T in the Park 1994

 

30-years ago, T in the Park launched at Strathclyde Park in glorious sunshine. For a young 18-year old music fan from Carluke (10-miles down the road), it really seemed too good to be true. This was like the pages of the NME and the Melody Maker coming alive in front of my eyes!

Back in 1994, many fans of independent and alternative music in Carluke would take a short train ride to Wishaw and decamp to the pub Girdwoods next to the station. There was a DJ who played a mix of stuff that was veering towards indie. That exploded over the next year or so as Britpop bloomed.

Now, many of the Girdwoods crowd were getting to see loads of bands that were played in the pub on a Friday/Saturday for real. Just a couple of train stops on!

The T In The Park line-up was pretty incredible! The ambition of the promoters to bring all these bands to Lanarkshire has to be applauded. This was a major step for live music in Scotland. From memory, I think they had previously looked at the Isle of Arran for the festival. A beautiful setting, but a logistical nightmare.

Here are a few videos and bootlegs from 1994 to check out when you have time;

• The first highlights programme - featuring Crash Test Dummies, Grant Lee Buffalo, Saw Doctors, Crowded House, Rage Against The Machine, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, The Grid and Gun
• Blur - audio bootleg 
• Take The Power Back by Rage Against The Machine (STV footage)
• Oasis - audio bootleg
• Distant Sun by Crowded House (STV footage)
• Radio by Teenage Fanclub (STV footage)
• Rocks by Primal Scream (STV footage)

My memories are pretty hazy, but here are a few;

Saturday

• Transport and jibbing- my brother and I went with my friend Craig Richardson who kindly drove. We met loads of others from Carluke, including a few who managed to jib in by saying that their Mum had ordered tickets and paid by credit card. The ticket office wasn't quite as high tech as it is now. There really was no way of checking, so they got in! There was a meeting point in the middle of the site, so if you wanted to go and see a different band from your mates, you arranged to meet there. This was pre mobiles remember!
• Crash Test Dummies - had a massive HIT around this time with Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm and they drew a huge crowd to the main stage in the sunshine, with everyone singing along.
• Manics - I vaguely remember the Manics playing the tent with balaclavas on? They must have been roasting! I don't remember seeing Elastica, Blur or Pulp! Surely I saw a bit of them though!
• S*M*A*S*H - were a band the NME were giving a lot of column inches too as they talked of the New Wave of New Wave - bands inspired by punk. I don't think any of them really did anything of note and they quickly disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. Britpop took over! But my brother and I went to the tent to see them and were jumping about at the front when there was a bit of a pile up and Ross was somehow at the bottom. Some big guy next to me grabbed his hand and yanked him out! Thanks mate! 
• The Levellers - there were loads of Levellers fans kicking around. There Levelling The Land album had been huge, with songs like One Way and 15 Years I ended up pulling (a very 90's term!) a lovely girl from Manchester later on at night. 
• Rage Against The Machine and Cypress Hill - the big rumour sweeping round the site was that these bands wouldn't make it. They were stuck in London or something. Did a helicopter bring them in? Or am I imagining that? Anyway, they kind of played a joint set with Killing In The Name Of being incredible. We ran to get as close to the front as possible and I remember literally running over a couple of people who were lying on the ground chilling out!

Sunday

• Oasis - I caught Oasis for the 3rd time in 4-months. I was so lucky to get into them right from the start. This was a blistering set. There is a very raw (audio) bootleg available on YouTube, but I'd love to see a video. They played football on stage, engaged in crowd banter, looked cool and sounded incredible. The tent was rammed for the hottest band around.
• One Dove - Played a blissful set and I was mesmerised by the beauty and coolness of Dot Allison! they may or may not have been on directly before Oasis.
• Teenage Fanclub - On the main stage and practically a hometown gig with Bellshill being just up the road. Memories are not so clear for this. I was probably bouncing about as close to the front as possible.
• Crowded House - Probably my clearest memory of the festival is fans making a human pyramid and following instructions from Neil Finn on the stage! Their songs seemed so perfect in the sunshine. Weather With You - what a song!
• Primal Scream - It had started to rain and Primal Scream just came on a blitzed things. I couldn't take my eyes of Bobby Gillespie. He looked and acted like a total star. The first of many times catching the band. 

I think I attended the first 7-9 T in the Parks and then gradually went more sporadically, maybe for a day rather than the weekend. I was at the last one (for the day), up on the new Perthshire site at Strathallan Castle for the Stone Roses. Review T in the Park had to move from their long term Ballado site due to a pipeline issue. 

T in the Park was an absolute blast - I camped out, stayed in a hotel (once), got a media pass one time, I volunteered with Oxfam, I organized a tent with Maggie's, I kissed girls, danced with friends, drank loads of beer, misbehaved and saw countless bands. Some breaking, some absolute superstars. 

30-years. How time flies!

On the shoulders of my friend Gordon at the last T in the Park

Flares for the Roses - the last T in the Park

Dream setlist by The Charlatans

The news that The Charlatans were returning to the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on Saturday 25th November had me checking my work calendar to see if I could be poised and ready for presale tickets going live at 10am on Wednesday 7th June.

I've been on The Charlatans mailing list for many a year and ... I didn't get a presale link. From Twitter, it seems like I wasn't the only one. But thankfully my friend Robbie got me, my wife and my brother a ticket, so we're all sorted!

The Charlatans have added a second night and still have space in their tour diary for a third ... TICKETS

Tim Burgess and co have a long history with the Barrowland. I honestly couldn't tell you how many times I have seen them there over the years. A few! The atmosphere is always electric, like a cup final. 

Memories include an opening blast of I Never Want An Easy Life and Can't Get Out Of Bed in 1994/95 with someone crowdsurfing to Oasis I Am The Walrus before the band had even come on stage. 

The atmosphere was electric that night, like a cup final. Indeed, it always is when The Charlatans play The Barrowland. There is a beautiful bond, a powerful connection. The band, venue and audience become one and it is very, very special.

To be honest, I'm pretty gutted when they play the Academy!

Check this sensational live Radio 1 audio bootleg from December 1997. The band are in sensational form!

The Charlatans, Glasgow Barrowland, December 1997 bootleg

Another time my brother Ross and I went out the night before he turned 21. The band came on stage and played the beautiful long intro to Forever, then Tim can on stage with his hands in the air and the place just erupted. 

And then when The Charlatans played Some Friendly in full the whole venue became a massive indie club dancefloor when the band played The Only One I Know. But then, that particular song always generates that reaction, but maybe the famous sprung dancefloor at the Barrowland helps people dance harder and jump even higher.

Many of you reading this blog will have experienced the Barrowland roar. A special ovation reserved for special songs. An ovation that goes on and on, feet stomping, hands clapping, loud roars. The Charlatans have a few special songs in their arsenal and I can't wait to hear them and the roar of appreciation afterwards. I have tingles down my spine just thinking about it. I bet the band does too!

Will they have a new album out? Or will they just smash through a greatest hits and favourites set?

Either way, I'll be happy! The news about their show led me to try and create my dream Charlatans setlist. 

It could change from time to time, but for a Saturday night at the Barrowland ... this would take the roof off the place!

You can check it on my playlist here - Dream setlist - The Charlatans or search it on Spotify.

Forever

Tremelo Song

Can't Get Out Of Bed

Crashin' In

Tellin' Stories

Impossible

A Man Needs To Be Told

Oh! Vanity

Blackened Blue Eyes

Then

Weirdo

Try Again Today

The Blind Stagger

Just Lookin'

Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over

North Country Boy

The Only One I Know

One To Another

Come Home Baby

ENCORE

Happen To Die

Let The Good Times Be Never Ending

Sproston Green

Podcast - Stone Roses at Rooftops in Glasgow

 

The Stone Roses first gig in Glasgow was at Rooftops in June 1989. Following a recent blog post on my 10 favourite Roses songs I got talking to my friend Tam Coyle, the promoter for this show. I thought discussing his memories might make for a good podcast, we also invited Stevie Watt who DJ'd before the show and Craig McAllister, a fan who travelled up from Irvine for the show.

Me, I was too young, I was only 13 in 1989. I discovered The Roses in 1991 at the age of 15 and then had to wait until later 1994 for them to release any new music!

So I was keen to discuss what it was like to see The Roses as they were really starting to break.

Hear about Tam worrying about a band called Birdland playing the same night, queues down the street, anticipation, Stevie taking The Roses to his parents so they could do a phone interview with an American magazine, a support band (that Tam had forgotten about!), Craig's friend having the handwritten setlist, the atmosphere, the clothes ... a happening...

The podcast is available now on Spotify - Stone Roses at Rooftops, Glasgow, 1989, Memories

Bootlegs exist of the show, capturing a band in sensational form, Reni in particular sounds incredible. Thanks to Neil Carmichael for sending me this picture of his signed setlist from the night after he checked out the podcast.