Last weekend was the first ever TRNSMT festival, a new Scottish festival held in Glasgow. The three day event was headlined by Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro.
Weekend Highlights: The LaFontaines, Kasabian and The 1975
Last weekend was the first ever TRNSMT festival, a new Scottish festival held in Glasgow. The three day event was headlined by Radiohead (Friday), Kasabian (Saturday) and Biffy Clyro (Sunday). The festival went smoothly with minimal disruption and with an increased police presence everyone felt safe.
Friday was the quietest day of the festival, it was calm and relaxed. The big names of the day were Rag N Bone Man, Belle & Sebastian and Radiohead, all on the main stage.
Rag N Bone Man attracted a huge crowd and treated fans to the hits from his debut album. He performed an alternative version of Skin which impressed fans and was delighted to hear the crowd singing his lyrics back to him.
Belle & Sebastian were outstanding, they had the crowd dancing along throughout their set. The crowd were especially boisterous during “The Party Line”, during which they brought up audience members to dance on stage with them. The band had amazing stage presence and kept the audience hyped up.
Radiohead on the other hand were not as audience friendly. Their set seemed specifically geared toward people who were already fans, they lacked crowd interaction. Fans of Radiohead would have been delighted with the set but for those who were unfamiliar with their music may not have found it as welcoming, myself included. All in all it was a great day but nothing compared to the insanity of Saturday.
Saturday was the best day of the festival. Stormzy, The Kooks, George Ezra, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Lafontaines and Kasabian are just a handful of the fantastic acts of the day.
Stormzy drew in the masses with his energetic set and stage presence projecting itself onto the audience who matched if not surpassed his energy.
The Kooks and George Ezra were also just as popular, with people dancing along and making up the words to songs they did not know. Both acts have undoubtedly expanded their fanbases over the weekend.
Catfish and the Bottlemen failed to impress me. I am a fan of their music but they lacked energy so we took this opportunity to have a seat at the back of the crowd and eat lunch. They sounded great live, I just did not find them spectacular to watch.
Next up was The LaFontaines at the King Tut’s stage. The band hail from Motherwell and local fans were delighted by their set. They radiated energy and power. The audience was wild and there was multiple mosh-pits. Fans were treated to what singer Kerr Okan called a “world exclusive” from their upcoming second album. The set was fantastic with a healthy mix of older and new material, judging by the screams at the end of their set it was loved by everyone.
It was Kasabian that truly stole the night. They captured the audience from the outset of their first song, “Ill Ray (The King)”, with their high-octane performance that somehow seemed to get more intense as the set progressed. The set was mostly filled with the classics such as “Eez-eh”, “Shoot the Runner” and closing with crowd favourite “Fire”. On the right side of the stage at least 6 mosh-pits were formed. The audience lapped it up, and it will be hard to find a single person who did not have fun. It was the most entertaining and lively show I have ever had the pleasure of going to.
Saturday’s verdict: Best day ever.
Sunday was the big one, Blossoms, Twin Atlantic, Two Door Cinema Club, The 1975 and Biffy Clyro were all playing on the main stage.
Blossoms played a fantastic set, the highlight being when singer Tom Ogden dedicated “My Favourite Room” to a girl in the crowd and sang it from her perspective to her ex.
Next up on the main stage were Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic, who were playing in their hometown. Singer Sam McTrusty revealed it was a surreal experience as the band write and record about 300 metres from the stage. The band put on a fantastic show with McTrusty dancing around the stage and leaning into the crowd.
Even the rain could not dampen the spirits of the crowd during Two Door Cinema Club. The band put on an electrifying performance that left fans dancing.
It kept pouring for The 1975, who were easily the best performance of the day. I was not a fan of the band before the weekend but their show was outstanding, with a fantastic stage set up and the ever exuberant Matty Healy prancing around the stage, hyping up the crowd. His stage presence and crowd interaction kept spirits up during the downpour. Fan favourite song “Loving Someone” was accompanied by a lighting backdrop in the pride colours as he dedicated it to LGBT persons. Their whole set went down a treat and they are without a doubt one of the best bands I have ever seen.
The final act of the night were Biffy Clyro who really riled up the crowds. They played a fantastic show and the crowd went wild. At some points it was rough, with many people falling over, this is to be expected from a Biffy show but due to it being the last performance of the weekend the crowd was particularly excited. They ended the night with “Stingin’ Belle” and fireworks, a fantastic end to the first TRNSMT festival.
TRNSMT has been confirmed for next year and if it is anything like this year then it will undoubtedly become an annual occurrence.