TRNSMT: Thousands flock to Glasgow Green for weekend of music… and even a bit of sunshine

Scotland’s biggest music festival returned this weekend as thousands descended on Glasgow Green for a weekend of live music at TRNSMT.

Thankfully the wellies weren’t required as the rain was kept to brief, light showers and revellers got to enjoy some sunshine amid cloudy skies.

While the crowd was largely young in nature, the festival’s line-up spanned the generations, with long-standing acts like Liam Gallagher and Sugababes sharing the bill with rising Scottish artists like West Lothian band The Snuts and local lad Dylan John Thomas.

The singer-songwriter was a big hit with fans and is no stranger to this part of town, having grown up just along the road in Glasgow’s East End and played and incredible six sell-out shows in recent years at the iconic Barrowlands Ballroom.

© Andrew Cawley

Saturday at the festival also saw sets from The Vaccines, Courteeners and Natasha Bedingfield on the main stage, with Rick Astley also winding back the years and continuing his recent resurgence.

With Gallagher the top attraction on Friday, the festival’s second night was headlined by Glasgow busker-turned Hampden sell-out success Gerry Cinnamon.

Garbage’s ‘homecoming’

Also among the acts across the weekend of live music were Garbage, who delighted fans with a selection of their 90s hits and newer tracks.

Frontwoman Shirley Manson entered the stage in a tartan dress after a pipe band intro for a much-anticipated return to her homeland.

Despite one of the band’s biggest hits being Only Happy When It Rains, drummer Butch Vig told The Sunday Post backstage that the mild sunshine conditions were perfect.

“We played in Madrid earlier this week when it was almost 100°F and the sun was coming down on the stage right when we took the stage… it was so hot,” he laughed.

“At one point Shirley laid down and said ‘I can’t take it anymore!’ into the microphone in front of 80,000 people. Our tour manager came out and threw on a wet towel.

“I’ll take weather like this anytime and it’s not raining – years ago we played T in the Park and there was about three feet of mud.

“The fans are great here, I know it’s all really special for Shirley, so that makes it special for us too.”

© Shutterstock Feed

The band also play Edinburgh’s Usher Hall tonight as they celebrate 30 years of making music together.

“It’s hard to believe,” Butch said. “We’re very lucky that we’re still here. As a band we get along as people and we like each other and we still feel we have a creative energy amongst us.

“We’re almost done with album number eight. We’re going to finish the recording and mixing this September and October, and then we’ll probably get it released in April next year and do a big tour.”

Even though Garbage were most active in the 90s, Butch was delighted to see a younger generation singing their lyrics back to them.

“They didn’t really have festivals like this in the Midwest of America where I grew up,” he said.

“To me, it seems like the festivals are getting more and more eclectic, which I think shows that fans don’t just listen to one type of music, they have a wide palette.

“We see people who grew up with us, who are old enough to have bought our records 30 years ago, and then we see a whole new generation of kids their 20s or 30s or sometimes teens, and they’re singing along.

“It feels cool that we’ve sort of passed the torch on to another generation.”

‘We got some sun!’

From the younger generation himself, indie singer-songwriter Declan McKenna was also thrilled to be playing to the crowds in the Glasgow sunshine.

The 25-year-old, fresh from appearing at Glastonbury last month, said: “From a festival goer’s perspective, it’s an opportunity to catch new music, maybe something you haven’t heard before.

“It’s so important for new bands, it gives people a chance to see a glimpse, a half hour set where you can see what they’re about and it’s lower commitment than going to a gig.

“I love the balance of doing the big headline shows with the hardcore fans and then doing this.

“When you come here, on the whole it’s one of the artists’ favourite places to go. I’ve played TRNSMT a few times and always had a warm reception – and we finally got some sun!”

© Martin Bone/Shutterstock

Having warmed himself up for Scottish crowds in Glasgow, he’ll be playing over in the capital’s Playhouse Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival.

“It’s sort of at the Fringe, which is cool,” the Londoner said. “I went up when I was about 14 and loved it. I’m really excited to be playing there.

“I remember bumping into a Scottish band I really loved and still am a big fan of, Randolph’s Leap, who I listened to throughout my GCSEs.

“We were just wandering around Edinburgh and there was a big BBC tent with music and there they were.

“My sister, embarrassingly, went over and gave them my business card that I made back then which were very cringeworthy, I think it said I was indie-folk and it had my phone number on it… super amateurish!

“I have really fond memories of Edinburgh so I’m buzzing for it.”

A very special secret set from @travisband at The Hangout✨ pic.twitter.com/roDzmCHI3n

— TRNSMT Festival (@TRNSMTfest) July 12, 2024

As well as the artists advertised on the TRNSMT line-up, revellers were treated to a surprise set from Craig David in the rather unusual setting of the dodgems in the festival’s fairground area.

Scots rockers Travis also appeared unannounced on Friday under the pseudonym Glass Onion as they celebrated the release day of their latest album, L.A. Times, and Line of Duty star Martin Compston joined dance star Example on the King Tut’s Stage.

Today’s line-up at the festival includes Alison Goldfrapp, CMAT, Tom Grennan, Blossoms and Chase & Status.

Dumfries-born DJ Calvin Harris closes out the festival with tonight’s headline slot.