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Tramlines review: A weekend of sun, sounds and Sheffield at its best

We’re already buzzing for Tramlines 2019


Remember Tramlines? If you can remember all of it, you did it wrong, but Sheffield's biggest ever party certainly lived up to its billing. Here's what we thought of what we can remember.

Friday

The Big Moon

Even if you've not heard of The Big Moon, you'll have heard their song Cupid on every YouTube advert going. The group debated on stage about whether it was raining, and delivered a classy set, but most importantly covered Total Eclipse of the Heart. DP

Everything Everything

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Have you ever seen a man wearing a bright orange trench coat in Sheffield? No. No you have not. If you wore a bright orange trench coat in Sheffield you would have your head punched clean off. Everything Everything lead singer Jonathan Higgs wore a bright orange trench coat on stage in Sheffield and he looked cool. Guess what, guys, I'm buying a bright orange trench coat now, so I guess my head is coming clean off my shoulders. DB

The Orielles

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Are they cool? Yes. Are they young? Yes. Have they got songs you can dance to even if you're not much of a dancer, more of a head-bobber and knee-twitcher? Yes. Are they going to go far? Based on this performance, yes. DB

Stereophonics

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Phonics aren't my cup of tea, except when that said cup is far too weak. Thousands liked them, so they must have done something right. In hindsight, I should have stayed for Dakota. DP

Few bands can keep a crowd fully entertained for an hour and a half like the Welsh giants that are Stereophonics can. A set that didn't disappoint with a mix of some classic rock tunes and some chilled out acoustic tracks, they proved that they deserved to headline the Friday of Tramlines. Although you may be inclined to disagree, what's not to love about the drummer rising up through the stage for a mad drum solo? DM

Saturday

Everly Pregnant Brothers

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These blokes brought out the Mayor, covered Kings of Leon and Coldplay on ukuleles with lyrics about kebabs and Henderson's Relish, and had tens of thousands of people swearing in unison at Leeds to the point where they could probably hear it. Top effort gents. DP

Reverend and the Makers

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In our good books after making time for an interview, locals Reverend and the Makers got everyone going thanks to charismatic front man Jon McClure. "Front to the back. Banger after banger. Everybody bounce." The bangers – and bouncing – flew by. DP

Want to bounce at a gig? Go and see Rev. Want to push your mates about in a moshpit? Go and see Rev. Want to skank?… You get the idea. These local lads (and lady) produced the best set of the weekend by a mile and showed why Tramlines is one of the best festivals in the country when it comes to price. DM

Wulfman Fury

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Silly name, seriously good. Nightsweats is a tune. Draw The Line is a tune. Their other ones, that aren't on Spotify yet, are tunes. Lovely stuff. DP

Blossoms

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Stockport's finest put on arguably the best show of the weekend, bringing their lush long hair and their keyboards and their long hair. Such long hair. Rattling through their hits, they ended their main set with an acoustic performance of Wham's Last Christmas, before returning to the stage for an encore including Charlemagne, which is absolutely my favourite song about former King of the Franks and Christian Emperor of the West, Charlemagne. DB

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

I'll be honest with you, guys, trying to choose which Gallagher brother I think is best is like trying to choose which STI I'd rather have, but hey ho.

Liam thinks he's the biggest shithouse around, yet Noel opened his festival set with FOUR songs from his new album, so I guess he takes the shithouse biscuit. He followed that up with a smattering of his High Flying Birds' hits such as Dream On and In the Heat of the Moment, as well as Oasis hits Whatever, Wonderwall, and Don't Look Back in Anger, before ending on a rendition of The Beatles' All You Need is Love.

Indeed, all you need is love, except for your brother who you won't speak to because he broke your guitar, that is. DB

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Either Dan B's spot on, and my judgement was clouded by five cans of own brand Dark Fruit, or Noel was biblical and the highlight of the festival. I spent Wonderwall on my mate's shoulders without falling off. Happy days. DP

There's nothing like a drunken sing-a-long on the Saturday of a festival, and Noely G definitely brought that to the Hillsborough field. Whether you were there just for Wonderwall or you're the wannabe Mod down the front (I'll declare myself as the latter), the elder of the famous Gallagher brothers made the Saturday headline slot a highlight of the weekend. DM

Sunday

Mr Motivator

Nowadays, people wake up and read Twitter like it's a newspaper, or watch Piers Morgan shouting at Love Island contestants. In happier times people woke up to Mr Motivator, who brought a half-hour exercise class to the main stage. Motivator announced "today is going to be a great day, no matter what". By that point on Sunday, I'd decked it in Leadmill at half three, but also been bought a Maccies, so he was half right. DP

Pale Waves

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Pale Waves are basically The 1985. Turning up in Gothic makeup and black clothes on the hottest day of the festival, Pale Waves sounded like Matty Healy and co, with funky bits and hints of Taylor Swift back when she was good. Ones to watch. DP

Shed Seven

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England have just been knocked out of a football tournament in the semi-finals, it's a dry summer and Shed Seven are currently playing to a crowd in a warm, sweaty tent. No, this isn't 1996, it's 2018 and the York five piece certainly didn't let down as they played the penultimate set at T'Other Stage. Hits such as Going For Gold and She Left Me On Friday kept blokes in their mid-forties and kids, who were given maracas halfway through the set, thoroughly entertained. An adequate almost end to a top weekend. DM

De La Soul

"I can't wait to see Shed Seven," I said ambitiously at the start of the weekend. That would have meant standing up for another hour in a full tent, so soaking up some hip-hop made sense. Like a Spoons burger, De La Soul weren't spectacular but hit the spot. Their set was followed by a moving tribute to the late, great Sarah Nulty. DP

Jake Bugg

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No stage presence, a boring set and a half-arsed end to the festival was what I was expecting when I saw Jake Bugg announced for the final slot of T'Other Stage. How wrong I was. One of the most humble acts of the weekend, thanking the crowd for their support after almost every song, he pulled out all the stops with Lightning Bolt and Slumville Sunrise, bringing it down for a more chilled vibe to the end of the festival with Broken. Thanks for proving me wrong Jake. DM

Tom Grennan

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Remember John Newman? The guy who did Love Me Again and something with Sigala they still play in Code. Tom Grennan is a bit like John Newman and also Amy Winehouse. He tried on a Wednesday shirt that didn't fit, played his album, and has a cracking voice, with the songs to match. DP

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All in all, the Sunday of Tramlines was a quality end to a wonderful, well-organised weekend, which showed Sheffield at its best, and showed we should all Be More Nulty.