T in the Park festival organisers have announced The Rogue Orchestra as the latest musical act to join the lineup, and will be using their slot to pay tribute to David Bowie and Prince, both of whom died earlier this year.
The Scottish “freelance cross-genre session orchestra” will be opening the festival’s Main Stage on Sunday 10th July, the final day of the three-day event. They are set to perform classical covers of the two music legends’ best loved songs, which should no doubt spark an unforgettable mass singalong amongst festival-goers.
It’s set to be an especially bittersweet performance as David Bowie was supposed to headline in 2004 but sadly had to pull out due to an injury. Festival Director Geoff Ellis had reportedly enquired about booking Bowie each year for the festival and therefore felt that a tribute was the right thing to do, with the inspiration apparently coming from the performance of ‘Life on Mars’ by an organist at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow after news of Bowie’s death broke.
The Rogue Orchestra join the likes of The Stone Roses, Calvin Harris, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Disclosure, Courteeners, The 1975, Chase & Status, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jess Glynne and many more at this year’s festival, which is being held once again at Strathallan Castle over the 8th – 10th July.
Words by Samantha King