REVIEW: T in the Park
T in the Park logo
By Chris Emslie
Monday 28th September 2009
There was a sense of comforting familiarity this year, joining the masses of festival-goers ploughing their way towards the T in the Park campsite. This was my fifth consecutive T, and some things never change. There’s always the over-enthusiastic few who, by the time they find their way to the site, are too drunk to pitch their tent (in 2008, my elder brother was one of these). There will always be one bright spark who thinks it’s really clever to try and start a sing-along at four in the morning when everyone’s asleep (it’s not). In fact the only things that ever seem to change at T are the line-up and the weather. In both these respects, this year’s festival was blessed. It’s natural to expect that Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ unfailingly charismatic frontwoman Karen O would command a live show full of pomp and circumstance, and what with the stadium-sized soundscapes of the band’s latest LP, It’s Blitz!, the stage was set for something truly epic.Yeah Yeah Yeahs did not disappoint. Their set flew by, an animal of a thing that careered seamlessly from dance-tastic to intensely moving. More than a few tears were shed at a beautifully lo-fi rendition of ‘Maps’, and when the East Kilbride Pipe Band marched onstage for the confetti-loaded crescendo of ‘Skeletons’, the band could hardly be heard over a chorus of exhilarated screams. And it was only the first afternoon. Saturday saw this year’s biggest overnight success Lady GaGa give a typically ostentatious performance – but don’t get me wrong, she put on a damn good show. GaGa’s appearances on the chat-show circuit had left me somewhat dubious, but in terms of technical ability and showmanship, she delivered what she promised. The live experience might only have been improved if she had spent more time singing and less time on her innumerable costume changes. Perhaps the single most engaging performance of the weekend was that of GaGa’s rival for the title of synth-pop queen – pint-sized pop virtuoso Little Boots, who powered through a retinue of songs so catchy that by the end I knew every word. Having written and produced all her own music, Little Boots is a rare occurrence; her songs are infectious, enjoyable and suitable for everyone who appreciates good pop music. In a parade of performers keeping musical integrity alive, Little Boots was followed up by a short set – much too short – by famously eccentric singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf, inexplicably still playing the ‘Futures Stage’ after four critically-acclaimed albums. I personally love festivals because they provide music fans with a chance to witness legendary acts perform in the flesh and to discover exciting new talent just a short distance away. For instance, Blur rounded off T in the Park 2009 in a suitably majestic style, while undiscovered gems like local band Broken Records got to show themselves off on the diminutive BBC Introducing Stage. Who knows, maybe in years to come they’ll headline. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all...
Monday 28th September 2009
There was a sense of comforting familiarity this year, joining the masses of festival-goers ploughing their way towards the T in the Park campsite. This was my fifth consecutive T, and some things never change. There’s always the over-enthusiastic few who, by the time they find their way to the site, are too drunk to pitch their tent (in 2008, my elder brother was one of these). There will always be one bright spark who thinks it’s really clever to try and start a sing-along at four in the morning when everyone’s asleep (it’s not). In fact the only things that ever seem to change at T are the line-up and the weather. In both these respects, this year’s festival was blessed. It’s natural to expect that Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ unfailingly charismatic frontwoman Karen O would command a live show full of pomp and circumstance, and what with the stadium-sized soundscapes of the band’s latest LP, It’s Blitz!, the stage was set for something truly epic.Yeah Yeah Yeahs did not disappoint. Their set flew by, an animal of a thing that careered seamlessly from dance-tastic to intensely moving. More than a few tears were shed at a beautifully lo-fi rendition of ‘Maps’, and when the East Kilbride Pipe Band marched onstage for the confetti-loaded crescendo of ‘Skeletons’, the band could hardly be heard over a chorus of exhilarated screams. And it was only the first afternoon. Saturday saw this year’s biggest overnight success Lady GaGa give a typically ostentatious performance – but don’t get me wrong, she put on a damn good show. GaGa’s appearances on the chat-show circuit had left me somewhat dubious, but in terms of technical ability and showmanship, she delivered what she promised. The live experience might only have been improved if she had spent more time singing and less time on her innumerable costume changes. Perhaps the single most engaging performance of the weekend was that of GaGa’s rival for the title of synth-pop queen – pint-sized pop virtuoso Little Boots, who powered through a retinue of songs so catchy that by the end I knew every word. Having written and produced all her own music, Little Boots is a rare occurrence; her songs are infectious, enjoyable and suitable for everyone who appreciates good pop music. In a parade of performers keeping musical integrity alive, Little Boots was followed up by a short set – much too short – by famously eccentric singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf, inexplicably still playing the ‘Futures Stage’ after four critically-acclaimed albums. I personally love festivals because they provide music fans with a chance to witness legendary acts perform in the flesh and to discover exciting new talent just a short distance away. For instance, Blur rounded off T in the Park 2009 in a suitably majestic style, while undiscovered gems like local band Broken Records got to show themselves off on the diminutive BBC Introducing Stage. Who knows, maybe in years to come they’ll headline. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all...