Tag Archives: T in the Park

T in The Park 2014 review – Bye Bye Balado…

Feast headed up to T in the Paaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrk, on the Sunday for what was to be the last bow out as Balado bathed in scorching sunshine.
As Feast got, to T, the sun and copious volumes of alcohol hadn’t seemed to wane of the festival’s faithful punters and it was clear that everyone was going to send Balado off in style, and there was a definite air of poignancy as the ‘end of an era’ sunk in, on the final day of the weekend.
An early start Tijuana Bibles are the perfect antidote to start the party. The Glasgow cheeky chappies, deliver a sleazy snarling set full of immediate guitar stomps weaved with bass rhythms, and bounding energy.
Dundee’s Scary People gave an impressive early set full of brooding pop punk, with ‘I don’t see the lights’ is all infectious riffs and pounding bass lines. A definite one to watch on the Scottish scene.
Catfish & The Bottlemen played to a packed out tent and are going guns blazing just now, having watched them play tiny sets at Haddowfest, years ago, the band have blossomed in stature and risen the old fashioned way. The Welsh rockers received rapturous applause from the crowd with tracks such as ‘Kathleen’ and ‘Homesick’ met with massive sing-alongs. Whilst the band are not particularly original, they deliver set of proper rock sing-alongs sung with such intensity and conviction, that Van and co instantly win everyone in the tent.
Tame Impala played to a quiet tent, as the whole of the festival appeared to be at the main stage. The band delivered slabs of Aussie soaked psychedelic which the crowd lapped up. Highlights included the soaring pop ‘Feels like We Only Go Backwards’, ‘Be above it’ which builds into a raving monster, and ‘Elephant’ which sent the crowd mental.
Chvrches were roped in to cover London Grammar’s set and the trio are becoming firm festival favourites with their brand of accessible electro-pop, which entices everyone to dance, and are still on their way to becoming Scotland’s new electro-pop exports.
Meanwhile, on the main stage Paul Weller and then Jake Bugg looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Whilst, Weller brought out the hits, his performance was muted and nothing like previous sets over the years. Whilst Jake Bugg sang his heart out, he just looked like he wanted the set to hurry up.
Radio One headliners Disclosure’s crowd grew and grew throughout their set as punters became increasingly bored of Alex Turner and co.’s preening and unoriginal headline set.
Disclosure have had a simply outstanding year, as the boys have grown exponentially as their popularity and influence soars. They deliver a sleek set of deep house pop. Guy Lawrence drums precisely throughout the set and Howard sends the giddy crowd into fevered dancing as soon as ‘F for You’ drops. ‘When a Fire Starts to Burn’ sounds colossal. Whilst ‘White Noise’ sends the punters into heaving, jumping sing-along.
The Lawrence brothers delivered a storming, and as the crowd demanded ‘one more tune’ the boys ushered Sam Smith on stage for a rousing climatic version of ‘Latch’ as the sun set and fireworks drew the curtain on the Scottish behemoth and two decades of Balado, with the crowd saying ‘Bye Bye Balado’. There is much talk of a new improved T in the Park, a boutique festival, and a brand new site at Strathallan. Will it have that unmistakeable T feel, will it drew the same punters, does it want to? Who knows, but let’s lift a Tennent’s to the next chapter. Balado is been a blast!

Posted by Stacy

T in the Park

Feast put their party hats on and headed up to Sunday’s T in The Park, to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Balado behemoth which baked in glorious sunshine. There was a definite fiesta to be had!

The festival has come under a lot of criticism for it’s recent line up with fans blasting the increasing commercial and X- factor pop contingent, however there were some great bands playing, and an array of fantastic new Scottish talent was showcased over the weekend.

Deap Vally had an early start, looking like a rock n roll, trailer version of Thelma & Louise, they played their take on White Stripes stripped back, blues rock riffage, with tracks such as Walk of Shame and Baby I Call Hell were greeted by loud hollers from the hungover crowd.
On the main stage Earth, Wind and Fire got the crowd dancing to ‘Boogie Wonderland’ and several disco hits, some would say a strange booking, but people ran from all directions to dance in the dusty sunshine disco.

We popped by to see The 1975, to be met with a heaving tent and from what we saw ‘Chocolate’, The 1975 look to be another band who could do well once their debut album drops.
Disclosure could easily be dismissed as remashed deep house, however the brothers delivered a strong set of their own material, which the young crowd sung back with loud exuberance. Tracks such as ‘White Noise’ in which Aluna of AlunaGeorge dropped by to was lapped up with wild abandon.

The ascendant of Chvrches over the past year has been quite remarkable, and one that looks set to continue with a dramatic and energetic performance, showcasing from their forthcoming electro synth pop debut album. The next big Scottish export for sure.

Foals are another band who look likely to soon be stepping up the headline big league, but unfortunately the crowd seemed largely uninterested with the band’s soaring angular indie, and preferred to clap politely and wait for David Guetta…

Dundee’s Fat Goth also put in a notable performance , drawing a large crowd to the T Break stage. A fast rock band with slithers of metal, delivering loud, raw riffs. The trio powered through tracks from their debut Stud. Energetic and visceral, Fat Goth should be the next Dundee band on everyone’s lips.

Stand out performance of the day was New Yoik’s juggernaut Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who stormed through their headline set at the King Tut’s tent with Karen O delivering a electrifying performance as a red Majorette minx.

Launching straight into Sacrilege and Gold Lion it was intense spiky introduction, the YYY’s stamping their arrival and leaving the indie kids in a heaving, sweaty mess. The band trail blazed through their back catalogue with Cold Light, Heads Will Roll and Miles Away all receiving a fevered welcome.

Ending with Zero and returning on stage with THAT jacket, a touching Maps and a snarling finale of Date with the Night, the YYY’s delivered a blistering set full of proper rock n roll, which the heaving crowd lapped up, and ended with Karen O shoving the mic down her pants. Exhilarating.

That was it for the day, as Feast made their way through the site, bodies and bottles strewn from the aftermath of the four-day bender, the booming voice over the tannoy announcing next year’s ticket sales, just moments after the fireworks overhead finished. Party overkill Mr. Ellis, and we left wondering if the thousands left would accept their ‘invite’ to next year’s party?