In-your-face rock from The Strokes, Foals’ throwback indie rock party and Wet Leg with their blend of bass heavy grooves and quirky lyricisms set the scene on day two at TRNSMT.
As the sun set across the festival site, fans were ready for something special as cinch presents TRNSMT festival prepared to welcome The Strokes with the New York group making their long-awaited return to Glasgow. Swaggering on stage to classic hit ‘Is This It’, they quickly burst into ‘New York City Cops’. Performing hits from their discography including ‘The Adults Are Talking’ and ‘Juicebox’.
After a tremendous year which saw them achieving a UK No1 for their debut album ‘W.L.’ The Snuts proved exactly why they’re one of Scotland’s hottest exports, performing the eponymous tune ‘Glasgow’.
Up-and-comer Dylan was first up on today’s bill, rocking up in a two piece black and red suit – she wears her influences on her sleeve, from Guns N’ Roses to Aerosmith, she is a rock star in her own right, shouting, “I heard Guns N’ Roses cancelled, so I’m going to play them!” delivering an electrifying cover of their classic hit ‘Paradise City’. “Glasgow! How we feelin’!” Griff exclaimed as she ran on stage, adorned in a lacy floor length dress, the vibe was ethereal as she performed show stopping track ‘Head on Fire’. No one was prepared for what followed, with a sugary sweet cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ getting everyone on their feet as the midday heat sizzled.
Wet Leg joined the Main Stage, gloriously infusing bass heavy grooves with irreverent lyrics as they performed viral hit ‘Chaise Lounge’ to an adoring audience, leading a mass singalong of ‘Excuse me?! What?!’ The pair laughed as they spotted some dedicated Wet Leg fanatics in the audience dressed in Lobster costumes, a clever nod to their ‘Wet Dream’ video.
The King Tut’s Stage played host to a collective of rising superstars including
Pip Millett and KennyHoopla. Sheffield’s Self Esteem performedming tracks from her critically acclaimed 2021 album ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, dominating the stage she wore a black blazer and cycling shorts – reminiscent of pop Queen’s who came before her from Madonna, to Kylie and with her razor sharp choreography and powerful stage presence, it’s clear contemporary pop is in safe hands. Heavyweights in the UK music scene,Maximo Park took the penultimate slot of the evening, opening with ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’ they joked, “Is anyone hot? I’m hot! Hotter than we expected in Glasgow!”.
Known for spotlighting breakthrough acts, the River Stage was a real treat for music lovers today, with sets from some of Scotland’s best up and coming stars like Ayrshire based rapper BEMZ, who recently achieved a BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year award, opening the stage – he was grateful, thanking the crowd for showing up. Edinburgh’s Swim School made a welcome last minute addition to the River Stage line-up, nerves quickly subsided as the band said, “We got the call up last night asking if we wanted to play TRNSMT… we got a bit worried about who would show up, but we couldn’t be happier’ – the audience clearly agreed, going wild.
There’s only one day left of 2022’s edition of cinch presents TRNSMT Festival as a sold out Sunday will see Lewis Capaldi headlining the Main Stage alongside Wolf Alice, Sigrid, Nina Nesbitt and more.
