FROM The Stone Roses to the Red Hot Chili Peppers by way of Calvin Harris, there are some big names at TITP this year. Over the course of the annual three-day festival, some of the biggest and brightest rising artists in the world will take to the stages at Strathallan Castle, Perthshire. To help you make sense of it all and get your priorities sorted, here are TTV’s Top Picks for T in the Park 2016:
BLOSSOMS
On the verge of eminence, it’s a good time to check out English five-piece Blossoms if they’ve slipped under the radar thus far. Their sound is rife with all the nuance you’d expect from a contemporary indie rock band, but it’s the juxtaposition of psychedelic keyboards against their intrinsically rough and distorted undertones that make Blossoms so memorable.
CATCH THEM: Sunday, Radio 1 Stage
CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN
After charting at #1 with their second studio album “The Ride” and being crowned the best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards earlier this year, indie rock outfit Catfish and the Bottlemen are sure to draw the masses when they take to the Radio 1 stage on Saturday.
CATCH THEM: Saturday, Radio 1 Stage
CRASH CLUB
As part of Kloe’s The Blakout Stage, the much lauded electro rock three-piece Crash Club leave a lasting impression with their fusion of chirpy electronics and pulsating avant-garde synths. Mere weeks removed from decimating The Isle Of Wight Festival with their riotous, forward-thinking sound, make sure you’ve got your tent pitched in time to catch Crash Club on the T Break Stage.
CATCH THEM: Thursday, T Break Stage
DOMICILES
Casting an unshakable spell over all of those that crammed their way into broadcast to bear witness to their trademark ‘psychgaze’ sound, it appears that the rise of Domiciles is primed to continue unimpeded. Landing somewhere between the tripped out heyday of the 60’s scene and the pioneering shoegaze of the 80’s, Domiciles’ material is deeply original and is entirely hypnotic throughout. Sure to attract a large crowd due to the word-of-mouth buzz that they’ve attained among those in the know, it’d be a disservice to miss out on the genesis of what may well be their next evolution.
CATCH THEM: Saturday, T Break
FRIGHTENED RABBIT
What initially started as a solo project for Scottish vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, Frightened Rabbit gradually snowballed into the indie rock tour de force they are today. Cut through with dark and plaintive undertones, Frightened Rabbit brings their quiet, introspective verses crashing into tumultuous choruses that erupt with life and jubilation.
CATCH THEM: Friday, King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent
GERRY CINNAMON
Scottish singer/songwriter Gerry Cinnamon turned heads back in 2014 when he posted his pro-independence song “Hope Over Fear” on YouTube. Gerry’s beat-up acoustic, earnest singing, and harmonica playing have since seen the one man band sign to First Run Records. With only a handful of singles, Gerry has sold out several gigs at the world famous King Tut’s among other venues and it’s in their tent on Friday that you can see what all the fuss is about.
CATCH HIM: Friday, King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent
JR GREEN
For people searching for music that is firmly off the beaten track , you’ve won a watch in JR Green. From about far west as Scotland goes, brothers Jacob and Rory Green scratch that acoustic/accordion itch you didn’t know you had. Having a virile energy about them, JR Green shoot a jolt of electricity into folk and traditional music, putting the bleach on palettes in need of a good cleansing.
CATCH THEM: Saturday, T Break Stage
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
Back from the dead after a four-year hiatus and as impressionable as ever, the Grammy-nominated LCD Soundsystem head up the Radio 1 stage on Sunday. With a surprisingly vulnerable sensitivity about their sound, fans of progressive electronics and meticulously crafted beats will already have LCD Soundsystem topping their To See list.
CATCH THEM: Sunday, Radio 1 Stage
MODEL AEROPLANES
For the fourth year running, Scottish four-piece Model Aeroplanes come to T in the Park wearing their ‘80s pop influences on their sleeves. From Dundee, the lifelong BF;s play crisp sounding indie pop that is as clean-cut as their hairdos. Echoing the likes of Vampire Weekend and Bombay Bicycle Club, if you like catchy, psychedelic tunes, this is for you.
CATCH THEM: Thursday, Blakout Stage
MAN OF MOON
Renowned for a delectable and at times jawdropping mix of pyschedelia, krautrock and more traditional alternative influences, Man Of Moon stand out amid a braying pack of contenders as one of Scotland’s; if not the UK’s, finest blossoming bands. Making an immediate and seismic impact when they arrived with their entrancing debut single ‘The Road’, they more than capitalised on their opening gambit with the spellbinding tracks which are found within their recent Medicine EP.
No strangers to pressure situations such as festivals, Man Of Moon are quite simply essential viewing at this year’s T in the Park.
Catch them: Sunday, BBC Introducing Stage
SLAVES
Rough cut political punks Slaves inject a bit of adrenaline into Sunday’s main stage. Channeling elements of Rancid and Black Flag, the duo from England drag their guitars kicking and wailing across the stage to create a deep and nasty sound that might well be the heaviest thing you’re likely to hear at T in the Park this year.
CATCH THEM: Sunday, Main Stage
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, Miles Kane of The Rascals, producer James Ford, and Mini Mansions bassist Zach Dawes return from a seven-year hiatus as supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets. With two UK #1 albums, the pop rock superstars blend elements of classical and orchestral music to create a sound as melancholic as it is elating.
CATCH THEM: Saturday, Main Stage
ROGUE ORCHESTRA
Playing their first ever gig as the Rogue Orchestra, these ridiculously talented, Scotland-based musicians open the main stage on Sunday with orchestral tributes to David Bowie and Prince. No pressure, then. Sure to be fraught with emotion, fans of the late pop legends won’t want to miss this set.
CATCH THEM: Sunday, Main Stage
THE STONE ROSES
Perhaps one of the most important bands of their time, critically acclaimed juggernauts The Stone Roses headline the main stage on Friday. With more former band members than songs, the alternative rock juggernauts can be hit or miss live, but with the first new music to be released in over 20 years sure to feature among the setlist, long term fans wouldn’t miss this gig for the world.
CATCH THEM: Friday, Main Stage
THE LAPELLES
With not so much as an album to their name, The Lapelles put an emphasis on quality over quantity. Currently playing across the UK in support of The Last Shadow Puppets, the Scottish five-piece are learning how their alt-rock sound translates from dimly lit venues to bigger stages. Be sure to get in now before they blow up.
CATCH THEM: Sunday, T Break Stage
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
Largely inspired by the magnetic rock ‘n’ roll stylings of the ‘60s, the bluesy The Temperance Movement give rock ‘n’ roll fans something to shout about. Having played to ecstatic crowds all over the world and in particular a sold out show at The Barrowlands which went a long way towards cementing their legacy expect to hear plenty of anthemic headbangers from their new album White Bear.
CATCH THEM: Friday, Main Stage
