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    Shire Extra for lanarkshire Shire Extra Across Lanarkshire

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T-IN-THE-PARK – IT BEGAN IN LANARKSHIRE

todayOctober 1, 2024 15

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At a time when there were only two large outdoor music festivals in the UK, a promoter and a venue manager decided to create one for Scotland. Despite doubts by others that there would be enough Scottish music fans to attend such a festival of that scale, T-In-The-Park grew to become the second largest annual outdoor music event in the UK.

It’s hard to believe that three decades have passed since the very first T-In-The-Park event was held, during the gloriously sunny weekend of July 30th and 31st in 1994. The place that was chosen to host it was Strathclyde Park, a large area of recreational land between Hamilton and Motherwell, once divided by the River Clyde and the M74 motorway before some of it was used to create the Palace Grounds Retail Park.

It was on the area that is now the retail park where the stages and marquees were set up, ready to be graced by some of the world’s top music acts of the time, including Rage Against The Machine, Bjork, Crowded House, Cypress Hill, Crash Test Dummies, House of Pain and Manic Street Preachers. Lanarkshire and Scotland’s own acts who performed during that weekend included Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Del Amitri, Gun and Thrum. It is also worth noting that another band, who were relatively unknown at the time, also took part just weeks before they would find global fame after releasing their first album. They were called Oasis – and T-In-The-Park was the first major music festival they performed at.

Although the festival was founded in 1994 by Stuart Clumpas (a music promoter) and Geoff Elllis (manager of King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow), the seeds of the idea can be traced back to 1990 when Glasgow was the European City of Culture.  One of its highlights was the FREE all-day concert that took place across four venues in the city. The Big Day was held on Sunday June 3rd and attracted big name acts, massive crowds and all-day fragmented live action and highlights on Channel 4, interspersed between some programs on their schedule that they could not avoid screening. Footage included the infamous boo-ing moment when Sheena Easton was performing on stage in Glasgow Green, having flown in from the United States especially for the occasion. Many people were critical of her Lanarkshire accent being tainted with an American twang.

Soon after the Big Day, there were changes to licensing laws that allowed nightclubs to stay open longer, as an attempt to stop the illegal raves that took place in factories, airport terminals and countryside barns throughout Scotland during the late 80’s and early 90’s. Consequently, clubs in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and across the country held very-late-night events (often finishing at 3 AM), with big-name dance acts and DJ’s booked to perform. There was also an all-nighter organised by DJ duo Slam in Strathclyde Park. All of those perhaps proved that Scottish music fans were keen on attending extended indoor and outdoor music events that lasted more than just a few hours. By now, Stuart Clumpas (of DF Concerts) was convinced that Scotland could host its own major music festival, just like Glastonbury. He was further inspired by large outdoor concerts and festivals across Europe that he attended.

The initial idea was to host the event on the isle of Arran. However, the logistics of carrying thousands of concert attendees across the water on ferries with limited crowd capacity made it unviable. So, they sought a location that was closer to Glasgow, where some people could camp on fields or grassland near the performance stages, whilst others could use very good transport links to attend the festival, go home and come back the next day. In an interview, Stuart Clunpas said, “That’s why Strathclyde Park appealed, because I felt it was like this countryside in the middle of the city.”

Being just 15 miles south-east of the city and with many nearby railway stations, bus services, a motorway and major trunk roads, the park proved to be ideal. The site had enough capacity for 2000 people to camp, with potentially tens of thousands of others attending. The event was named after its major sponsor, Tenants Lager (with their instantly recognisable ‘T’ logo). More than 17,000 people came to the inaugural festival on the last weekend of July in 1994 – and so T-In-The-Park was born.

The timing of the festival was deliberate. In fact, having it taking place at the end of July suited the organisers because Ireland had its own Féile festival at around the same time. In a special arrangement with them, T-In-The-Park was able to book some of the acts who were already booked to be at the Irish event, persuading bands and artists to have a “Celtic weekend,” where they could perform in both neighbouring countries.

Although the first T-In-The-Park event made a financial loss (estimated by the organisers to be around £1 Million), positive reviews and feedback from the crowds was encouraging. So they decided to do it again the following year – and kept going for the next two decades.

In 1995 the event was held on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August, with a line-up that included Paul Weller, The Prodigy, Terrorvision, Black Grape, Skunk Anansie, M People, The Beautiful South, The Charlatans, Shed Seven and Kylie Minogue on the Main Stage. Alternative music bands performing in the King Tut’s Tent included Elastica, Supergrass, Echobelly, Ash, Cast, The Verve, Republica and Underworld. Scottish acts that took part over the weekend included The Shamen and The Almighty. A new “Dance Tent” was also introduced that year, although there was no official line-up of acts within it. The Caledonia Tent was used by many more unsigned and upcoming Scottish bands and artists that were given the opportunity to perform. The festival proved to be much more popular than the previous year, with one of the days being sold-out for ticket sales.

In 1996, the festival grew again due to its popularity. It was also the year that the NME Stage was introduced and the Dance Tent had an official line-up. The event was held on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July with acts that included Radiohead, Alanis Morisette, The Prodigy, Foo Fighters, Black Grape, Cast, Manic Street Preachers, Shakespeare’s Sister, Placebo and Pulp performing on the Main Stage. The King Tut’s Tent line-up included The Divine Comedy, The Cardigans, Dubstar, No Doubt and Kula Shaker. The new NME Stage had Beck, Frank Black, The Bluetones, The Wannadies, Mansun and The Super Furry Animals. The official line-up for the Dance Tent included Leftfield, Chemical Brothers, Goldie, Paul Oakenfold and many more well-known DJ’s and dance acts at that time. Scottish acts who performed over the weekend included The Supernaturals, Ricky Ross, Geneva, Cocteau Twins, Bis, Teenage Fanclub and Uresei Yatsura. The Caledonia Stage was renamed the T-Break, where unsigned acts from across Scotland were given a platform to showcase their music.

Sadly, insufficient campsite spaces and hordes of ticket-less troublemakers trying to break into the site at Strathclyde Park forced the organisers to move the event for 1997. Other places were considered, including the Moor Park and Racecourse in Lanark. In the end, a disused airfield at Balado near Kinross was chosen, where it remained until 2015. This ensured that T-In-The-Park could grow again, with its new home and much bigger site. By the mid-Noughties, the festival was attracting over 100,000 people. In 2005, there were performances from 170 bands over 10 stages. It was also named the best festival at the UK Festival Awards – beating Glastonbury for the first time ever. By 2007, T-In-The-Park became a three day event.

Concerns about a gas pipeline and the threat to public safety forced the organisers to move again. A brand new site at Strathallan Castle in Auchterarder was chosen, where the festival remained for two years. Unfortunately, traffic problems, heavy rain, flooding and complaints from attendees spelled the end of T-In-The-Park. Further problems were caused to the organisers by new government imposed restrictions, which also included the requirement for planning permission due to the presence of an osprey’s nest.

In 2017, DF Concerts announced that there would be no more T-In-The-Park events. Instead, they focused on creating a new three day festival in Glasgow which did not include a campsite. This was to be called TRNSMT, which took place on Glasgow Green. It has been an annual event ever since (except during the Covid years).

Since the inception of T-In-The-Park, many other festivals began and ceased throughout the years, including RockNess in the Scottish Highlands (2006 – 2013), Electric Fields in Dumfries & Galloway (2104 – 2018),  Doune the Rabbit Hole in Stirlingshire, Connect at Inverary Castle (2007 – 2008) and Connect at Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre Showgrounds (2022 – 2023).

From its beginnings in Strathclyde Park, T-In-The-Park grew to become Scotland’s largest music festival, as well as one of the biggest in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of people. It was one of the most important and critically acclaimed music events in the UK – and it all began in Lanarkshire.

Written by A.G.G. and D.W (30/09/10)

Written by: david wilson

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