Tramlines Day Two: The Round Up

Words: Ruby Corrigan

Like the blink of an eye, day 2 of Tramlines has already come to an end – and it was an absolute corker. Yet again, with an absolutely jam-packed day of music for all tastes, carnival rides and eclectic food trucks – the festival really had something for everyone. While the weather was slightly more overcast than the day before, the Sheffield crowds brought such strong doses of positive energy, that even grey clouds couldn’t dampen.

Kicking off the day with her infectious cool girl energy was everyone’s favourite alternative pop princess Nieve Ella. Looking effortlessly chic in matching jewellery and a black lace slip dress, Nieve captivated audiences with her rasping, yet syrupy sweet vocals. Most importantly, rather than simply playing her set, Nieve clearly was responding to the crowd as, upon seeing a sign asking her to play the currently unreleased ‘Ganni Top’ The starlet and her fantastic band immediately launched into the tune, an ultimate crowd pleaser with witty lyrics and a catchy rhythm that just makes you stomp your feet.

Performing on the ‘T’Other stage’ yesterday was the ineffable Otis Mensah, an up-and-coming spoken word rapper. I wasn’t sure what to expect with his set, yet he had me mesmerised for the entire duration. I adored his vocal style, which was carefree and passionate, but what I really loved that it was just him on stage. Everything you heard, both vocals and melodies were made by him and his small soundboard. Watching him build the music himself was so authentic, and honestly felt extremely inspiring. If you haven’t already heard of Otis Mensah, I implore you check him out.

Next, we were lucky enough to catch Scottish band The Snuts’ incredible set. Now, if I’m being completely honest, I was never a huge fan of The Snuts, purely because I just had never got round to properly listening to them. However, after yesterday I am converted! Playing a full out set of their biggest tunes including ‘Glasgow’, the band literally brought the sunshine with them, brightening up a previously gloomy day. What was so captivating about this band was their laser focus. While there was absolute chaos in the crowds, including someone falling from a great height (his mate’s shoulders) and a couple getting engaged, The Snuts were only focused on one thing, giving the rest of the crowd an absolute belter of a performance.

Quite possibly the best act I’ve seen so far was Tom Grennan’s performance on the main stage yesterday. A natural born performer, Grennan always seems to put on the best shows, and Tramlines (even with its very strict set times) was no exception. Accompanied by his fantastic backing singers and band, the artist performed hit tune after hit tune. Although his Freddie Mercury inspired call and response bit fell slightly flat, Grennan didn’t let that stop him from consistently engaging the crowd. From getting everyone to jump about like lunatics to sending positive messages of love and togetherness and encouraging everyone to look out for one another at the rest of the festival, his set just felt magical, and he should be extremely proud of himself.

Now, don’t shoot me but before this weekend I had never heard of the band Peace before, upon being quickly educated by boss man Dan, I can see why they were so influential in the mid-2010s indie scene, and my oh my they put on an excellent show. Even though I had never heard of them before, there was something extremely nostalgic about their sound, it just felt extremely comforting to be in their presence. A real highlight was hearing ‘1998 (Delicious)’ live as it was just 10 minutes of pure instrumental heaven.

Ending the night was everyone’s favourite indie artist Jamie T. What we had hoped would be an absolutely stellar set to really end the night on the high, ended up being extremely disappointing. During his more upbeat, the singer struggled to keep up with the rest of his band, meaning that he would often miss lines of the song, making for an awkward atmosphere all around. To be fair to him, his two biggest songs ‘Sticks and Stones’ and ‘Sheila’ really made the crowd go off as you’d expect them to, however on a whole, we were expecting a lot more from him.

So there you have it, another day done at Tramlines 2024, and we absolutely cannot wait for day 3!