As temperature records tumbled 72 hours ahead of Tramlines 2022, fast forward to the opening day and predictably Sheffield was back to its normal 25 degrees cooler and wetter self…FFS. Fortunately, the parched Hillsborough Park ground easily soaked up any precipitation thrown at it, meaning things didn’t descend into the dreaded mud bath for the 30-odd thousand in attendance. With plenty to see, particularly T’Other, Leadmill and Open Arms Stages, the fair weather punter including yours truly (I’ve been drenched more times at open air gigs than you’ve had hot dinners) was also supremely catered for.
With a mouth-watering mix of up-and-coming as well as established acts, sublime or ridiculous, a daily Tramlines plan of attack was a doddle to curate. Kicking things off on the Friday was the angular indie of Galway band The Clockworks, including cracker ‘Enough is Never Enough’.
Over at T’Other Stage, Lady Leshurr had a bouncing throng eating out of her hand with her banging grime and dancehall hybrid.
Over on the Open Arms stage, Girl Power Experience, gave everyone a fun twist on The Spice Girls formula, except these girls could sing! Cranking out covers of girl band faves including Little Mix’s ‘Black Magic’ and Sugababes ‘Push The Button’, everyone watching surely putting their weekday woes behind them, getting into the party mood. Tucked away in another corner, the open-air Library stage served up a varied mix of something a little different, including the brooding cerebral indie of Big Joanie playing songs such as the eerily thought-provoking ‘Crooked Room’. Inspired by the black American political commentator Melissa Harris Perry, the track explores the uncomfortable path navigated by black women on a daily basis.
Keeping things ticking over nicely, festival stalwarts James delivered like Liz Truss never will. Even though I’m not their number one fan, classics including ‘Come Home’, ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’ gave everyone a warm glow in front of the Sarah Nulty Main Stage. Unfortunately, Friday’s headline act, geordie singer-songwriter Sam Fender felt a tad disappointing, despite the crisp melodies clearly audible. For me it smacked of Brandon Flowers and the E-Street band whilst on T’Other Stage, Bradford’s second greatest band (after Petrol Bastard of course), beats trio Bad Boy Chiller Crew sent everyone into a Friday night frenzy as chants of ‘Yorkshire’ rang out across the big-top.
Up and coming local quartet Working Mens Club have created a stir ever since their eponymous electro pop debut hit the shelves during lockdown. With the paint barely dry on album number two ‘Fear Fear’, released on Heavenly Recordings less than 2 weeks ago, their headline appearance on Friday’s Leadmill Stage was the place to be. Boasting a tweaked line-up including Moonlandingz ace Mairead O’Connor on guitar/keys/vocals, frontman Syd Minsky-Sergeant and his three cohorts proved mean moody and magnificent form from the off. Opening with the urgently crisp ‘Valleys’, an electro-pop masterpiece perfectly encapsulating their remote Calder Valley background, ‘Ploys’, ‘Circumference’ and ‘Widow’ gave us more fine slices of modern Yorkshire defiance in a post covid world. Clearly influenced by Northern predecessors Human League and New Order, you also sensed a sprinkling of Moroder-era Sparks, Herbie Hancock and Big Black.
Saturday was largely spent undercover including the jangly guitar pop of Bleach Lab on the Leadmill Stage, their fine pop nugget ‘Real Thing’ inspired by Aimee Mann and The Sundays in equal measure. Local grime artist JxK kept everyone’s feet moving with tracks including ‘Picasso’, despite the absence of track collaborator Coco. Ethno-folk exponents Kawala went down a blast on T’Other Stage, their lush anthemic ‘Animal’ sung back to the band by everyone in the know.
Recent Eurovision exploits clearly did favours for this year’s UK entrant Sam Ryder, his appearance in T’Other stage proving so popular that security started advising everyone headed that way that the arena was full. ‘Space Man’ closed Ryder’s set, predictably bringing the house down, warming everyone up nicely for another local heroine, Self Esteem. Rebecca Taylor cut her musical chops as one half of critically acclaimed indie folk duo Slow Club before reinventing herself as a power pop diva with an alias derived from her confidence issues.
Tonight, with everyone on stage dressed in Sheffield Wednesday’s famous blue and white stripes, Self Esteem tore the big top a new one with a blinding set of uplifting pop perfection, the ideal hometown hoedown. ‘I Do It All The Time’ seemed a magnificently modern update of ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ making a thrilled audience, clearly in tune with one of their own, scream loud enough to be heard from space. Staying put for headline act Sigrid the Norwegian’s stylish European pop reminded me of ABBA’s disco phase and her song ‘Bad Life’ a collaboration with local faves BMTH is predictably rapturously received. Alas, I was somewhat disappointed not to see her reprise the glorious version of Neil Young’s version of ‘Old Man’ recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra a few days earlier.
With the weather turning again for the worse on the final day, The Coral defiantly plundered their back catalogue on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage almost twenty years to the day since I first caught them live in the Steel City at the height of their powers. ‘Pass It On’, ‘Jacqueline’, ‘Dreaming of You’ and ‘Goodbye’ still sounded as fresh as a daisy, the famous Merseyside knack for crafting the perfect melody clearly evident.
With stand-up comedy now firmly established on the Tramlines roster, Mancunian Jason Manford (aided by the weather) had T’Other Stage full-to-bursting (with laughter too) as he shared his frequently hilarious lockdown musings including a heavenly megamix of school assembly favourites.
Scottish quartet Dead Pony provided welcome feisty metal on the Leadmill Stage before Goa Express followed them, sharing another set of their crisp guitar pop including the peerless ‘Second Time’, part Milltown Brothers, part Oasis and probably better than at least one of them.
Following the aforementioned sublime came the ridiculous, straight out of Disgraceland.
Elvana, (short for Elvis Fronted Nirvana in case you were wondering) owe just as much to Dread Zeppelin as they do the two bands they’ve mashed together but hey who cares? Reprising the killer tunes of both deceased rock and roll stars gave these fine songs welcome airtime. To witness them bolted together like ‘A Little Less Conversation/Smells Like Teem Spirit’ could leave only the uber churlish without a smile on their face. Continuing the theme, former Eastenders star Shaun Williamson packed them into the Open Arms stage with Barryoake, his cheesy singalong stage show straight out of a Benidorm side street. Across the way, local brass band Dirty Brasstards continued to repel the elements with their setlist of Arctic Monkeys covers.
Saving the best pair until last, Tramlines 2022 was brought to an end firstly with a blinding performance by another bright shining Yorkshire stars Yard Act. Comparisons with The Fall are probably massively unfair to both bands but frontman James Smith’s sardonic wit draws clear comparisons to his Fall namesake. For many this was the must-see event of the weekend and the well-oiled quartet were clearly on top of their game, the raucous Leadmill Stage gathering granting them the enthusiastic reception they deserved as they launched into opener ‘Fixer Upper’. 45 minutes later as ‘The Overload’ bookended their cracking set, virtually every other person had someone sat their shoulders as James implored everyone to brave the elements for Madness.
The Camden seven were probably the finest UK singles band of the eighties, their expert blend of punk, ska and music hall a key component of many young lad’s record collection. Boasting six members from their definitive line-up, this was a uniquely authentic trip down memory lane, serving as the perfect denouement to a wonderful weekend of live music and more besides. So lovely to see so many kids singing along to tunes clearly introduced to them by their parents including opener ‘One Step Beyond’, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘Our House’, ‘Embarrassment’, ‘House of Fun’ and ‘It Must Be Love’. The band even threw in an impromptu version of ‘Don’t You Want Me?’ as the recalcitrant sun finally emerged in the evening sky making a perfect weekend last that little bit longer.
Words by Michael Price
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