Why TRNSMT is ‘the gate to success’ for Scottish acts

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Lewis Capaldi has played at all three years editions of the festival since 2017

A lot of people outside of Scotland could be forgiven for not being fully across The Snuts’ back catalogue just yet.

But anyone on Glasgow Green as they walk out at TRNSMT had no excuse.

The second day of the festival was dubbed by many as “Snuts day” after the local band attracted the biggest crowd on the festival’s second stage last year and made the progression to the main stage this year.

It’s an identical route Lewis Capaldi and Gerry Cinnamon have taken at TRNSMT – both working their way up the festival’s line-up since 2017 long before most people south of the border had even heard of them.

The Snuts have made it to the main stage without even releasing their debut album, and it’s an achievement that isn’t lost on them.

“It’s a big milestone for us,” singer Jack Cochrane tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

“It’s something we’ve been working towards for years. It was always part of the plan and a big turning point for us.”

Guitarist Joe McGillveray adds: “TRNSMT, and T in the Park before, are seminal moments for any Scottish band.

“It’s the gates to doing anything else. Getting on the main stage here is massive.”

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Debbie Hickey

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Big sets at TRNSMT have been part of Gerry Cinnamon’s route to more mainstream success

“It does give you a good feeling when that happens,” says festival organiser Geoff Ellis.

“Particularly if it’s a Scottish artist because you’re able to give them more of a leg up.

“With someone like Lewis Capaldi, when he played the King Tut’s stage in 2017 quite a few people knew him in Scotland but if he was an English base he might not have got the same connection at that stage in his career.”

Geoff Ellis and his team used to run T in the Park and still own King Tut’s Wah Wah hut, a Glasgow venue dedicated to booking new talent.

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Calvin Harris played at T in the Park back in 2009 before going on to headline the festival

Geoff says the organisers see it as “our duty” to be a major platform for Scottish talent.

“If you look back over the years, like when we ran T in the Park too, we had acts like Biffy Clyro, Paolo Nutini and Travis all coming through that festival.

“Calvin Harris is another great example of that trajectory as well.

“The Snuts are maybe the next band to do that.”

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Xavi Torrent

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The Snuts’s track All Your Friends was recently made BBC Music Introducing’s track of the week on Radio 1

With the band heading to New York to finish recording their album, it looks like they’ve already started working on it.

“We’ve always grown up around festivals and we were always inspired to see our favourite bands doing this kind of stuff,” explains singer Jack.

“I hope 16, 17-year-olds can see us and maybe go ‘that’s something we can do’.”

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Tamzene, who is playing at TRNSMT this year, is starting to get bigger shows outside of Scotland

This year TRNSMT introduced the Queen Tut’s stage which is made up entirely of up-and-coming Scottish female acts.

Tamzene, who is from the Scottish highlands, is playing on the stage.

“Finding your way as a pop artist in such a rural area is a bit more challenging.

“I really had to go out and find the opportunities.

“We’ve been working really hard and I’m excited to show the festival what we’ve created.”

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