TRNSMT had a lot to live up to this weekend. Not only was it the festival’s first year, but it was also filling in for the much-loved T in the Park. Held in the heart of Glasgow, the three-day event was destined for success with a lineup that included Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro.
Friday showcased some of the most exciting homegrown talents on the King Tut’s Stage, with Wuh Oh, Be Charlotte and The Vegan Leather demonstrating exactly what the Scottish music scene has to offer. The main stage line-up was every indie fan’s dream with blistering sets from JP Cooper, Everything Everything, Rag N Bone Man, London Grammar, and Glasgow’s own Belle and Sebastian, before headliners Radiohead took to the stage for their massive two and a half hour set.
It’s been seven years since the band graced the stage in Glasgow and they more than made up for it. The band played songs across their discography to the delight of 35,000 fans. Despite being half the size of T in the Park, the TRNSMT crowd made themselves heard over classics such as ‘The Bends‘, ‘Lucky‘ and ‘Paranoid Android‘. However, the most notable moment was when they finished their set with ‘Karma Police‘. The crowd came together and sang every word, keeping it going long after the band left the stage.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was the appearance of the sun on Saturday. The weather brought good spirits for the second day of the festival with huge performances from Stormzy, The Kooks, George Ezra, and Catfish and the Bottlemen.
The energy remained high for the entire day but came to a peak with Kasabian’s headline set. The Leicester band played opened with ‘III Ray (The King)‘ from their most recent album For Crying Out Loud. Their set was full of their iconic songs including ‘Shoot The Runner‘, ‘You’re In Love With A Psycho’ and ‘Comeback Kid’ before bringing the second day to a close with ‘Fire‘.
It wouldn’t be a festival in Scotland if it didn’t rain – and that’s exactly what the theme of Sunday was. The weather, however, couldn’t keep the festival-goers away. Glasgow Green was packed with excited fans waiting for an appearance from Biffy Clyro.
With Lewis Capaldi and Deckland McKenna competing with Blossoms and Twin Atlantic, choosing who to watch was no mean feat. The crowd came together, however, for The 1975 as they put on a slick performance with the high levels of production they’re renowned for.
Biffy Clyro are T in the Park royalty, having played there more times than any other band, so it seemed fitting that they would close the weekend. They kicked off their set with ‘Wolves of Winter‘, assuring all eyes were on them. Crowd pleasers included ‘Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies‘, ‘That Golden Rule‘, ‘Machines‘, and ‘Mountains‘. However, their set still had a few gems from their earlier albums with ‘57‘ and ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Jaggy Snake‘ making appearances.
Bringing the festival to a end they played ‘Stingin’ Belle‘; an ode to their hometown ending with bagpipes and fireworks. It was the perfect final curtain to what will hopefully become a permanent feature in Glasgow summers.
