MY TOP PICKS FOR TRAMLINES 2018 - 14/07/2018
One thing
I always find difficult when writing about festivals, especially when there are
artists with the calibre of some of those on the Tramlines line-up have is choosing my top picks. Despite that, I
have narrowed it down to 15 must see acts – this doesn’t mean there are not
loads more I would recommend and will be going to see throughout the weekend.
So, in
the order of when they shall be playing (just to make things that bit easier
for if you plan to see any), here are my top picks for Tramlines 2018:
THE
BIG MOON are the alternative London-based quartet who recently
released their debut album ‘Love in the 4th
Dimension’ who are going to be taking to the main stage of Tramlines
on the opening day of the festival. Hitting up the stage after Saint Petersburg, Juliette, Soph,
Celia
and Fern
will kick off their performance at 16:15.
New
Forest’s quartet THE MAGIC GANG
shall be presenting their music for your ‘mind, body, spirit and soul’ will
also be gracing the festival on Friday
but Angus,
Jack,
Kris
and
Paeris will be one of the first few bands to play The Leadmill stage as their performance begins at 6:30 on Friday.
The first
of Stockport’s talents to make it to my top picks list is the four-piece band known
as NO HOT ASHES. They are bringing
their food vibes and bop-filled tunes to the festival courtesy of the showcase from
This Feeling and Scotts. Isaac, Luigi,
Jack
and Matthew
will be the last band of the day on The
Library stage as they kick things off at 8:30pm on the Friday.
Hailing
from the neighbouring town of Doncaster, Anastasia, Ross and
Richard – better known as BANG
BANG ROMEO are the blues infused rock ‘n’ roll trip who are one of the most
memorable bands I have ever seen or at least heard live. I remember when I was
going for a meal a few years back and they were playing an event in the town
centre. As soon as we got out the car, they were all you could hear. They were
quite simply flooding the streets with the pure power which just radiates from
them, particularly that of Anastasias’
voice. They will be taking to the main stage
of the festival at 1:30 on the Saturday.
Sheffield’s
very own garage-pop / indie band REDFACES
shall, like The Big Moon & Bang Bang Romeo, be taking to the main stage of Tramlines. They are another band in which I have been lucky enough
to catch live once before and I have to say that Harry, Isaac,
Ryan
and Charlie
are one of my favourite young Sheffield outfits and have bagged that main stage slot as I am obviously not
the only one who feels that way. The quartet are set to begin their set at 2:30 (just after Bang Bang Romeo).
The quintet
from Stockport known as BLOSSOMS shall
be the last ones to warm the crowd up for Noel
Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – something which is nothing new for Tom,
Josh,
Charlie,
Myles
and Josh as they joined the band on their tour across Europe last
April. This set is one which I’m most looking forward to as this is the closest
to watching a headline set of theirs I will have gotten so far (despite this
being rather different to a headline show). I have previously only seen the
band through them supporting others (The
Courteeners & The Stone Roses)
so getting to watch an hour long set of theirs will be something completely new
for me and will for sure present more of their fans than the previous times
I’ve seen them. Their main stage set
kicks off at 6:45 on Saturday.
Another
band coming straight out of the Steel City to play their ‘hometown’ festival is
WULFMAN FURY. A band I have not yet
been able to catch live but I am very excited to do so because of what I’ve
heard / read about them and through their released tracks, their songs are ones
in which I feel I will enjoy even further when I finally see them live on the Tramlines weekend. George, David,
Will,
Joe
and Steve
definitely strike me as ones to watch to the buzz that seemingly surrounds them.
The Leadmill stage is the one they
shall play and they shall be doing so on the Saturday at 4:30.
PALACE, the
alternative-rock trio from London will be the second to last act to play The Leadmill stage on the Saturday as they play just before Rat Boy. The debut album of the trio
came out in 2016, last year they released the single version of their track ‘Live Well’ from that first album.
Something which might mean that more music may well be on the way. For now, you
should definitely head down to The
Leadmill stage for their 7:30
set, I am sure you shall not regret it.
This top pick is not someone who I would necessarily go and see if it wasn't in this setting but I feel as though, in this setting you would be guaranteed to have a good time dancing around to his music and it would in someways be a somewhat welcomed change to the genre due to what the rest of my top picks fall under and so CRAIG DAVID'S TS5 makes the cut. I am pretty sure seeing him would be a fabulous way to finish your Saturday at Tramlines. The set shall start at 7:30.
The
third band in my top picks whom hails from the hosting city is the six-piece
band, THE SEAMONSTERS. When I first gave
the indie band a listen, I wasn’t sure what I would think of them but I was rather
pleased with what I heard and I am definitely looking forward to being able to
see what Naomi, Lauren, Holly, Tessie,
Ella
and Ciara are like when they perform live, something which I shall
soon find out as they open T’Other stage
on the Sunday at 12:45.
GENGAHR are
the band I would say I have been following the longest (music wise) out of all
the bands on this list but yet again, they are a band I’ve never been lucky enough
to see live so as you can imagine, I am incredibly excited to finally be able
to see Felix, Danny, John and Hugh
at this years Tramlines. If you also which to see the London based four-piece
then T’Other stage at 2:45 on Sunday is the place for you to be.
I
first saw JAKE BUGG when he took to
the stage of Leeds Festival back in 2014 ahead of the set from Arctic Monkeys. I was thoroughly impressed
by his set as I am a big fan of his but was left feeling majorly deflated following
his set because of those who surrounded me in the crowd. I am hoping very much
that as he is headlining T’Other stage
on the Sunday that those in the
crowd will be there for him not waiting around for those that followed as it
will definitely be something that will mean I walk away from his set without the
feeling I did last time and shall allow me to fully enjoy every aspect as he is
brilliant live. The singer-songwriter from Nottingham will be kicking off his set
at 7:45.
Without a doubt one of my favourite bands has to be SHEAFS. I first discovered the five-piece who met in Sheffield during their time at university when they were playing their first ever headline show as I had gone down to catch The Bulletproof Bomb and since then the growth I have seen from this band has been nothing short of amazing and they have made some absolutely amazing achievements. After not having seen them for a really long time I am very much looking forward to them killing it as they play the showcase put together by John McClure of Sheffield’s Reverend and the Makers at The Leadmill stage. Lawrence, Callum, Chris, Charles and Charlie will grace the stage on Sunday at 4:30 after the comedians of the day.
Without a doubt one of my favourite bands has to be SHEAFS. I first discovered the five-piece who met in Sheffield during their time at university when they were playing their first ever headline show as I had gone down to catch The Bulletproof Bomb and since then the growth I have seen from this band has been nothing short of amazing and they have made some absolutely amazing achievements. After not having seen them for a really long time I am very much looking forward to them killing it as they play the showcase put together by John McClure of Sheffield’s Reverend and the Makers at The Leadmill stage. Lawrence, Callum, Chris, Charles and Charlie will grace the stage on Sunday at 4:30 after the comedians of the day.
One of
the most talented bands I have discovered in the last year is Sophie and the Giants, who I had the
pleasure of meeting when I did a photoshoot with them. I then went on to see
the Sheffield-based quartet live when they supported Trudy and the Romance at Sheffield’s Picture House Social where they showed just why they have not only gained
this slot (also part of the John McClure
showcase) but have recently signed a deal with Universal Music Germany – something which, is both literally and figuratively
speaking, a massive deal. They seriously are not one to miss if you are attending
this years Tramlines, so just don’t
do it to yourself. Sophie, Toby, Bailey and Chris
will be taking to The Leadmill stage
at 5:30 on Sunday.
TOM
GRENNAN is the final act to take to the stage as part of John McClure’s showcase and it’s fair
to say, with this debut album (Lighting
Matches) currently in the top 5 of the UK he more than deserves that slot. From
someone who went around London doing gigs in small pubs to headlining festival
stages with an album out - he really has come incredibly far in the last 5 years
and there is no doubt in my mind that in the next five years, he’ll be on his
way headlining bigger stages with at least another album out which has done even
better than this as he is an utterly incredible talent. His set will be the perfect
end to the weekend so be at his set on the Sunday
at 7:45 also, like Sheafs & Sophie and the Giants, on The
Leadmill stage.
Written by Sophie.
All of the times for acts throughout the weekend are as follows:
Written by Sophie.
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