TRNSMT: A Festival Downsized
TRNSMT, Scotland’s largest music festival, returned this year with an immense line up, with the likes of Liam Gallagher, James Bay and Stereophonics taking to the main stage. I managed to grab a last minute ticket for the Sunday of the festival when artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Blossoms and Interpol took over Glasgow Green!
Arriving just as gates opened, I was able to catch some of the earlier acts such as Island, a London-based band who performed at the King Tuts stage. Having previously seen Island, I knew of their talents and they did not disappoint. The boys played a thirty minute set including tunes from their new album ‘Feels Like Air’ and some of their older singles. The crowd was small at first, as people sheltered beneath trees from the sun but their music soon brought the masses out. With only a mind blank to a lyric in the song “A Place You Like”, the boys otherwise played a perfect set, finishing with an explosive jam between the bassist and drummer at the back of the stage!
Power Tree
TRNSMT 2018
Between acts there was plenty of entertainment with DJs dotted all over. I spent most of my time by the Utilita Power Tree, which had DJs all day and chargers for everyone to use! Just along the green from the tree was a Cocktail Bar which seemed to gather quite the crowd of dancers, it felt almost like a pop-up beach party!
In the afternoon, when the heat was in the high twenties, English singer, Declan McKenna, played the main stage. Alongside his band which featured, uncommonly, a female drummer, Declan played some of his hit songs such as ‘Paracetamol’ and ‘Why Do You Feel So Down’. He stood out on the massive stage wearing what he called his “yellow Primark Freddie Mercury jacket” which soon came off due to the sweltering heat!
Main Stage
TRNSMT 2018
Much later in the day came what everyone had been waiting for, Arctic Monkeys took to the main stage opening with 'Four Out of Five' from their new album “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.” The strong and roaring crowd of 40,000 sung and danced to every hit they fired out during their ninety minute set including ‘505’ when the Sheffield band was joined on stage by Miles Kane. The Monkeys finished with a three-song encore and closed with one of their most known songs from the ‘AM’ album, ‘R U Mine?’ Alex Turner truly blew me away, and I’m sure I speak for thousands when I say it was a night I will never forget.
