T in the Park (Saturday)
Strathallan Castle, Perthshire
Marianne Gunn
Three stars
An abiding memory from T in the Park when it was staged in Hamilton was tramping home a good few miles as the town's traffic system had gone into meltdown. It seems the new site at Strathallan Castle is having similar problems with its infrastructure. An apology was sent out on social media after many people were stuck in traffic for many hours leaving the site on Friday night; promises were made that the situation would be better on Saturday and that unofficial campsites and subsequent walkers along the country roads were to blame. The organisers assured that more buses would be put on to prevent similar delays.
Unfortunately this was not the case as the West Entrance's pick-up/drop-off point - although well meaning - has created an absolute bottle neck and no buses could get through. Lack of any kind of queue management system and obvious authority figures ("look for a guy in green") were compounded by even the police suggesting an "if you can't beat 'em, join them" queue-skipping solution (to be fair, they had other more pressing problems than solving the Auchterarder "courtesy" shuttle situation). If gridlock ensues, angry walkers are the product - and obviously this is a huge health and safety concern that would need to be addressed before the festival can return (and DF Concerts have a three-year contract for this site).
Transport issues aside, the second day of T in the Park welcomed "proper" rain for the full Scottish festival experience. "I love it here," exclaimed Enter Shikari's Roughton Reynolds. "It's the only festival where even the bands on stage are freezing!" If George Ezra was having similar temperature issues, it remained undetected as his set filled the tea-time slot perfectly, with popular hits such as Budapest and lesser-known album tracks showcasing his singer/songwriter talents. Although he doesn't have the irresistible charisma of Sam Smith, his genial crowd interaction was well received.
After their much-debated Glastonbury set, The Libertines pulled in a large and curious crowd to the Main Stage. Pete Doherty, or Peter as he wishes to be known these days, still has an obvious on-stage bond with co-writer Carl Barat, although they don't appear to be a band who will last the distance. This set had a "one last flourish" feel about it, although they were playing some new material from upcoming album Anthems For Doomed Youth. More vintage tracks such as summer favourite Don't Look Back Into The Sun and Up The Bracket were what their older fan base appreciated, and those tracks have aged more gracefully than members of the band.
Although many moans were heard about a dance act headlining the festival, Avicii catered for the party-loving crowd with hits such as Wake Me Up and Hey Brother. The 25-year-old from Sweden has mastered the catchy yet credible dance track and he proved himself to be somewhat of a festival boy wonder. Finally, Twin Atlantic played their seventh consecutive T in the Park to close the BBC3/Radio 1 stage. Although lead singer Sam McTrusty's nerves may have plagued him backstage, there was no sign of this as the Scottish success story took on the Strathallan Castle crowd. Homegrown talent always sounds the best.
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