by Leah Buist
Early September saw the greatly anticipated return of Scotland’s biggest music festival. Once again, Glasgow Green was transformed into an unrecognisable kingdom of music, equipped with the power to secure the attention of anyone in the surrounding area with the hypnotic beat of its drums.
Glasgow Green sheltered the herd of deprived music lovers who flocked from every corner of the country. Glasgow city, as always, was simply electric. But after spending so long out of touch with normality due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year the green felt more alive than ever before.
This time TRNSMT meant more to us than hearing our favourite bands sing our favourite songs live. It was a sanctuary which allowed us to reconnect with old friends, scream out the lyrics in a crowd of strangers who felt like family, and rekindle our love for passions that once became lost in lockdown.
With Glasgow arguably being the live music capital of Scotland, it is unsurprising that TRNSMT festival was kicked off in style. With big names such as Blossoms, Sam Fender and the Courteeners all taking to the main stage on the Friday.
Although the long established and well-known band Courteeners held the title of the headlining act, it was Sam Fender, that stole the show for me. Fender’s performance generated an atmosphere within the crowd that can only be described as unforgettable.With audience members collectively singing along to every last word of ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’.
However, I found that TRNSMT truly kicked off on its second day. With massive names such as Primal Scream and Liam Gallagher blowing fans away with one iconic tune after the other.
Primal Scream performed many of their well-known songs, including ‘Loaded’ and ‘Movin’ on Up’, which really livened up the crowd. It was great to experience an iconic Scottish band perform live in the city in which they began.
Yet for many festival goers, the performance of headlining act Liam Gallagher, seemed like a dream come true. We all know that the singer can put on a show, and for the city of Glasgow, he certainly delivered. He performed some of some of the most famousOasis songs such as ‘Roll with it’ and ‘Wonderwall’ which was a truly a big hit with the crowd and ended Saturday on a high.
But just as I thought that my weekend at TRNSMT had reached its peak, the Chemical Brothers took to the stage on the third and final day.
Taking a step away from singing along to Oasis songs, the Chemical Brothers created a different experience. The electronic music duo performed music focused songs which meant that you didn’t need to be at all familiar with each song to enjoy the performance.
The marvellous lighting and visual display that commanded the stage really enhanced their performance and created a hypnotic and psychedelic musical experience. Although very different from the other headlining acts, their performance was extremely enjoyable and memorable. The Chemical Brothers created a perfect ending to a fabulous weekend of live music.
This year, TRNSMT festival gave us the tools to rediscover ourselves. It let us sing until we lost our voices, dance until our feet hurt and go to bed with a smile on our faces. We got to finally witness bands we have always loved, and love bands we had never heard of. This year Scotland’s largest music festival wasn’t just about the music, it invited us all to make our return into the world.
