By Kyle Horne
Thousands flocked to Glasgow Green last month as TRNSMT Festival opened its gates for its eighth year. Dubbed the ‘Scottish Glastonbury’, or more fittingly, the ‘Scottish Coachella’, with festival-goers young, pumped, and bursting full of energy, the weekend was full of today’s hottest pop and rock acts, along with music legends like Amy Macdonald and Snow Patrol also making an appearance, sure to get the crowd both hyped and nostalgic.
As the weather across the weekend was set to reach scorching highs of up to 30 degrees, we couldn’t have had better in Scotland, considering the typical ‘dreich’ weather we’re accustomed to. This mini heatwave even caused the local NHS to issue a safety warning to all festival-goers – a reminder to stay hydrated and to apply sun cream regularly.
Over the next three days, we’ll be shining a light on the acts we went to see at this year’s TRNSMT.
Sun? Check. Bag? Check. Earplugs? Double-check.
TRNSMT Festival – here we go!
Calum Bowie
Kicking off the Main Stage on Friday was Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Calum Bowie – and the festival couldn’t have had a better start. Calum, who shot to fame via his TikTok videos, singing from the window of his Edinburgh flat, is a natural charmer on stage. With a grand, cymbal-crashing entrance, Calum walked on stage sporting a white tee and jeans – his natural look a refreshing sight. Calum is unbelievably down-to-earth and authentic, which comes across in both his music and in day-to-day conversation.
We sat down with him to discuss what it felt like to be opening the Main Stage – opening the weekend – to be precise – and he told us how excited he was to be there, fuelling even more excitement for his upcoming headline tour this November, with a stop at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom.
Remember Monday
The acts at TRNSMT this year were spread across three stages: the Main Stage, King Tut’s Stage and the BBC Introducing stage. The Boogie Bar this year was taken over by BBC Radio 1 Dance, who were offering drop-in, drop-out rave sessions throughout the day.
Over on the King Tut’s Stage, UK Eurovision entrant, Remember Monday were standing behind the wings about to walk out to a medium-sized crowd that had assembled before their eyes. With their natural chemistry and polished stage presence, it’s easy to see why they represented the UK at Eurovision this year and earned a top 10 spot in the jury vote… but believe it or not, Remember Monday were not originally on the TRNSMT line-up this year, and were instead a last-minute addition, announced just three days before the festival.
The Remember Monday girls, Holly, Charlotte, and Lauren were full of excitement when they entered the stage, and they began their set with their modern girl-power anthem, what the girls bathroom is for. Layered with foot-stomping drums, the electronic keyboard and acoustic guitar, the track perfectly showcases their signature fusion of country and pop.
After their first track, Holly took a moment to connect with the crowd, expressing her gratitude for them being there:
“I can’t tell you how happy we are that there are human beings here!” she laughed.
Over the duration of their 30-minute performance, they sang a mix of songs that got the crowd swaying, dancing, and clapping their hands – including a Happy Birthday chant for their drummer, Laura.
Although the audience already included many fans – one sporting an easily recognisable Eurovision-branded hat – it grew much bigger when they performed their own rock-infused mashup of Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter and Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan. Their dedication to break into the industry is immense – and they’ve got everything to offer – so all it takes now is spreading the word, and their TRNSMT debut is the perfect start.
Twin Atlantic
Meanwhile, over on the Main Stage, TRNSMT were keeping up their trend with bold Scottish artists as Twin Atlantic were preparing to take over.
Hailing from Glasgow, the four-piece band packed a lot of punch, diving straight into Salvation, which sent the audience into a trance, both with their music and their visuals – moments of hardcore rock were mixed with quieter rock moments, the ins-and-outs of which felt like the comedown of a high. The screen was full of spirals going in and out, almost like hypnosis. Full of hard-rock anthems… if you weren’t a fan of Twin Atlantic yet, you were about to be converted.
“We are Twin Atlantic from Glasgow” frontman Sam McTrusty shouted, sporting a pair of sunglasses with his hair slicked back, oozing an indie swagger. The crowd, at this point, had built up, giving them just enough time to get their bearings and grab a pint before the band started just after 2pm.
I must admit, this kind of rock music isn’t personally my cup of tea, and I’m more of a pop-fiend, but I can appreciate good rock bands when I see them, and Twin Atlantic are exactly that – with 20 years’ experience in their back pocket and 7 studio albums out.
This performance marks one of their first together as the original lineup, with drummer Craig Kneale back on the team. Speaking to Shereen Cutkelvin after their set as part of the BBC’s TRNSMT coverage, Sam said: “It’s great, it feels like we’re a gang again […] we’re just delighted to have our best pal back with us”.
Among a sea of bucket hats and flags of Twin Atlantic crowd members, Kneecap fans could be seen holding Irish flags with their signature balaclava emblem – still mourning the loss of the band removed from this year’s lineup due to ‘safety concerns’ raised by Police Scotland, after their outspoken support of Palestine and alleged hatred towards the British Government.
Palestine was still subtly represented, as Twin Atlantic’s bass guitarist Ross McNae wore a Palestine FC T-shirt – an act of solidarity continued by many artists over the course of the weekend.
As the band played their last track, the cheers rolling through Glasgow Green proved that Twin Atlantic had cemented their place as one of Scotland’s boldest live acts – a reminder of why they’ve endured for two decades, and why they’re still worth shouting about.
Arthur Hill
Back over on the King Tut’s Stage, Arthur Hill made his TRNSMT debut, and from the moment he stepped out, he instantly connected with his enthusiastic Scottish crowd, giving them a glimpse of what to expect before his Barrowland gig in November.
A stand-out track of his set was Lily, where Arthur pointed his microphone towards the crowd for the chorus chants, ‘Why, why, why’
I’ll admit, he did appear slightly nervous, and it must be noted that while social media fame is not new to Arthur, his festival experience is still fresh, so this is only natural. I cannot wait to see Arthur grow in the coming years and step into a place where he fully owns the stage.
Good Neighbours
Following shortly after was English indie-rock duo, Good Neighbours. Like Arthur, they’re still very new to the scene, having only released their debut single Home in January of last year, so it’s a real testament to their craftsmanship that they’re performing at TRNSMT only a year later.
With their nostalgic rock vibe and experimental pop production, they’ve been compared to the likes of The 1975 and Wallows.
Their songs carry such a summery vibe, so they were the perfect addition to the TRNSMT lineup – any festival, for that matter – though definitely a risk to play a Scottish festival as it could have been raining!
Oli Fox stands out with his confidence and eccentricity, but more importantly, his bleach-blonde hair.
Oli danced confidently around the stage: mic in one hand, drumstick in the other.
A multi-instrumentalist at heart, he whacked the floor-tom in front of him during climactic moments, but he was also placed on a small midi keyboard, while his ‘neighbour’ Kwassa (Scott Verrill) stood behind his mic stand playing a Stratocaster guitar.
After a couple of songs, Oli threw his t-shirt off because it was far too hot – and if it was too hot for him performing a 30-minute set, you could only imagine how burnt festival-goers felt after the full weekend!
Playing a mix of tracks from their already released discography, along with a couple of new songs, Good Neighbours are currently gearing up to release their debut album Blue Sky Mentality on the 26th of September – and we could not be more excited.
Wet Leg
Following back-to-back crowd pleasers on the King Tut’s stage, it was time to return to the Main Stage to catch Wet Leg. The band, who hadn’t performed at TRNSMT since 2022, have since grown their image and stage persona from that ‘small indie band’ they once were, to the vibe of huge, boisterous, confident punk-rockers.
Rhian Teasdale came to the stage in a bikini showing off her torso tattoos – a daring choice – but exactly what was needed in the heat!
Having just released their brand new album, moisturizer, lots of tracks on their setlist were from this new, revamped era, but the 5-piece made sure not to disappoint their festival crowd by also giving them older songs to sing along to, including cult favourites Chaise Longue and Wet Dream.
“Are you good at screaming?” Rhian teased the Glasgow crowd, subtly announcing Ur Mum, their self-acclaimed ‘scream-therapy’ track, giving just enough notice for TRNSMT’s young audience to save their voices for the scream, and for parents to disappear over to the bar.
Thankfully, I was back in the press tent for this moment – though I could still hear the screams very clearly, giving me flashbacks to when Wet Leg supported Harry Styles on tour in 2023. I got front barrier view, and didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse as 65,000 people screamed together all at once. I forgot my earplugs, and it’s safe to say that the screams made my stomach flip upside down.
I felt it alright!
That being said, Wet Leg are a band to be admired, especially with their nonconformist approach and desire to create their own distinctive image.
The Script
Following shortly after Wet Leg, and with an outstanding set to beat, The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue walked onto the stage to thunderous applause. The band, who formed back in 2001, have had a resurgence in recent years with many of their early 2000s hits becoming viral TikTok audios. A couple of these tracks to mention would be Breakeven and The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.
Danny wore an eye-catching red and black suit, and made sure to walk to each end of the stage so even those at the side could celebrate and join in the fun – very entertaining and interactive.
The Script’s setlist also included their new track Inside Out, a song taken from their most recent album Satellites which released last year. An absolute belter, the song is the perfect summer anthem, with a catchy beat and acoustic guitar similar to Ed Sheeran’s or George Ezra’s latest tracks.
On stage, Danny described the feeling as ‘bittersweet’, because the last time they performed as a band at TRNSMT, their longstanding bandmate Mark was with them, who sadly passed away in 2023 following a short illness.
Before The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, Danny said:
“He would have absolutely loved this. Y’all know he’s up there right now with every single person here, who’s lost someone. I like to think there is a big festival up there and they are all drinking whisky, looking down on us moving.”
“It’s a big gig up in the sky.”
Receiving a huge round applause for this sentiment, the strength, connection and brotherly love each of The Script share with one another must be showcased. It’s so inspiring how they have decided to come back together in order to pay tribute to him.
Ending their set on a high – the crowd with arms on each other’s shoulders, the sun shining, and with a day full of great food, drink and of course, music, it felt like it was just beginning, and those without weekend tickets had to face the disappointment that the day was almost coming to an end.
With just one more set to go on the Main Stage, some opted for a good boogie before the main event, and the King Tut’s stage was where it was at.
Confidence Man
Confidence Man were about to take over.
The Australian electro-pop outfit on the tip of everyone’s tongue right now, known for their impressive gymnastics on stage, seriously stunned the Glasgow crowd, and before you knew it, you were singing along as if you’d been a hardcore fan for years.
Since their gigantic performance at Glastonbury last year, everyone’s been waiting to get a piece of the pie that is Confidence Man, and Friday at TRNSMT was their chance. Confidence Man are actually a band of four – Clarence McGuffie (Samuel Conor Hales) and Reggie Goodchild (Lewis Stephenson) are on drums and keys, while fronting the band are Janet Planet (Grace Stephenson) and Sugar Bones (Aiden Kelsey Moore).
“Where you at, Glasgow?!” shouted Janet Planet, to which the crowd let out a huge cheer.
Their set left everyone jumping up and down – the crowd growing extremely large that they were bursting out of the King Tut’s Stage designated area. When we were en route back to the press area, it was very hard to move. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back next year on the Main Stage. Organisers – this is what we want!
50 Cent
And before you knew it, the final act of the night would take the Main Stage – 50 Cent – who electrified the crowd and christened day one of this year’s TRNSMT.
The ‘Go, shawty, it’s your birthday‘ rapper sent the crowd into a frenzy, and had transported Glasgow back to the golden era of hip-hop – an epic close to the evening and an epic start to a music-filled weekend.
You can read our day two recap here.
For more TRNSMT updates, reviews, and interviews, check the #TRNSMT tag on our site.
Unless otherwise stated, Photography & Text Copyright 2025 © Kyle Horne/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Grace Elizabeth