Last weekend TRNSMT returned to its usual summer glory in Glasgow Green.
Festival goers flocked to the city centre dressed in colourful ensembles, bucket hats and Saltire flags to see the latest musical lineup. Fans felt the party energy before reaching Glasgow Green, with many fans making pit stops at pubs and restaurants before entering the festival due to the no exit policy once in the venue.
However, at £155 for a weekend ticket, Brig wanted to discover if it was worth the money. This year’s weather may not have disappointed fans, but many other things did.
Day 1 – Friday
Friday showcased artists on the main stage, such as Ella Henderson, Tom Grennan, Nile Rodgers and CHIC, Sam Fender and Paisley-born Paolo Nutini. On the legendary King Tut’s stage, we were joined by acts such as Callum Beatie, Saint PHNX and Beabadoobee. On the smaller River Stage, upcoming artists such as Etta Marcus, Dead Pony, STONE and The Skinner Brothers performed.
With gates opening at noon, we decided to hang back and head in a little later, at around 4 pm, as we anticipated large queues. Fortunately, there were no long queues when we arrived, and we managed to get into the green in approximately 15-20 minutes.
The weather was cloudy, and some showers appeared while Sam Fender was pumping up the crowd on the main stage. This unpredictable weather did not deter the fans who were encouraged to shout ‘F*** the Tories’ during Fender’s set.
We began to get a little peckish, so we decided to check out the wide range of food stalls. The choices were endless, from pizza to noodles and hoagies to hot dogs. However, many people, including myself, felt that the food and drink were highly overpriced. For two regular hot dogs and two bottles of water, we paid a whopping £24.
Paolo Nutini graced the stage after a five-year hiatus to a roar of applause from fans. He left fans with mixed opinions after singing remixed classics such as ‘Candy’, ‘New Shoes’ and ‘Jenny don’t be hasty’, albeit sometimes only snippets of the older songs. Instead, he preferred to debut songs from his new album ‘Last Night in the Bittersweet’, which was released at the start of the month.
Day 2 – Saturday
On the second day, joining the crowd on the main stage were Dylan, Example, Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C, The Snuts, Foals and The Strokes. On King Tut’s, we had Retro Video Club, Self Esteem, Maximo Park and Jimmy Eat World. The River Stage showcased rising stars Medicine Cabinet, Parliamo and Pip Blom.
We decided to head to Glasgow Green a lot earlier on Saturday, hoping to see some of our favourite acts. However, once we got near, we were told there were extreme queues at the front entrance, so instead, we made our way to the rear entrance.
Unfortunately, these queues were no better, with lines forming for around a mile in twenty-one-degree heat. We queued for 2 hours and missed some acts such as Medicine Cabinet, Dylan, and Example. There was very little police or steward presence around the lengthy queue, with many people becoming dehydrated and sunburnt.
Due to Olly Alexander’s band Years and Years having to pull out at the last minute, viral sensation Wet Leg got promoted from King Tut’s stage to the main stage. Wet Leg rose to fame after their song ‘Chaise Longue’ went viral on Tik Tok and did not disappoint fans eager to see the duo.
Arizona band Jimmy Eat World provided a blast from the not-so-distant past on King Tut’s stage with their beloved songs ‘Hear You Me’ and ‘The Middle’.
Headliners The Strokes were plagued by technical issues during their set yet delivered a somewhat well-received performance of their most loved songs. Although, many fans took to Twitter afterwards to complain about the set and Julian Casablancas’ treatment of the crowd.
Day 3 – Sunday
On the final day, Nina Nesbitt, Dylan John Thomas, Sigrid, DMA’s, Wolf Alice and Scotland’s own Lewis Capaldi took to the main stage to close the festival. Crawlers, Mae Muller, Alfie Templeman, Jamie Webster and Thomas Headon were just some of the acts to take to King Tut’s stage. The last batch of up-and-coming artists featured on the River Stage included Alex Amor, LUZ, Dylan Fraser, Connor Fyfe and The Reytons.
The temperature reached a scorching 24 degrees, much to festival goers’ delight. Many people had prepared by bringing towels and blankets to lay on while listening to acts; others had brought water bottles. However, security poured out any full bottles due to rules about food and water being brought into the venue. There were a couple of water stations where people could refill these bottles for free, but large ques formed with people needing hydration. Most food stalls also ran out of fizzy juice because many needed something to cool them down.
By the time Lewis Capaldi came on stage, many people were hyped and ready for his long-awaited return to TRNSMT after pulling out last year. Out of all the headliners, Capaldi received the most significant crowd reaction, with people loudly singing and dancing along to his songs. Of course, he also came ready to banter with the crowd, wisecracking in between tunes.
He apologised to the crowd for not playing any new songs as he had not yet completed his upcoming album (joking that he was instead ‘masturbating excessively’). Nonetheless, fans were pleased to see him and left eager to hear his new album.
Overall, TRNSMT was a great experience. However, the expense doesn’t stop at the ticket, so if you are planning on getting a weekend ticket next year, be prepared to put a chunk of money aside for food and drink expenses within the park. All the acts were phenomenal, the ones we got to see, but more organisation regarding entry and care of the festival goers need to be addressed for next year.
Feature Image Credit: Robyn Duffy