REVIEW: T in the Park 2014

Friday 11th to Sunday 13th July 2014 – T in the Park @ Balado Airfield, Kinross Words: Ashley Spink

Balado, Kinross. For many years the epicentre and musical heartbeat of Scotland but this weekend said a lip-quivering goodbye to T in the Park. Held at the site since 1997, a nostalgic nod to new beginnings means the festival’s new home from 2015 will be the nearby Strathallen Castle.

The mark of new beginnings, however, suggested there was only one way to bow out of the former airfield - in true Scottish style!

As Friday painted the perfect picture of sunshine, there was a subtle incense of summer aromas. Being the perfect hand to dirty basslines, dastardly DJ's and diligent rock, the green light on Balado's goodbye party flared.

The Rifles were the first act to open the signature King Tuts tent. Hammering through a set of lad-rock their pop influenced tone was a significant salute to the momentum of the day’s mood. The tent echoed to sing-alongs of upbeat indie and the weekend’s excitement canister well and truly exploded!

Currently conquering the music charts, Foxes (aka Louisa Allen) played the set of her life on the second stage. Doused in sunshine it was clear this woman has a tight grasp of how to perform the perfect festival set. Each song including the triumphant 'Let Go For Tonight' was met with Balado euphoria.

Although seemingly veterans of the festival circuit, HAIM are pretty much as new to the game as anyone, but holding their own on the Main Stage before the prolific Imagine Dragons showed no loss of nuclear decay on 'Radioactive', they looked every bit the festival necessity.

Whether Ed Sheeran was providing the warm-up or Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello was playing a headline slot across the field, Friday's hype swarmed around three Scottish rockers. Headlining the Main Stage after playing the festival for an incredible tenth time, Biffy Clyro closed the day’s events under a moonlit sky.

An increasingly sweaty frontman Simon Neil claimed it was an "honour" to be bill toppers for the opening night. Having played so many warm-up and support roles previously with little more than a draped album cover to fill the stage, tonight was all about a reward to the fans. Streamers, fire, flares, electronics trees - you name it, they had it.

Stage ramp? Why not? But what really stole the show was their musical magnificence. Smouldering the crowd with hits including 'That Golden Rule', '57', 'Bubbles' nothing was done half-heartedly, especially a remarkable rendition of 'Biblical' that will no doubt be soiled into the minds of generations to come.

Despite the fashion police still calling for Neil's head after his somewhat eye scorching neon pants stood more vibrant that the day’s sun, this set held no shame - it was sensational. Ending on 'Mountains' the band were emotionally weak. And so they should be. Hitting a career high in their own backyard, they stood taller than any mountain daring to compete with them.

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After all the heat and hype of Friday, Saturday's rain placed us into more familiar surroundings. Ponchos a plenty, it was time to wrap up and rock on! "Come on thunder. Come on thunder" cries dispersed from James at the Main Stage. Picking their moment to tease us in all out wetness, they triumphed throughout their hit-packed set.

For The Human League, it was a chance for them to tell us when they'll see us again and John Newman's opportunity to explain how he'll love us again. But as the rain continued to wash us clean, it was Pharrell Williams who let it be know how to be happy. Wearing his trademark hat and bling, the impossibly smooth singer belted out hits new and old including, of course, a rapturously received ‘Happy’.

As such seemed to be the theme of the weekend, the artists from their native Scotland were prolific in every sense. Paolo Nutini was one. With a fresh new album out earlier this year, it felt like he'd finally come into his element. Offering the support to co-Scot Calvin Harris, he played to arguably his biggest and most fervent crowd yet. Playing songs from all three of his albums, the 27-year-old touched new ground with hits including 'Funk My Life Up', 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty' and 'Pencil Full of Lead'.

Now, as many would agree, if you're going torn between Elbow headlining the second stage and Calvin Harris headlining the Main Stage, you toss a coin, right? Wrong, you split sets of course. Why? Well in this instance you may just miss the great Will Smith go toe-to-toe with Harris in the DJ box. Weird? Maybe. Wonderful? Definitely. And as for Elbow, well, if they could ask any better question of the heavens above to part way for sunshine on the Sunday, it would be through 'One Day Like This'. Truly magical!

As night fell on the Saturday, in order to gain the most from your T experience, The Sunset Strip is the fort boyard of fever. Discos, dancing and weirdly wonderful sights make it ideal for a great escape. But that's not all. In store at T you have just about everything you need for the best festival experience. Whether that be the finest grub the world has to offer in the Healthy T area, fantastic camping facilities or mixing up your weekend to splash out for a VIP experience, the festival has pretty much all areas covered.

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The early yelps and cheers on the Sunday morning were met with another beautiful bout of sunshine. Fitting for a last day of goodbyes as the previous night’s rain became a distant memory. And what better way to start the day than absorbing the high hopes of Kodaline? Everybody was in strong spirits for the days proceeding and judging by the stellar line-up on offer for Balado's closing day, we were most definitely going to make the most of it.

Sam Smith has undoubtedly become an overnight success story. Playing the second stage over a cast over red faces and dripping sun cream, he excelled his credentials with back-to-back hits including 'Stay With Me' that enforce his young determined grit.

With London Grammar pulling out of the festival, Scotland's Chvrches were the perfect replacement hitting a sweet spot with their sublime electro-pop that resonated perfectly! Later, Paul Weller and Jake Bugg provided a mod-tastic double bill for the Parker-clad masses and Tinie Tempah pumped up an buoyant crowd to the max.

Despite these highs, the entire momentum of the day seemed to be building to one band and one band alone – Arctic Monkeys!

Serving up an epic hit-packed closing set, the band - Brylcream drenched and leather heavy - were the perfect fit to end the weekend. Turner, in a cool straddle suggested "This is the last time we are going to do this at this location, so let's do it!" - cue mayhem! Lyrics were being spilt almost as much as lager, fans were dying to be noticed by Turner's dark snarl and with hits including 'Do I Wana Know', 'Crying Lightning' and the festival essential 'I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor', one of Britain's finest bands became Balado's best leaving present.

With so many memories scattered across the Kinross moors, it's hard to think that there could be a better fitting for such an incredible festival. But sometimes, change is good. And with T in the Park now well into its prime as one of the country's best festivals, maybe this could lead to greater things. Line-ups that leave the crowd in awe and allow revellers to savour every moment is what T does so well. The new location at Strathallan Castle is going to be another welcoming chapter to the T party. All we have to do now is get involved.