Live: Tramlines 2015

Main stage at Tramlines Festival 2015. Photo:Simon Butler 

So Tramlines Festival, Sheffield. A city of trams and hills and party vibes. And also apparently rain and Wu Tang Clan cancelling! Sad times you would think? I'm pleased to say this wasn't the case. As a stranger to these lands from the not-so-distant Notts, I was ready to embrace all Steel City had to throw at me. And I'm glad to report I wasn't disappointed.

Friday evening’s arrival was met with the welcoming embrace of a press pass, hospitality wrist band and the news that Mobb Deep and De La Soul were replacing Wu Tang. Things were looking up… despite us missing Ghost Poet on the main stage, due to my consumption of car beers and freakishly weak bladder.

Slaves. Photo: Andy Benge

First act were Slaves, an energetic duo from dahn souf, bringing to garage-punk what the White Stripes brought to blues-rock. The highlight of their performance for me was Isaac Holman (drums/vocals) ended having a reet mardy when he lost his hat crowd surfing. Although he received about twelve hats thrown back on stage from members of the crowd – none of them his – he refused to play on until it resurfaced. I was hoping for some mardy diva vibes but unfortunately some guilty so and so threw it back on stage, and to my disappointment, it all calmed down.

After a short time re-orientating ourselves, it was a mission back into the city centre to catch Nottingham's very own Beth Frisby at The Millennium Gallery. Playing to a packed-out and responsive crowd, her own unique style of soulful electro-pop wowed them from the first song to very last and she was, as ever, an amazing ambassador of what the diverse Notts  music scene has to offer. Although I would’ve loved to stay to see what the early hours of the morning had to offer, with acts and DJs playing all over the city, it was back to Notts for me for a cuppa and a not-quite-so-early night.

Beth Frisby. Photo: Jamie Boynton

Day two – the sun was shining and the weather was sweet. Straight back to the main stage where, as opposed to yesterday’s sodden vibes, people were basking in the sun like parched alcoholic reptiles waiting for the queue to the bar to die down. Oh the queues, the queues got deep. Even with the hook-up of a hospitality pass that allowed access to back stage toilets and bars, nothing prepared me for those queues. Desperate measures were considered at one point, waiting back stage watching grown men about to wet themselves. Shouts to the guy who urinated in front of the entire crowd of people by covering his crotch with a cardboard box. I salute your ability to think outside the box whilst simultaneously filling it.

Urination aside, we went to see Martha Reeves step to the stage. Although the passage of time had taken its toll on her ability to hit some of the higher notes, I was pleased to see her bladder was more in tact than mine. She was still capable of captivating the audience however, evident in how the majority of them embraced the opportunity to move their batty as she nailed her performance of Dancing in the Street. 

Basement Jaxx. Photo: Jenny McCambridge

Next up were the frantic hit machine that are Basement Jaxx, one of the few acts playing the main stage who managed to capture the full attention of the large and diverse crowd. Accompanied on stage with a host of musicians and dancers ranging from jungle skanking ninjas to typhoon spinning ballerinas, their energetic back catalogue of hits made for an excellent closing act on the Saturday evening.

Due to the sprawling nature of Tramlines (over seventy venues in total), we attempted to swing by a couple of the smaller venues and fringe events on the way back to the train station, in the hope to catch fellow Nottingham residents Cappo, Scorzayzee, Heck (formerly Baby Godzilla) and Shelter Point. Unfortunately due to my poor sense of direction, refusal to run anywhere, and the fact that I got stuck in a bush, this ultimately resulted in failure and missing the train home. Shout-outs to The Tribes' head honcho Cameron Bain, for providing a place to crash for the night.

Heck. Photo: Dan Sumption

Sunday daytime, the rain had returned with a vengeance, and not being a massive fan of either the Buzzcocks or getting drenched, the first few hours were spent sheltering from the downpour in a pub local to the main arena. Luckily the poor weather had subsided enough for me to venture out to catch rapper, poet and playwright Kate Tempest as she took to the main stage. Her set was so engaging and politically charged, that despite the rain I found myself leaving the comfort of shelter to get a better view. My personal highlight was her powerful rendition of her spoken word piece Cannibal Kids, which she delivered with the same powerful raw emotion as the first time I ever saw her perform it many moons a go.

Off to Mobb Deep, one of my favourite U.S hip hop acts who I’ve never been able to catch live before. Although Prodigy was unable to perform, apparently due to being denied a visa, Havoc was still able to hold it down while his DJ blasted through bangers like Shook Ones Pt2 and Survival of the Fittest. The front of the crowd swathed in smoke, heads and hands bobbing up and down in unison to the legends of nineties hip hop.

De La Soul. Photo: Tarquin Clark
 

The final act at the Ponderosa were none other than the legendary hip hop act De La Soul, who acted as a good counter-weight to the more gully vibes of Mobb Deep. Bringing their own brand of lively and conscious daisy age hip hip, Maseo spun classic after classic from Ring Ring Ring, Ha Ha Hey to Stakes is High, while Dave and Posdnous kept the crowd vibesing with their own unique and playful style. Bringing a good time to the end of festival proceedings seemed to be high on De La's agenda… and they definitely succeeded. Without a doubt, the highlight of my Tramlines experience.

All in all, Tramlines was an excellent introduction for me to the city of Sheffield – my only disappointment being that due to practicalities and time constraints, I didn't get the chance to see more. The question I'm left asking now? When can Notts do something similar in size and scope. Maybe if Dot To Dot and Splendour joined together, we could get there...

Tramlines Festival took place at various venues around Sheffield on 22 - 24 July 2015.

Tramlines 2015 website