TRAMLINES 2024 – “A Festival Rollercoaster: The Highs and Lows of an Unforgettable Event”

I’ve got to start with the fact that Tramlines is one of my favourite festivals of the year and still is without a doubt. Come 2025, I will be there at the front loving every second as I always do, come rain or shine. The atmosphere, the people, the staff, security, and organisation are second to none.

If you haven’t attended the festival yet, let me give you a brief overview: the festival began in 2009 as a free, multi-venue event throughout Sheffield’s city centre. It rapidly gained popularity, drawing thousands of attendees in its inaugural year, all under the esteemed leadership of Sarah Nulty, in whose memory the main stage is named. Sadly, Sarah passed away after illness, and the festival is a celebration of her hard work and love for the Sheffield music scene. The festival’s achievements were acknowledged on a larger scale back in 2011 when it received the ‘Best Metropolitan Festival’ accolade at the UK Festival Awards. Fast forward to 2018, Tramlines moved to its current location at Hillsborough Park, allowing for a larger capacity and more extensive staging which has transformed the festival into one of the major players of the UK’s festival calendar. This change has also facilitated the accommodation of an increasing number of music lovers, now attracting 40,000 people every year.

The line-ups have consistently been strong over the years, but I have to be honest, this year was a let down for me. Although, the rest of the three-day event more than compensated for any initial doubts I had about the headliners. The rest of the line up was fantastic and the atmosphere and weather were absolutely perfect. The variety of food stalls, fairground rides, children’s activities, and abundant security made one feel exceptionally safe and well-cared for.

So, let’s discuss the headliners, starting with Friday night’s main stage act: Paolo Nutini who performed for two hours. While I could have endured a one-hour support act, having him headline the main stage on a Friday night didn’t quite suit my taste. However, in his defence, he was the standout performer of the three, although the performance lacked excitement and it left me feeling a little bored, unentertained and I wanted to leave early. The situation with Jamie T is similar on Saturday; there’s been considerable chatter about him disparaging Sheffield and receiving a lot of backlash on Twitter.

While I appreciated most of his performance and respect him as an artist, I’m not sure if it’s due to my age or if I’ve lost my punk edge, but I’m just not fond of that kind of laddish behaviour. While I’m pretty certain he may not value my opinion, I think he ought to save such behaviour for his own performances and not diminish the experience of the thousands who have invested their hard-earned money to enjoy the festival.

I acknowledge that Sundays headliner Snow Patrol is an impressive live act and they did deliver; however, they wouldn’t be my top pick to close a festival weekend of such scale, particularly with Sheffield’s own Human League delivering an outstanding performance also on their Sunday slot. The prevailing mood each evening at the festival, with some momentary exceptions, was notably sombre for headline performances, which I really regret to express, as my affection for Tramlines is profound.

It must be said that Tom Grennan has long been worthy of headlining status. Having observed his rise from performing for small crowds in London bars, it was clear from the outset that he was something extraordinary. After his recent performance preceding Jamie T, I am hopeful that 2025 will herald the start of this new chapter. Tom possesses not just the musical talent, but also the quintessential festival aura, vigour, and charm needed to electrify not only the Tramlines audience but any festival audience, sending them home exhilarated.

Now, having addressed that little headline drama, let’s now delve into some thrilling aspects of the festival, as there were so many! It’s important to mention, as I firmly believe that female representation is still insufficient at many festivals, and unfortunately Tramlines is no different, the women who did perform at this year’s Tramlines were absolutely phenomenal. Coach Party, for instance, played their first main stage slot this year on the Friday, which made me extremely happy. The band has performed at the festival in previous years, and it’s fantastic to see their progression up the ranks in full force. They tore through singles ‘July’, ‘Micro Aggression’, ‘FLAG’ and more proving they were more than worthy of that mainstage slot.

Fronted by Lia Metcalfe, The Mysterine’s delivered a potent grunge and alternative rock sound at the festival. Lia’s dynamic stage presence and raw, gritty vocals rendered their performance unforgettable.

Sprints, the Dublin-based garage punk band led by Karla Chubb, are renowned for their high-energy and intense performances. Their unabashed punk rock essence and vibrant live shows are, for me, one of the unequivocal highlights of the festival.

Nieve Ella, an up-and-coming indie-pop artist, captivated the audience with her melodic tunes and dynamic stage presence. The front row of the crowd was beaming as she stepped onto the stage, and her fan base sang along to every song. A special shout out to her bassist as well, who captured my lens’s focus with her energetic vibes.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has to have a mention too, despite not managing to photograph her I did catch some of her signature disco-pop, which energised the crowd who were all dancing to her well-loved hits. Her infectious energy was unmistakable and truly brought the performance to life.

The View, what more is there to say? What you see is what you get, and nine times out of ten, it’s fantastic. On Friday afternoon, Kyle Falconer and co delivered a show teeming with knockout vocals, vibrant energy, and dynamic guitar riffs. The View stands out to me as one of the few remaining authentic rock ‘n’ roll bands, consistently elevating their performances each time I see them. Undoubtedly, they are the quintessential festival band. They get you singing and dancing, which is precisely what you desire when standing in a field, surrounded by friends and family, basking in the sunshine. Authenticity is a rare gem in today’s bands, yet The View continue to capture it effortlessly.

Maximo Park and frontman Paul Smith epitomises pure and mesmerising entertainment. From the minute they graced the stage their energy transmuted around the whole arena. They played a good range of tunes from their extensive album catalogue including their latest offering ‘Nature Wins’ and superb debut ‘A Certain Trigger’.

Maximo Park are one of my favourite bands and they all too often fly under the radar despite their consistent ability to create high-quality music that combines introspective lyrics with catchy melodies.

Their debut album, A Certain Trigger, received critical acclaim for its blend of danceable indie rock and thoughtful lyrics. Maximo Park’s willingness to explore different sounds and styles, evident in albums such as Too Much Information and Nature Always Wins, highlights their versatility and dedication to artistic growth. This live show, yet again was packed full of energy and audience engagement, showcasing their talent and passion. Their status as “underdogs” in the music industry might possibly be due to their commitment to maintaining their unique sound rather than following mainstream trends. This artistic integrity, while commendable, may have limited their commercial success, making them a hidden gem in the indie rock scene.

Miles Kane delivered yet another perfect festival performance, a true stomper that left hearts racing and ears ringing. He has a unique ability to captivate a festival crowd, holding them in the palm of his Liverpudlian hand.

He’s quite the showman and that is exactly what I feel festival bookers should be focusing on. He skilfully merged tracks from his entire catalogue, featuring both his newest releases and timeless classics. This combination kept the audience both engaged and nostalgic, as they enjoyed a diverse array of their favourite songs.

Simply astonishing, punk duo Soft Play, previously known as Slaves, have released three Top 10 albums in under five years and put on the set of the festival for me personally. It’s no secret that Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent paused their music careers to confront personal bereavement and mental health challenges, only to return more energised and impressive than before and it really showed. They have always been remarkable, right from the start, but this Friday afternoon performance was extraordinary. The audience’s excitement reached a fever pitch as the duo dove into a selection of tracks from their comprehensive catalogue. The pit descended into total chaos as the temperature within the tent soared, the sentiment that ‘Punk’s not dead’ remains as vibrant and alive as ever, as evidenced by the enduring carnage, passion and energy within the crowd.

Kudos to Tramlines for delivering yet another fantastic weekend! I’m eager to see if the 2025 headliners will be more to my liking, but regardless, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Tickets for the 2025 event will go on sale on Friday, 2nd August at midday, priced at £89.50 plus booking fee. Sign up now for priority access at the Tramlines official website.

ALL PHOTOS/WORDS BY RACHEL BROWN UNLESS STATED

Author