburn

EMMANUEL JAL - Stage 1 - 8.55pm
He might be relatively new and only does a short set, but Emmanuel Jal is definitely tonight's must-see item. It is hard not to warm to him as he teaches the crowd Sudanese dance moves and explains what his songs (sung mainly in Arabic, Swahili and Nuer) mean. Emmanuel's sound has advanced in leaps and bounds since he first handed me a demo of a mild-sounding gospel rap tune called "All We Need Is Jesus" a couple of years ago. It's now a lot more his own - an eclectic combination of hip-hop with African rhythms, plus the occasional dash of reggae. He hasn't brought his regular band with him (they are back home in Kenya), but is ably accompanied by a group of friends from Britain, Sudan and Brazil. Powerful stuff from a hugely gifted rapper.
George Luke