T In The Park 2009: Main Stage

The best from Balado's first arena

Joe O'Brien, Daniel Fahey - 15 July 2009

Blur – 9/10
It nearly didn’t happen, but boy was there a sigh of relief around Balado when it did. A spot of suspected food poisoning for guitarist Graham Coxon delayed the start of Blur’s set by an hour and 20 minutes, but when they did finally begin they were explosive. A shortened set meant the band left out the filler leaving only the best of their back catalogue in, with a disco-thumping ‘Girls And Boys’ and a scathing ‘Beetlebum’ setting the pace before the flares and “here we fuckin’ go” chants set off ‘Song 2’ - a performance even Albarn conceded as being “the best ever.” ‘Out Of Time’ was stylish and the ‘Tender’ sing-along could probably be heard in Glasgow, before the group encored with a euphoric version of ‘The Universal’. If only Coxon didn’t look so unwell. DF

Seasick Steve - 9/10
A remarkable, and at times informative, performance from start to finish. For many TITP fans this would have been the first sighting of the now famous Steve and his trademark dungarees and it’s sure to be a meeting they will never forget.

After all, what is there not to love about the sight and the now unmistakable sounds of a bearded former hobo singing his life story in the blissful sunshine? The crowd – and there were thousands of them – absolutely adored him. And for those who didn’t know who he was they certainly would have taken him to their hearts.

Each song followed a short story, many of which have shaped this man into what he has become today. At some point life truly must have battered poor Steve but it is testament to the man himself that he doesn’t let those knocks get him down. Instead he has turned his attention to enlightening our own existences through his battered old guitars and his “diddley do” and for that we should be eternally grateful. The blonde he pulled on stage and serenaded with ‘Walking Man’ certainly was. JO

Elbow - 8/10
Perfect soundtrack to the mellow vibe across T on Sunday night with Guy Garvey's warm personality matching the weather. GM

Lady GaGa - 7/10
Yeah, we all smirked when she was added to the bill, but the pop diva surprised a few doubters with a classy show which had more than just fancy costumes. GM

The Specials – 7/10
Delivering intelligent ska in scorching sunshine, The Specials main stage set on Sunday was never going to fail was it? Even Terry Hall seemed to be smiling, though he may’ve been grimacing from a lack of sunglasses in the blazing sun. ‘Stereotype’ was classy but the real crowd pleasers were ‘Monkey Man’ and ‘Rudie Can’t Fail’ - they even outshone the long-hibernated ‘Ghost Town’. DF

Calvin Harris - 7/10
The Dumfries hit maker's tempo change was a refreshing change of pace as he belted out his catchy tunes to a backdrop of monsterous beats. GM

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