T in the Park 2014 Review

This weekend we headed to celebrate 21st year of T in the Park and bid farewell to Balado before the festival moves to its new location in 2015, within the grounds of a 19th century castle.  

The festival started life in 1994 as a 2-day event packed with 17,000 people, since mushrooming to become a staple event in the Scottish events calendar and for festival-goers all over the country. Fast-forward to the present day and T in the Park proudly boasts sell out numbers of 85,000 and a 3-day programme of artists; clearly enjoying the ascent into adulthood a 21st brings. 

The festival kicks off on Friday with a stellar line-up including opening sets from The Rifles, Drenge and Neon Jungle. Complimenting the beautiful weather comes a strong female presence across the stages, including young English electro-pop diva Foxes and the Hipster-channeling LA-cool trio of sisters Haim.

The oestrogen power grab continued with Ellie Goulding carrying on her momentum of this years already show stopping festival performances, stepping out in her hot-pants and serenading the crowd to hits such as ‘Starry Eyed’ ‘Anything Can Happen’ and ‘Burn’.

The Radio 1 stage kept Dance fans satisfied with an energetic line-up including DJ Fresh, Alesso and Steve Angello, whilst King Tuts Wah Wah Hut bring Britpop and rock revivals in the form of Manic Street Preachers and Pixies.

Over on the the Main Stage headline duties were handled by Biffy Clyro. The Scottish rockers - who have literally climbed their way up the T's bill stage-by-stage, slot-by-slot over the past 14 years - finally made top billing.

"We have been waiting a long time for this moment so thanks for coming and sharing it with us" professes Neil, after a rousing rendition of 'The Captain', and with the emotional return from the crowd during 'Folding Stars' it appears the feeling is mutual.

The sing-along of the night came in the guise of graspy-ballad ‘Many of Horror’ (above) and the first day of the festival was brought to a close by a mass of fireworks to accompany the finale 'Mountains', Friday's vibrancy still fresh in our minds.

Not quite so fresh from the first night frolics was the dreary Scottish skyline. Saturday is a far cry from the heat wave that seemed to engulf Balado over the previous days, however the atmosphere was far from bleak. 

Heading across to the Radio 1 Stage we witnessed the ever-sprightly Sophie Ellis-Bextor perform her disco-infused pop soiree in her disco pants - literally. Katy B held her own on the Main Stage and injected a much anticipated bass feel to the field, whilst Ella Eyre absolutely commanded the crowd with her catchy choruses and cheeky covers - one of Basement Jaxx's ‘Good Luck’ was accompanied by a revelation it was a track she loved as a child, ultimately making 80% of her audience feel pretty ancient! 

George Ezra and We Are Scientists drew the crowds into King Tuts as the heavens opened and on the Main Stage, James treated revelers to classic anthems like ‘Sit Down’ and the well received ‘Sometimes’.

Rudimental were next to take to the main stage. After the weather heart-breakingly cut their set short at Glastonbury a few weeks prior, the live-dance outfit appeared onstage with vats of energy (as well as a huge crew of musicians and singers) and delivered tracks from their debut album Home.

Fresh from his set on the Radio 1 Stage, John Newman hotfooted it across to join the band for the final track ‘Feel the Love’, a thrillingly victorious moment.

Saturday also saw Pharrell Williams start a drizzle-soaked party featuring a host of his biggest hits and productions. The N.E.R.D classics were out in full force and Williams shared the stage with an array of talented dancers whom he was keen to show off at every opportunity.

A live display of his track with Daft Punk ‘Get Lucky’ was a crowd highlight and an emotional dedication on ‘Happy’ to a member of his band who had recently beaten cancer was a fitting finale for his high-energy set; as we learnt at Wirleess last week Williams delivers the purest of shots of feelgood. 

Embrace made their festival comeback after eight years away. The last time they played T, they blew the amp but they certainly packed extra power in a set that was by far one of the climaxes of the day. Alongside tracks from their recent self-titled fifth studio album, the Brighouse brigade treated the rammed Wah Wah Hut to classics including ‘Ashes’, ‘Gravity’ and ‘All You Good Good People’. 

Headliner time, and whilst Elbow and Ben Howard brought a more laid back close to Saturdays offering, it was over on the Main Stage where the party was about to ensue. Announced onstage by none other than Will Smith (yes, Will Smith, Fresh Prince, Big Willy…or whatever you all him), we were taken aghast and wonderfully surprised by the special guest as a raucous crowd welcomed King Calvin Harris onstage.

His smash collab with Alesso Under Control' kicked in to a pyro and fireworks fanfare, setting Harris on his way in spectacular fashion. Playing the likes of his Rihanna hook up 'We Found Love', John Newman's 'Love Me Again', The Killers' 'When You Were Young' and 'Eat Sleep Rave Repeat' by Fatboy Slim alongside his own material, Harris had the enormous crowd dancing throughout. A momentous close to Saturday indeed. 

The final day reverted back to sunshine, the scorcher matched by a line-up that was just as hot. Inspiral Carpets, Reverend & the Makers, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand kept the nostalgic indie-disco alive. 

Paul Weller, the Mod-Father himself, injected his swagger, class and oozed British rock royalty on the main stage as he played some vintage The Jam and Style Council favorites, and elsewhere an entirely different kind of national treasure Tinie Tempah worked the crowd and had festival goers in a frenzy with ‘Pass Out’. 

There was disappointing news for London Grammar fans as the trio cancelled their set on the Radio 1 stage due to lead singer Hannah Reid losing her voice. Chvrches, who played the King Tut's stage on Friday as well as a guest slot on the BBC Introducing Stage earlier that day, were roped in to fill the vacant slot. A welcome substitute for many.

It was Arctic Monkeys who brought the festival to a close with a storming set very apt for the finale of the event and the finale of Balado. Arriving on stage during sunset, the Arctic Monkeys kicked off their set with ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ and it was tracks from their latest album AM that dominated.

As they continued with ‘Snap Out Of It’ and ‘Arabella’ (watch that here) the T-Crowd were treated to the likes of ‘Brianstorm’, a mass riot during ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ and a seductively sublime rendition of ‘505’, before an encore ending with ‘R U Mine?’

It's with a heavy heart that we leave Balado, and even more so knowing that it was the last time we were to grace these fields. As we pack down tents and make the journey back to the land of normality we can’t help but feel excited for the next chapter, lovingly knowing it'll remain so majestically fun.

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