The rain might have been ever-present across Sheffield but that didn’t stop almost 40,000 music lovers, including us here at is this music?, from donning their raincoats, wellies & ponchos and descending upon Hillsborough Park for the wet and wonderful weekend that was Tramlines 2023.
Brat-punk outfit Delilah Bon kicked the festival off just after midday on the Friday, the trio taking to the stage just as doors were opening, which led to a steadily increasing audience inside The Leadmill Tent as the set went on.
The energy was infectious from the get-go, with feminist anthem ‘Dead Men Don’t Rape’ being the highlight. Delilah Bon put on a captivating performance that more than warranted a higher billing should they return to Tramlines in the future.
Sheffield’s own Jetski were up next, showing off their catchy hooks with the likes of ‘Joey and Zoe’ and latest single ‘Vanborgini’ on display. The band also stressed the importance of iconic Sheffield venue The Leadmill as they promoted their upcoming hometown headline show there in April 2024.
Scottish punks Dead Pony seem to be going from strength to strength, with an array of solid tunes executed to perfection. Singer Anna Shields led from the front with a commanding performance, backed up by guitarist Blair Crichton, bassist Liam Adams and drummer Aidan McAllister. Recent single ‘MK Nothing’ is nothing short of an absolute banger!
I went into this not knowing a thing about Sea Girls, so I was pleasantly surprised when during opening song ‘Damage Done’, vocalist Henry Camamile made his way from the mainstage to the barrier where he spent the remainder of the song singing into the crowd.
Guitarist Rory Young looked like they were having the time of their life as Sea Girls made their way through a ten-song set which included better known tracks such as ‘All I Want to Hear You Say’ and ‘Call Me Out’.
One of the joys of festivals has always been discovering new music, even if it’s a band you’ve heard OF; sometimes seeing a performance such as this can be the kick up the arse you need to finally give them a listen.
“Northerners do it better”, Pale Waves frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie announces to the crowd packed into the tent at T’other Stage as the band make their way through tracks from albums ‘My Mind Makes Noises’, ‘Who Am I?’ and most recent offering ‘Unwanted’. Older tracks such as ‘Television Romance’ and ‘There’s A Honey’ still sound fresh, while newer tracks ‘Jealousy’, ‘Lies’ and ‘Unwanted’ are all catchy pop-punk-esque anthems.
Towards the end of the set, Heather draped an LGBTQ+ flag around her and stated that songs such as ‘She’s My Religion’ were for the “queers among the crowd.” You love to see it and hear it!
Sometimes you forget just how good a band are, how many catchy, earworms of songs and singles they have in their arsenal. Fresh from a tour supporting Paramore, headliners Bloc Party remind every single body packed into the T’other Stage tent exactly what they are about.
Whether it’s the more well known tracks from their early days as part of the naughties indie rock revival, such as ‘This Modern Love’ or ‘Helicopter’, or songs from latest album ‘Alpha Games’, like the venomous ‘Rough Justice’, the band is electric throughout and the perfect end to the first day of the festival.
SATURDAY
Saturday was stolen by the surprise appearance of pop powerhouse McFly. Initially billed as “The Scottish Flies” (looking back, it was obvious, right?), the band took to the stage and delivered classic tracks such as ‘It’s All About You’, ‘Obviously’, ‘One For The Radio’ plus a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’.
SUNDAY
Sunday saw the opening of the gates delayed due to issues caused by the weather, amongst whispers that the festival would be called off. Thankfully a couple of hours after the intended start time, the crowd made their way into the festival and the rest of the day went ahead as scheduled. Sadly, this meant that several artists, such as Mui Zyu, who we were very much excited to see, found their sets cancelled.
So, when the gates opened, we chose to make the longest possible journey between stages, leaving the shelter of The Leadmill Stage behind (where we had sought refuge from the latest downpour). Manoeuvring slowly through the mud, across to the other side of the festival site, going at a snail’s pace, one solitary step at a time so as not to fall and risk both embarrassment, and equally importantly, damage to our camera equipment.
We arrived at T’other Stage in one piece just as Brighton indie rock quartet Black Honey prepare to take the stage. Three quarters of the band assumed their positions amid a wall of hazy guitar fuzz, the whole crowd buzzing with anticipation before singer Izzy Bee Phillips walks out, can of what looks like Red Bull in hand, and received a rapturous applause. Phillips, in fact the whole band, possess an unfathomable air of cool.
Opening track ‘Charlie Bronson’, taken from latest album ‘A Fistful Of Peaches’ and ‘I Like The Way You Die’ are standouts during their set. Expect to see this band headlining major festivals in the years to come.
Back over on the main stage Sugababes brought the energy and a much-needed serotonin boost to soggy Sheffield, as well as a heavy dose of nostalgia, delivering classics hits such as ‘Round Round’, ‘Push The Button’, and ‘Too Lost in You’, alongside some more recent tracks and a cover of ‘Flowers’ by Sweet Female Attitude, fitting, given the pouring rain throughout their set.
By this point in the day, with the grounds of Hillsborough Park resembling a swamp, the decision to call it a day and head off home was made, in fact, I had even said my goodbyes to other photographers before changing my mind and braving the rain a couple of more times for both Kaiser Chiefs and Paul Heaton.
Having been around for almost two decades and armed with a back catalogue littered with catchy sing-along hits such as ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Every Day I Love You Less and Less’, Kaiser Chiefs are the perfect festival band, guaranteed to get the crowd moving, whatever the weather. Hidden gems such as the anthemic ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Angry Mob’ shine amongst the ‘bigger’ songs, before the band closed out their set with their breakthrough single ‘Oh My God’.
Vocalist Ricky Wilson was in fine form throughout and it was great to see the band bring the energy for a crowd who could have so easily have just called it a day and retreated to a warmer and dryer environment.
Paul Heaton received a hero’s welcome as he took the stage, opening with The Beautiful South number ‘I Drove Her Away With My Tears’, followed by ‘Sheep’ which saw the crowd sing along undeterred from an afternoon in the rain and the cold. Heaton is arguably one of the finest lyricists the country has produced, whether with The Housemartins, alongside Jacqui Abbot in The Beautiful South, or even with his solo material.
Sadly, Abbot is currently taking some time away from performing in order to rest her voice, so tonight, Heaton was joined by Scottish singer Rianne Downey, whose strong vocal performance and energy are the perfect match to Heaton’s more subdued persona.
Heaton is well known to be one of the most down to earth musicians, which he showed again prior to today, putting money behind the bar of five local, independent pubs for fans to have a drink on him. This follows on from his 60th birthday last year where he put £1000 behind 60 pubs across the country.
The set list is of the highest quality throughout, with classics such as ‘Caravan of Love’, ‘Happy Hour’, ‘Perfect Ten’, ‘Rotterdam’, and many more (I could go on!).
Tramlines 2023, at least while still fresh in the mind, WILL be remembered for the weather, but, as time goes by, looking back, I hope, and I believe, that it will be remembered for its stellar, multi-genre line-up.
is this music? looks forward to returning to Tramlines again next year, though I think next time, we’ll pack the wellies just in case and leave the sunglasses at home.
