Saturday 26th July 2025
Sweet Jesus. These hangovers hit different now I’m approaching forty at a rate of knots. Still though. One must simply persevere. And so, to Saturday…
We miss half of The Ks due to my insistence on having a full pub lunch despite there definitely not being enough time to do so (shout out to the Lescar Hotel – cracking bangers and mash), but arrive in time to catch a lovely acoustic version of ‘Hoping Maybe’ and a raucous rendition of ‘Sarajevo’ which sees all the kids at the front going nuts. They’ve got a bright future ahead of them, these lads.
Next up is Natasha Bedingfield who seems genuinely thrilled to be playing to such a massive crowd. The Sussex songstress (I’ve just made that nickname up) has had a resurgence in recent years due to Tik Tok, and she is making the most of her comeback. ‘These Words’ sounds massive, her band is great, and when we get to the chorus of ‘Unwritten’ it feels like everyone at Hillsborough Park screams, ‘FEEL THE RAIN ON YOUR SKIN!’ right along with her. Even more endearing is her little boy running on stage at the end for a cuddle. Not a dry eye in the house.
Jake Bugg is up next and he delivers a typical Jake Bugg performance. Great songs. No stage presence. Seems faintly embarrassed to be there. Never change, Jake. That being said, you can’t argue with the tunes, and ‘Taste It’, ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Seen It All’ all sound wonderful.
Franz Ferdinand fare better with a career spanning set that takes in five tracks from new album The Human Fear, as well as classic cuts like ‘Dark of the Matinee’ and ‘Michael’. By the time the unmistakeable opening riff from ‘Take Me Out’ lands the audience are in love. It’s a song that hit like a lightning bolt back in 2004 and it still sounds vital in 2025. The Glasgow band close the set out with propulsive rendition of ‘This Fire’ having smashed their Main Stage set.
I have always loved The Futureheads and their set here is possibly my highlight of the weekend. They are kind of band that were built to play in sweaty rooms and circus tents, and they run through all the hits here as if their lives depend on it. ‘The Beginning of the Twist’ is the kind of high-octane, high-drama indie pop song that the Futureheads excel at and it sets the tone for a pulverising show. ‘Decent Days and Nights’ and ‘Meantime’ threaten to tear the walls down, but it is ‘Heartbeat Song’ that gets the best reaction. And what a song it is. That ‘Born to Run’ breakdown bit in the middle, man… it absolutely slaps. They close out with ‘Hounds of Love’, the greatest cover version of all time, and as ever, they do it justice. It’s one of the best performances of any song across the weekend. Sensational.
And then, to The Reytons. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if the band were ready to headline a festival the size of Tramlines. I was, as ever, very fucking wrong. The band come racing out of the tracks with ‘Red Smoke’, complete with fire canons and pyro, and it is clear from this entrance that these lads mean business. Frontman Jonny Yerrell has seen his band go from indie also rans to the first unsigned band to headline Tramlines. What a story.
The Reytons approach playing music like a boxer walking into the ring. They attack every song like this is the last gig at the last festival at the end of eternity. It’s biblical. Early favourites ‘Slice of Lime’ and ‘On the Back Burner’ slot in nicely alongside new tracks from their latest album Ballad of a Bystander, and by the time we get to ‘Kids Off the Estate’ and set closer ‘Low Life’ it becomes clear that we are witnessing a classic Tramlines headline set. After the disappointment of Jamie T last year, this set feels like unfinished business for everyone. The band leave the stage to the sound of ‘Que Serra Serra’ blasting out of the speakers safe in the knowledge that anyone who ever doubted them (me included) must now eat humble pie. Which I think is for sale next to the burrito stall.
Well. Another Tramlines Saturday done, and this one will go down in history as one of the best. An incredible day of music.