Let’s get straight to it – T in the Park has just celebrated its 20th year of offering Scotland an ever-growing and increasingly popular music festival fix. You would expect fireworks, the biggest bands and artists willing enough to play in a dusty field in Scotland, and of course a crowd second only to Glastonbury. With expectations high, T had a lot to prove and it delivered, mostly.
For the highlight of the Scottish music calendar and with the reputation it has, I expected a little more from the technical side of the sound quality. With several technical glitches on several stages for several different artists, the vital element for hearing music was disappointing. The Radio 1/NME stage proved an issue on both the Saturday and Sunday of the festival, Bastille’s sound barely audible as they at least attempted to blast out ‘Pompeii’ to a huge audience, and a microphone that failed completely at times during Frightened Rabbit’s ‘Old Old Fashioned’ in an otherwise flawless set.
Whilst missing something key from the atmosphere on these occasions, the sound quality in the brilliantly named King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent was beyond outstanding. Immersive and entrancing, listening to any band in there was a treat and made you feel as though you were inside the song itself. The bass ran through you like a hot knife through butter.
As a result, Miles Kane, Palma Violets and The 1975 all had highlight sets. The 1975 are ones to watch, their mysterious, melodic essence led by electric guitars and drums screams modernity and they’re sure to be the next big thing. Their hit ‘Chocolate’, as well as ‘Sex’ and ‘The City’, were exciting to see and to hear on the Sunday. Their performance proved special in that their tracks felt fresh and unique, as though you were hearing them for the first time, every time, yet were laced with the satisfying familiarity of old favourites.
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Up and coming artists at festivals are knowingly hit and miss, but T impressed, using both the T-Break and Transmissions Stages to showcase bands looking to establish themselves in your download collection. Saturday’s best came from Sienna, a fresh-faced original band complete with an array of instruments and band members, on the T-Break stage. Even with blazing sunshine and heat, they packed out the cosy tent – a vital sign their ‘emotive indie–folk’ is proving popular.
Sunday’s addition to the Transmission Stage, Ruen Brothers, proved to be a surprisingly professional set, alike a less aggressive version of rockers Palma Violets (who smashed it in King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent the previous day), but with just as much quirk and punch.
Leaving aside the headline acts, the ultimate highlights and the utter gems of the 20th T in the Park came from the whirlwind that is Ke$ha and the beautiful Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls. Both artists rocked the Radio 1 stage as mid-bill act on the Saturday and Sunday respectively. The crowds were both strong, making one wonder why they weren’t higher up the bill as they certainly earned it.
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Ke$ha’s stage presence was undeniable, her crowd utterly electric and her stage antics the most fun I’ve even seen an artist have while maintaining a captivating performance. ‘Your Love is My Drug’ acted as a soundtrack for the festival. Indeed, Frank Turner’s effortless style and charm, teamed with crowd interaction made Sunday a scorcher in more than one way. ‘Four Simple Words’, ‘I Still Believe’ and ‘Photosynthesis’ rocked the field into a frenzy of dust, with a wide ranging audience there to hear his story-telling lyrics. There’s nothing not to love about Frank and his folk-punk ways.
T’s 20th birthday party, although a big affair met with amazing artists who didn’t fail to deliver, could only have been improved with a less subdued atmosphere in between sets that had either withered in the intense heat, or was left in the campsites. One thing is for sure, the Scottish certainly know how to have a good sing-a-long and a colourful time when the music is playing, reflected in their diverse selection of artists. What’s better, T in the Park turns 21 next year, which can only mean more coming-of-age celebrations to rival this year.
Images by David P Scott. Coming soon – T part 2: Richard Baillie’s report on the best of the rest…
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
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RT @isthismusic: Festival review: T in the Park (part 1): http://t.co/u3G1FwdHLG