ABGT700, such as it was

Van and I could scarcely believe it when we learned that our first (and only other, so far) time at The Gorge was in summer of 2022.  Surely it wasn't that long ago, right?  Alas, it was, and it was a different time and experience.  We were there for an Above & Beyond Weekender.  Warm weather, sunny skies, a mellow vibe, the feeling of being part of an experience.  I had such a good time.

That sort of sets me up for saying that this time around, for Above & Beyond Group Therapy 700, was not a good time, and I don't want to give that impression.  It was a different experience this time, simple as that.  Let's get into it.

The event runs from Friday through Sunday though we don't go to the VIP or what-have-you stuff on the Friday.  Instead, we rolled in late in the afternoon on Saturday.  Made it through the security barely - they were prepared to quibble over the size of our clear backpack but decided to let us through because the two people checking bags for our line were young kids who couldn't immediately find their supervisor to ask if it was ok.  Thank you to them for using their discretion.  I'm honestly boggled that we almost didn't make it through given the other things that people brought in with them, but it's all good.

Once through the gates,

we decided to check out the merchandise.  And then we saw the lines for the main stand.  Yikes.  Nope.  We headed to the smaller, other stand, and 45 minutes later, we had a few items in hand.  The music had been well underway for at least a couple of hours at this point, so we headed to the amphitheatre to grab an empty space on the hillside. 

We settled in, enjoyed some music, eventually grabbed some drinks and bites, and listened and relaxed while the hill filled in around us. 

19,000 attendees, I think I read.

The evening came on, things got darker. 

I spotted a coat that I want so badly that I think I may try researching online for it after I finish writing this.  We were on our third DJ set of our time there, I had come back with some wine for us, and the wind had kicked up.  Hard.  As I got back to where we were sitting (with thanks to a young guy who came and grabbed me when I walked by Van without seeing him), there were announcements that the set was paused because it was unsafe down at the stage.  The pit in front of the stage was cleared as well.  Folks were urged to move higher and wait it out.

But it was cold and dark and windy, and there was rain in the forecast, and Van and I are old.  I joke a little, but it's true.  We like having seats, we like being comfortable.  I'm 56, he's closing in on 65.  And yes, there were other, um, mature folks there, but we're not spry young people any longer.  Heck, was I ever?

Anyway, we joined a stream of people heading out. 

Some were going to take shelter where they were camping, some in their cards.  Us?  We headed to the car, drove on off.  We were done for the night.  As we left, there were drops that grew to a steady but not heavy rain by the time we got back to the hotel about an hour later.  We kept checking online about what was going on, no intention of going back.  After two hours, the organizers resumed the music, and the people there went well past midnight listening and dancing.

The next day it was raining when we got up. 

It rained in Wenatchee through lunchtime, approximately.  An inch of rain there, 3/4 of an inch down at The Gorge.  The temperature was in the low 50s and promising to go no higher than the upper 50s after the rain stopped.  We suspected that things would be damp and even muddy, not drying out through the day.  It didn't take much discussion, and neither of us tried to sway the other to go back.  We were done.

Looking back, the music was fine.  I liked the Grum set

most of all because he mixed in familiar songs.  And I think that differentiates me from so many that attend - they are there for the trance mixes that the other DJs do, and I want to hear stuff I actually know at least some of the time.  The people-watching was terrific, though. 

Oh, I wish I had a photo of the man in the multi-coloured checkerboard patterned suit.  Awful shoes with the suit, but what a great suit.  And THAT COAT!!! 

We chatted a little with others in the merchandise line, and that was nice.  The setting remains fantastic, too. 

I would love to find myself there for a summer concert, a different summer concert.

I said to Van, though, that it felt different this time.  Less community, less experience, more just like any other concert I go to where they may be some jostling for position and merchandise.  Not badly so, no, but I guess you really can't go back to what it was before.  A pity about that.

A costly few hours at the Gorge once you factor in the hotel costs and such, but I'm not upset, and neither is Van.  We had a different weekend than planned, but a good weekend all in all.  More to come on that in another post this weekend.... 

TRNSMT 2023

So here it is, the big long post about the main event in Scotland.  Lots of ground to cover here.  Shall we begin?

I hadn't seen Allison in over five years.  By our recollection, it was spring of 2018 when last I was through Toronto and managed to connect with her.  So odd for someone who at one time lived two floors below me in Montreal.  So strange for someone who was my best woman at my wedding.  But the magic of messaging and Zoom have kept us in touch regularly these past years, happily.  So when I finally saw her outside the John Lewis in the Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, it didn't feel like so much time had passed.  No, instead it felt like two friends heading off into the city to go hang out together.

And for almost ten hours, and with much music to enjoy, that's what we did.

Thanks to Van, I've now been to a couple of music festivals, but this was kind of new to Allison.  Going to a festival in another country was new to me, for sure.  I didn't know much about the TRNSMT festival prior to this - Allison was the one who told me that it is the successor to T in the Park, and some online reading since my return showed me that TRNSMT has not had the best reputation.  Glad I didn't have that to fret over until after the fact!

Unlike Coachella, I was able to buy for me and Allison a one day pass each (and VIP+ at that!),

which was good because we really were there for the Friday headliners, Pulp. 

Oh, we saw more than just that group, and if we'd been there all weekend, we would have made the most of it.

We got ourselves into the VIP entrance quickly,

made our way to merchandise so as to avoid missing out on things (I've had that happen, darn it), and then decided to pop by the second stage, the King Tut Stage, to see the act that was finishing up there, Hot Milk.

We caught the tail end of one song and then their last song of the day, which is probably their big hit, or perhaps "big hit".  I don't think they've actually charted a single.  You know, I liked the energy they had, but it's not music I'm inclined to listen to otherwise.  Still, happy to catch at least a quick listen.

From there we headed back to the VIP enclosure to take a short break and have a drink from the gin truck. 

Yes, a food truck that only served gin drinks, essentially only G&T of various versions.  It was nice to do.  We took those with us over to the main stage and from there caught Paul Heaton.

Back in the 90s, I was a fan for a while The Beautiful South, which, in turn, was founded by former members of The Housemartins.  Paul Heaton was one of the main songwriters and vocalists for The Beautiful South, and he's gone on to solid solo success in the UK.  Or perhaps "solo" - he's done a lot of work with former Beautiful South vocalist Jacqui Abbott.  She, alas, has had health issues, and so for this set he pulled in a local artist, Rianne Downey.  They did a great job of it together, and while I only knew the Beautiful South songs that dotted the set (plus Happy Hour by Housemartins), I enjoyed it through and through.

We stuck around for the next set, and that's when all the very young folks - mostly girls - streamed in.  Niall Horan, formerly of boy band One Direction, was up, and his fanbase was very present.  But you know, I've heard him interviewed on Q with Tom Power on CBC, and he sounds like a really good guy.  I'd heard a few songs before, and they were fine.  He delivered a decent set,

which sounds like damning him with faint praise, but it's more a reflection of not knowing his catalogue well.  I liked it, I have checked out more since the concert, but honestly?  I was more into the Harry set I saw at Coachella last year.  Sorry, Niall!

Allison and I had the great food truck dinner after that, and then decided that instead of catching any of the George Ezra, who we didn't really know at all, we would go over to see Dean Lewis. 

Apparently Catriona, Allison's daughter, really likes him.  I was startled to find when I got back home this past week that I had a song of his in my playlists because I didn't recognize his name or the music at all.  But we stayed for the last few songs of his set on the King Tut Stage, and then headed for the main event.

Ah, Pulp.  I am far from an expert on modern music (or any music), but I had my big Britpop phase back in the 90s.  Blur were my tops, and I liked Oasis (it doesn't have to be either/or), but Pulp were probably the third pillar of that musical time and trend, and I would put them second in my heart behind Blur (and I would move Oasis below some other groups like the Manics and Supergrass and perhaps even Echobelly and Sleeper, all depending on what we want to call Britpop).  I am sure Pulp came to North America multiple times, but I never got a chance to see them.  Now I did.  And, as an early landmark birthday present to Allison, now so did she.

We got deep into the front pit area, though not super deep.  It was fine enough for us, though.  The crowd had shifted to being a bit older.  We later found out that there were upwards of 50,000 in attendance. 

And it seemed we all knew all the words.

The curtains parted, and we heard the opening strains of I Spy.  Jarvis came down the stairs on the stage,

and we were off.  I knew every song, some better than others.  I sang along like everyone else.  There were surprises (Like a Friend and Sunrise) and some songs I wish they had done (Mile End, Joyriders).  They leaned most on the Different Class album, and that makes sense.  It was the big one, but it was also such a critical success.  And everyone had a good time with the whole set, start to finish.

TRNSMT was staged in the Glasgow Green, a park immediately east of downtown and adjacent to residential neighbourhoods.  As such, there was a curfew.  Pulp finished at about 10:51, I think, and we joined the thousands of people streaming out of the venue.  I walked Allison to the Queen Street station so that she could catch the train to the suburbs where she was staying with a cousin, then I headed on back to my hotel.  I genuinely had Pulp songs in my head, and even the next day I found myself singing out a few lines now and then.

It was a short trip - three full, non-travel days in Glasgow and that's it - but so worth it.  Sharing such an awesome concert experience with Allison?  Happy birthday to her, but hooray for both of us getting that.  I had a fantastic time.