T in the Park, Sunday
Strathallan Castle, Perthshire
Marianne Gunn
Four stars
The final day of the Perthshire fling was served with some serious mud and a very welcome spattering of sunshine. Sunday's scene was a more subdued affair in the afternoon, with lots of sprawling on the few remaining grassy knolls - although "mud soup" is probably the best description of the rolling countryside for the foreseeable future. James Bay was an early doors highlight and he seemed genuinely delighted to have been upgraded from small tent last year. Best Fake Smile was his vocal high point while hit Hold Back the River provided a memorable sing song. The sound from the main stage, however, is so polluted by the various nearby shows, having a hugely detrimental effect on the overall experience (also, the compacted site has created far too many bottlenecks when the crowd is in full flow).
Everything Everything shmoozed the crowd ("You look beautiful and you sound good, very good!") while their biggest hit Distant Past, although not studio slick, got the young crowd jumping. Other highlights included a funky set from Alabama Shakes and a corker from Kodaline (High Hopes and Brand New Day standing out). Paloma Faith flouted Madonna's warning and danced wildly in garish cape and gold high heels. Early hit Stone Cold Sober contrasted with most revellers, while Faith's lively performance of Pick Up The Pieces was perfectly complemented by her funky band and barefoot backing singers. Her timeless sound and unique voice - even if not wholly pitch perfect - made hers the most memorable female performance.
Noel Gallagher's distinctive dulcet tones sang the final notes while his High Flying Birds soaringly closed the show with the help of pleasing choral backing singing (most effective during Everybody's On The Run). Some Oasis nostalgia followed with an up tempo Fade Away and the elder statesman ensured the crowd stuck around and didn't steal a march on the impending traffic chaos. Musically, T in the Park was the usual success story but, logistically, some serious questions need to be answered before the event takes place on the Strathallan Castle site again.
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