The mad rush to buy wellies, tents and unholy amounts of alcohol has begun as T in the Park is on its way to Balado, Scotland, once again. Eight stages and tents will be home to over 180 bands across the three days of live music. But what can festival goers expect from the weekend and will they be ravishing in the sunshine or drowning in mud?
Headling the four day event are Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Foo Fighters. As well as them we will see performances from Pulp, Slash and Beyonce. Many were apprehensive about the former Destiny Child’s ability to play huge festivals such as T, but she more than proved herself at this year’s Glastonbury last weekend. With an all female band and dozens of backing dancers, Beyonce is set to put on a spectacular show.
It’s hard to predict just yet but weather forecasters are expecting sunshine and a mixture of light and heavy showers. So dust off your straw hats and pack a raincoat just incase. As well as music, T in the Park has plenty of other things to entertain the massive crowd it draws. Healthy T offers gourmet grub for anyone who doesn’t fancy food poisoning on top of their hangover. ‘REFRESH’ is where the thousands of image conscious girls (and boys!) can flock to have access to all things cosmetic. Mirrors, hair dryers, straighteners are all available as well as a luxurious hair washing service. “Support the music, support your environment” is the catchphrase of the Eco Village. Here you can chat to members of many eco friendly organisations. Oh and watch out for a rubbish consuming, 12 metre long, pink and purple dragon.
As well as big name acts, T also supports unsigned and up and coming bands through its T Break Tent and BBC Introducing Stage. Carnivores, Fatherson, Crayons and Bwani Junction are among the 40+ bands lucky enough to get one of these prestigious slots.
“I think T in the Park is the most sought after gig in a Scottish band’s career.. it’s unlike every other gig. I mean how often do you get to play on a big stage in the middle of a field with 80 thousand people around?” (Ross Leighton, Fatherson)
A guest slot this year has been awarded to Sucioperro. They have toured the UK with big names and recently released their third album. Carnivores embarked on tour with them earlier this year and also play on the T Break stage. We spoke to Kenny Leckie, the signer and guitarist of the rock trio from Paisley. “A fair amount of hard riffs, weird time signatures and big choruses” is what you can expect from this alternative band who take no prisoners. Kenny goes on to say “I used to have a rule that if I didn’t come off stage in pain, then it wasn’t a good gig. Then I remembered I wasn’t Henry Rollins”
One of T’s newest stages is the BBC Introducing Stage. This stage is set up to showcase talent from across the UK – most of which are unsigned. Edinburgh boys Bwani Junction are looking forward to playing alongside The Xcerts, Bronto Skylift, Gogobot and many more.
If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets for this year’s event which takes place between July 7th and 10th, footage can be seen live across the UK on the BBC.
