Geoff Ellis looks forward to years at Strathallan
MMickey McMonagle T in the Park boss Geoff Ellis yesterday promised the festival will be back nexnext year – and the years afteafter that.
The deaths of two teenagers in the campcampsite this year provoked fears this ccould be the last T.
ProProblems after the move to StrathStrathallan last year had also caused concconcern about the future of ScotlScotland’s most famous festival.
But Ellis said: “Absolutely, T in the Park wwill be back next year.
“StStrathallan will be our home for the foforeseeable future. We fully intenintend to be backk next year and not just then,t but beyondyond that.
“ObObviously, the tragic deathdeaths have cast a shadow over eeverything.
“SpeakingSp on behalf of ththe pol ice, the medimedics and all our staffstaff, it has hitt us all hahard.
“ItIt’s tragic andnd our sisincere sympathyathy goes to the famimilyly and friendsf and we do feel it too.”
EllEllis admittedd it was difdif f iicult to lookok at the positpositives after thehe tragedies but fefelt most of thehe changes to the site hadh gone downwn well.
He said: “Peopleple have told me therethere’s been literallyally no traffic, they seem to be gettingg off buses and into the fefestival well andnd the layout seems to wowork much better. It’s a great site.
“NeNext year, we will make more improimprovements. It will be our third year hereh and we will tweak things again just as we did at Balado.
“LaLast year, people said it couldn’t work here but this year we have proveproved it can.”
OuOut in the crowds, revellers partipartied on despite steady rain and wideswidespread mud.
FesFestival bosses had tractors dumpdumping woodchips on the worstaffecaffected patches through the mornmorning, before the main arenas openopened to revellers.
DesDespite the conditions, fans in the campcampsite were undeterred. Olivia Pink, 17, from Burnbank, Hamilton, said: “My friends and I have been having a brilliant time.
“We aren’t bothered about the rain and mud, the campsite is the best part of the weekend for us.”
The reunited Bay City Rollers were hitting the stage last night in their T debut and frontman Les McKeown said he was keeping clear of the mud to ensure the Tartan Terrors were pristine.
He told us: “I haven’t gone out to see anything because I’m worried I’ll get mud on the tartan.
“We are glad to be here and looking forward to playing. It will be all hits, all the big ones and I think people will be surprised how many wwe know.” Ross Leighton of Fatherson reckoned fans would take the weather in their stride – because they expect it.
The singer, whose band were playing the King Tut’s tent, told us: “It’s Scotland in summer – it’s monsoon season – so of course it’s going to rain at a festival.
“The mood out there seems to be really upbeat, the site is beautiful and we are excited to be here.”
There may have been torrential rain before Tinie Tempah appeared, but by his third song an Earthquake had hit the main stage.
The London rapper had the crowd eating out of his hand as hit after hit was belted out for “the best crowd of the year”. He also gave the packed crowd a taster of the headline act by performing his collaboration with Calvin Harris, Drinking From The Bottle.
Backstage, Cat f ish & The Bottlemen’s Van McCann praised Scottish fans. He said: “T in the Park was the first one that went off for us and it’s always nuts.
“The crowd are always so loud. We’re normally in and out but at T, we have the day off so we will probably stay to watch everyone.
“The Scottish audiences have belting voices and everyone sings harmonies. When the chorus kicks in it feels like you have a choir behind you. The Scots can hold a tune.”