Underneath the backdrop of Stirling Castle, the BBC’s Scottish edition of its annual Radio 2 In The Park festival was nothing less than a star-studded extravaganza.
Amongst Sunday’s epic lineup that kept the crowd re-energised from the opening act, I was lucky to see three brilliant performances from the later acts of James Blunt, Level 42 and the highly-anticipated headliners Simple Minds.
From James Blunt sending the audience wild as he went crowdsurfing to finish his set, to the thousands of people uniting for Simple Minds’ 50 year long return to Stirling – here is a breakdown of one of the city’s nights to remember:
James Blunt
The crowd instantly cheered in excitement as the unmistakable and widely-adored James Blunt stepped on the stage, where he captivated the audience with a warm variety of his music with songs such as ‘You’re Beautiful’, ‘1973’ and ‘Bonfire Heart’ among others.
He joked at the beginning of his set that “It’s always good to start with a miserable song, isn’t it?” where he then opened with his song ‘Weight Of It All’ and immediately brought the crowd together.
He gifted Stirling with a range of heartwarming performances from his discography, where later editions of his much loved chart-topping singles radiated love and energy across the audience.
To top of his set, Blunt sent the crowd buzzing as he began crowdsurfing on an inflatable lilo to the back of the standing area, and greeted mesmerised fans on his return journey to backstage.
Level 42
A notable favourite for many fans of the 1980s, Level 42 brought their signature jazz-funk style to the city for a fab performance of some of their classic hits.
The band got the crowd grooving with a set full of their energy that they have carried since the 80s, featuring their notable hits ‘Lessons In Love’ and ’Something About You’ topping their iconic and powerful discography.
From walking onto the stage to finishing with a banger, the band had the crowd kept the atmosphere charged and had the crowd vibing throughout.
Simple Minds
As they got the crowd chanting and buzzing minutes before they even came on, Simple Minds returned to Stirling with a highly-anticipated and incredible performance to conclude the festival.
Playing an epic medley of their much-loved hits from the 80’s and their great new single ‘Beginner Boys’, the Scottish band thrilled the audience and had everyone locked into their one-of-a-kind energy from start to finish.
The band kept connecting with the crowd between songs by joking around and expressing their love towards them, where lead-singer Jim Kerr revealed how much the night meant as it was their first return to Stirling in almost 50 years, following their breakthrough gigs at the University back in 1979 and 1980.
As the performance contained their non-stop spirit throughout, Simple Minds radiated their magnetic energy into an already united audience who all bounced and belted out to their mega-hits ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ and ‘Alive and Kicking’, followed by ‘Sanctify Yourself’ before a burst of fireworks to close the festival.
As their only UK performance for this year, Simple Minds certainly proved that they still have the same power and blessed Stirling with a night they will never forget.
Featured Image Credit: Erin Hamilton
Fourth year journalism student at Stirling University
Instagram: @erinh4milton
