Waking up on the Sunday of a festival is never fun. You’re sore, tired and hungover (and in this case covered in mud), so it’s no surprise that the atmosphere at T was a lot gloomier than before. Thankfully, though, we still had one more day of exciting acts to choose from, and – for the most part, at least – it didn’t disappoint.
After an emotional opening on the Main Stage from the Rogue Orchestra to the sounds of several David Bowie and Prince hits, Californian punk rockers FIDLAR were the perfect wake up act courtesy of the King Tut’s Tent. Mosh pits in the mud may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the four-piece certainly knew how to keep their audience happy, with one of them even giving a shout out to the lad who stole an ATM machine on Friday.
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James Bay proved a satisfying mood lifter in the late afternoon despite the rain, especially with his sweet renditions of ’Proud Mary’ and the always crowd-pleasing ’Hold Back the River’. Elsewhere on the Radio 1 Stage Jake Bugg drew a massive audience for a surprisingly rousing set filled with passionate sing-alongs, be it recent hits like ’Gimme the Love’ or the emotional favourite ’Broken’. ’Slumville Sunrise’ even saw him bring out the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith to have a go on the drum kit (which he apparently warned him “not to break” beforehand).
One thing T has always been fantastic for is its dedication to promoting up-and-coming local bands, and this year demonstrated itself as a haven for new Scottish talent in the form of the T Break Stage. The Lapelles were one such band who took to the stage in the early evening and, despite the intimacy of their location, they managed to prove themselves as one of the most exciting bands of the whole weekend. Chatty, lively and full of adoration for the crowd, it was hard not to get swept up in the giddiness of their set even if you weren’t already a fan.
But then there was the Sunday night. After a long weekend at T you’ll doubtlessly have seen some pretty shocking sights, but nothing that took place at the festival this year was more shocking than the turnout for LCD Soundsystem on the Radio 1 Stage. Blame it on the weather or the fact that they were clashing with the Chilis, but the dance-rock collective is renowned for their transcendent live performances and their recent comeback was one of music’s most exciting moments. This was the last thing they deserved.
Still, those in attendance were full of enthusiasm and the band certainly gave it their all, offering up a selection of their most beloved hits from their past three albums. James Murphy was an especially mesmerising presence, smiling bashfully at the screams of the crowd whilst making sure each of his fellow performers got their own warm introduction. The Chili Peppers were an undeniably fun finish to the weekend, filled with flares, improv jams and mass sing-alongs; it’s just a shame that many therefore had to miss one of the best acts to happen to T in years.
Words by Samantha King