Review – T in the Park, Saturday

T in the Park Review – Calvin Harris, Main Stage
Not even torrential rain or the odd rumble of thunder could prevent thousands of party-ready fans from staying out in the muddy fields until nearly 1am to see Calvin Harris perform his biggest ever show on home soil. Luckily, the global superstar justified their decision by not only turning in a thundering set but surprising the massive audience with what is surely the TITP guest appearance to end all guest appearances. That’s right, ladies and gents, Calvin somehow managed to talk Will freakin’ Smith into joining him onstage at Balado. The audience erupted into a collective frenzy from the moment the former Prince of Belair appeared onstage and they didn’t stop for breath until Calvin took his final bow.
The overwhelmingly positive reaction wasn’t surprising. The Scottish DJ, whose album 18 Months spawned a record-breaking nine top-10 singles, seamlessly powered his way through a set of electronic dance and techno tunes coupled with a plethora of his floor-filling chart hits including We Found Love and You Got The Love.
Disappointingly, the audience weren’t treated to any other live guest appearances (we’d have loved to have seen fellow T in the Park performer Ellie Goulding show up onstage to perform I Need Your Love with him!) but they lapped up his every move regardless, turning the pit into a bouncing, if muddy, dance floor.
A welcome change from the more traditional T in the Park headliners and a set that is sure to make its way into TITP history.

T in the Park Review – Paolo Nutini, Main Stage
Considering his second gig at The Hydro in Glasgow sold out in a matter of minutes, the young lad from Paisley with the messy hair and bluesy voice is most definitely the man of the moment. His latest album, Caustic Love, went Platinum in June and he’s been nominated for no less than three Brit awards since his debut, making him one of the most successful Scottish musicians in the industry.
Of course, Nutini can’t control the hype that has formed around him in recent years but, in a set that attracted one of the largest crowds of the day, he was certainly able to live up to it.
After crooning his way through a hit-heavy set that featured Scream, Jenny Don’t Be Hasty and Candy, the soulful Scot finished with a solo, acoustic performance of his most famous ballad, Last Request. As the crowd hollered every one of the lyrics back at him (leaving Paolo looking emotional), the song seemed tailor made for a finale like this. A simple, stripped-back encore that reminded everyone of the fact that Paolo Nutini possesses one of the best voices in the industry today.