Guest Post: Tramlines Festival Sheffield 09 Review

After Indiescreet’s extensive previews of the first ever Tramlines Festival in Sheffield I enlisted the help of Jenn McCambridge to post her review of events.

You’ll have probably read about it, if not I’m pretty sure you’ll have heard Jon McClure shout about it… Tramlines.

Last weekend saw Sheffield Steel City turn into Sheffield Sound City. Big named curators McClure, Toddla T and the Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders showcased the best the Sheffield music scene had to offer.

Friday kicked the weekend off with a Mixed in Sheffield extravaganza, the best of local DJ’s, Skint and Demoralised and Orange 38 rocked a packed Frog and Parrot while queues galore awaited Toddla T and his crew who held DQ in a Skanky Skanky trance while DJ Zinc kept the night going with an epic drum and bass set.

Saturday saw a poptastic sunshine stage, along the lines of T4 on the beach. It was sunny, there was no beach but there was plenty of miming and timing issues galore, though the teenagers didn’t seem to mind. With the Noisettes pulling out last minute it was up to Pixie Lott to headline.

Off the beaten track there were plenty of bands to be seen. The Green Room, known for being an acoustic venue, slap bang across from the main stage rocked it up entirely.

The Unfortunate Incident caused a stir as lead singer Russell Palmer ended up rocking out so much he dropped his glasses twice and ended up sprawled out on the floor, they were followed by the more punkified Stangs who like TUI managed to rock but not shatter the windows. Alongside the avant-garde Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, newly lined up Bromheads Jacket and Joe Carnall and his new band The Book Club DQ was taken by storm and the night was rounded off with top DJ sets from Helders and the Threads guys n gals.

Sunday, isn’t Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? Not here… it was the Sheffield stage and of course being the North ‘n’ all down came the rain. Neil McSweeney and Nat Johnson braving the city hall steps to a few and far between yet appreciative audience. Pistola Kicks played their first set of the day, a wonderful acoustic set at The Grapes. Again to the Frog and Parrot to see more of the unpicked for main stage talent including Lenders in the Temple, Piskie Sits, The Spills, La Folie and Alvarez Kings.

While folk were keeping dry here others were braving the mud and the rain to see the likes of Lords of the Flatbush, Backhanded Compliments, The Violet May, Detroit Social Club and of course Reverend and the Makers. With top sets by all I hasten to add.

This was followed by a closing party at The Bowery, with a scope of DJ’s including McClure and Helders amongst others spinning away till the early hours making Sheffield realise what it had…. a good time… an extremely good time.

Call me slightly biased, being a Sheffield girl, but this is what the city needed. A break from the usual routine uniting all walks of life and getting bands other than the Arctic’s and Reverend noticed. As always there were highlights and low points to the weekend.

Timetable wise… did you see it? Read it…? It wasn’t the easiest. If I had been a visitor to the City I’d have been lost. Given the fact that most venues timings were out it made it hard to catch folk. There were some last minute additions to line ups and new venues added which made it kind of complicated and difficult even with planning to work out where to be at what time.

The free festival became ticketed and people queued to see some minor acts mime or to stand in what is usually the Green turn into mud. We can’t change the weather, it is the North and hell yeah it was a festival, so the rain was expected!

The Saturday vibe was cool, chilled and everyone seemed to be enjoying himself or herself. A change to the Sunday, which was wet, heavy and almost egotistical. This could have been something to do with the line ups, floaty pop acts one day then hard hitting indie types following tend to bring out the laddish nature in people, it didn’t stop the fun or the music though.

Knowing the local music scene, Tramlines did bring a well-deserved focus on Sheffield. It gave both the bands and gig goers a chance to see what the city has to offer in venues they may not usually play or go. Personally I’d have like to see less pop and more local acts on the main stage. There are several bands in the area who are hitching their way up the ladder to being noticed nationally and are working hard in the process.

For a brand new venture it will go down in history, the Sheffielders who are still reeling a week later as hangovers finally fade are missing the fun that was had. Hats off to the curators and the organisers to a job well done, there could have been a few minor changes in events, planning and the like, but it’s always the case in events like this… can we do it same time, same place next year? Please?!