A step in the right direction

When you look towards the main stage, for the most part, it’s business as usual. Artists such as Miles Kane, The Human League, Sophie Ellis Bexter and Bombay Bicycle Club flood the line-up, all of whom delivered decent sets and more importantly their punter-wooing hits. However, unlike previous years, there is room for more modern offerings, including Sprints and Coach Parties. Previously, bands like this would have been given seats on the second or third stage down, or if they were on the main stage, they would have been seen opening to empty eager crowds. This year, they’re hitting the halfway mark, giving audiences a glimpse of what modern music has to offer.

Meanwhile, still offering what the main stage does, the T’Other stage also opens its doors to a healthier mix of music this year. Saturday’s line-up is particularly exciting as young festival-goers can watch the likes of Otis Mensah, Coco and Jazzy, with Annie Mac offering a mix of house and pop and Holly Humberstone headlining. The changes are small but interesting to see. So, with this line-up looking generally wider and a better representation of both nostalgic and modern music, why is this one of Tramlines’ worst performing years?

A lot could be attributed to the headliners. As we examine each name on a festival line-up, the big ones in bold determine whether tickets will sell or not, and this year, they’ve been poor. No one denies the musical impact of artists like Paolo Nutini and Snow Patrol, but their hits are slow and don’t scream “summer party.” Jamie T certainly appeals to some as his unique regional sound fails to attract the crowds, but the bottom line is that all three names next to each other don’t make for the most appealing read.

The other reason could be the nature of tram lines. It’s a staple in Sheffield at the moment, starting in the city center as a local offering and evolving into something much bigger. Its target audience is not fans of one particular type of music, but the people of Sheffield, which includes a healthy mix. You have young and old in attendance, families kicking off the festival with toddlers in tow, teenagers and young adults going to their first festival session, and people in their thirties clinging to what’s left of them ( the last one is on me).

The truth is that Tramlines will always struggle with such a massive mix of people. I think what we saw in this year’s program is a festival that is well aware of the variety it attracts and that does its best to give back to the city and people to whom it owes everything. Props to Trams for this. It is no easy task and the organizers, staff, artists and everyone involved should be credited.

Pretty hypothetical though, how was it? In a word, fantastic. I think it can be easy to overcomplicate festivals sometimes, as I’ve done in the past, and as I’ve probably done with the previous 700 words, but in terms of the knees up, drinking session and singing, it was hard to very wrong with this year’s festival. The people of Sheffield were in some of the highest spirits ever, which showed a total positive attitude around the festival.

From mosh pit people to jungle artists, the new Mercury nominated English teacher showing why they’re one of the hottest new bands in the country or Jamie T sliding across the floor singing ‘If You Got The Money’, the festival a it was a barrage of fun. The crowd seemed a mess at times, and this was reflected in the initially hesitant attitudes towards the headliners’ opening sets, but it was hard to deny that Tramlines pulled out all the stops and delivered this year.

For a festival in the impossible position of curating a line-up, it continues to do what it can for the people of Sheffield. The artists who play here have the ability to latch on to the hometown pride that comes with the crowd and thrive off of it. It was a difficult year numerically for the Sheffield weekend, but it was undoubtedly a step in the right direction and a lot of fun.

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