With each passing year, the fundamentals of what constitutes a music festivals are changing. Full weekend festivals, except those heavily backed, struggle each year to balance costs and line-ups, with many cancelled indefinitely.
Gone are the days when you packed your Dunlop wellies, strapped a case of Tennent’s to a trolley and trudged miles across a muddy field.
While all-dayers are nothing new, they have now grown to become a firm fixture on the musical calendar, none-more-so than the ever expanding Tenement Trail.
Starting back in 2013 with a handful of venues and bands, Glasgow's finest grassroots festival has now developed into one of the most anticipated music events of the year. This growth is mainly thanks to a string of strong lineups, with illustrious alumni such as Sam Fender (2014), Lewis Capaldi (2016), The Big Moon (2017) and many more. It’s now become the place to unearth future stars.
With over 60 artists heading to Glasgow’s East End, including big hitters like locals Fatherson, Magic Gang, Drenge and Dream Wife, deciding who to catch can prove overwhelming. However, fear not! We’ve hand picked our favourite new artists at this year’s Tenement Trail to ensure you don't miss out!
Wear comfortable shoes, pack your protective ear plugs and let the trail commence!
1.45 - Paris Street Rebels @ BAad
Fresh from a stomach-lining lunch, we’ll be heading straight to BAad for the opening band and winners of the ‘New Artist Competition’ - Paris Street Rebels. The rock n rollers from Ballingry are proving to be one of the most electric and unpredictable live acts in Scotland, with influences ranging from The Clash to The Cribs, they bring an abundance of energy to every show.
2.45 The Roly Mo @ BAad
The music scene never stands still, especially not in Glasgow, were wave upon wave of bands take to bars and clubs across the City, leading this new wave are The Roly Mo. Taking inspiration from the likes of The Dunts, Rascalton and Baby Strange, the fresh punk newcomers have already made a big impression with energetic live performances and three killer releases this year. Get down early and see what the fuss is about!
3.15 - OK Button @ Saint Luke’s
Despite only releasing their first single last year, the dream-pop trio from Aberdeen have quickly impressed, gathering fans as they tour all over the UK. OK Button arrive at Tenement trail fresh from dropping their debut EP Sepia Spectres which sees Amber Wilson’s soul searching vocals take centre stage on a bed of brooding, electronic synths.
4.15 Cara Rose @ Many Studios
Bringing the soul to Tenement Trail will be Glasgow’s young singer-songwriter Cara Rose, who recently impressed at a sold out King Tut’s in support of another homegrown talent, Joesef. One standout track is the beautiful ‘Learn to Speak’ - delivered with passion, exploring the unpredictability of young love.
4.45 Beta Waves @ BAad
On the back of a busy 2018, Beta Waves have taken some time away from the stage to focus on writing and recording, with their first single of the year due this Friday! (11/10). The electronic duo always bring a new perspective to each track, rarely are two gigs the same, and it’s for this reason they are unmissable live. With further releases ready to drop, Tenement Trail is the perfect time to see what the future holds!
4.45 - Swim School @ Winged-Ox
One of our most exciting discoveries of 2019 are Edinburgh’s new lo-fi garage rockers, Swim School. Managing to fuse together influentiances ranging from The Cure to Cranberries to Wolf Alice, this young quartet are a band with real potential. Already with two excellent releases, we predict a breakthrough 2020!Â
5.45 Fabric Bear @ BAad
This year has seen the recently SAMA-nominated Fabric Bear wake from hibernation, re-energised with new members and new music - without losing their knack for an addictive melody. Recent singles 'Pop Song' and ‘Waste My Time’ have put them firmly back on track to become Scotland's best unsigned act.Â
6.15 VanIves @ Saint Lukes
Time for a change of pace, with the unique sounds of VanIves, who’ll bring their latest EP ‘The Waves and I Would Wonder’ to Saint Lukes for the first time. Both Stuart and Roan are multi-instrumentalists who manage to blend of hip-hop production with acoustic guitar and soaring vocals, which make for a unique live show, one which is sure to be a Tenement Trail highlight.
7.00 Cameo Habitat @ Van Winkles
Cameo Habitat are yet another young band from Edinburgh who have consistently impressed us, right from one of their first gigs last year. Latest single ‘Hypersonic’ is any indie fan’s dream, pulling influences from the likes of Foals and Two Door Cinema Club together to make one of our tracks of the summer.
An honourable mention for Baby Strange, who'll bring the whole day to a close with a headline set at BAad. The godfathers of Glasgow’s new punk revival have been with Tenement Trail from the beginning, this will be their third appearance - it’s nailed on to be one of the sets of the year and potentially their most important gig to date. DC
Grab tickets here