Opinions of T in the Park vary depending on who you speak to. And that's fine. I'm never going to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't think. What I can do though is on the week leading up to the 20th T in the Park, share my memories of Scotland's biggest music festival, which has grown from it's roots in Strathclyde Park to an international renowned event, attracting some of the biggest acts, and crowds of over 80,000+ per day.
Inspired by the BBC 2 documentary T at 20, which you can catch up on the iPlayer here, over the next four days in the run up to Friday and T20 kicking off, I'm going to share my top 20 T in the Park memories. Wish I hadn't drunk so much now... In no particular order here's the first five.
2005 - Death From Above 1979
DFA 1979 were the first band I ever saw at T in the Park, playing on Saturday on the Radio 1/NME stage in 2005. It was a display of sheer raw power and metal blasting out. 'Romantic Rights' remains one of my favourite songs, and to hear and feel that from almost touching distance was a helluva way to kick of the TITP relationship.
2006 - Giving Jaff from The Futureheads a pack of Jaffa Cakes I'd slept on the night before...
I think a picture says it all here...
2009 - 2 Many DJ's
I've never really gone in for the whole 'Slam Tent' experience, but in 2009 me and a few of my mates dived head first in and were blown away by the sheer energy and almost unending surges of the Slam Tent crowd. Spinning round, glowsticks in hand, sweat dripping of every piece of skin, and feeling the wave of euphoria is something you have to do to understand why people spend every minute of the festival in there. Unbelievable.
2010 - Muse
I have only crowd surfed once in my life. This was that moment. It'll never top seeing Muse headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2004, but this was before they went dubstep, and they still packed a set full of face melters. It was fucking outstanding, but I also remember it for losing my wallet, my ticket, my t-shirt, and nearly getting beat up by a bouncer for jumping the barrier. Ah memories...
2005 - Biffy Clyro
The first time, but far from the last, I ever saw three shaggy haired scruffs from Ayrshire perform live. Biffy Clyro, pre-Puzzle, giving it absolutely everything on the Main Stage very early on the Sunday. Takes a lot to get this man up out his tent. The Biff will do it. 'Glitter and Trauma' was a highlight of the whole weekend.
