It’s been said many times already but, my god, how hot it was on the second day of TRNSMT at Glasgow Green!

It’s not often Scotland is graced with such weather – which might also mean climate change is trying its hardest to reach us, and on those three TRNSMT days it really went for it.

Even after Friday 11th July’s warm opener, Saturday was scorching. In the media area, the air was thick with the smell of sunscreen being reapplied over and over, only to be sweated off again. Outside, folk were already “taps aff” in front of the main stage before midday.

Right – enough about the weather.

Saturday had been billed as the best day on paper, despite Police Scotland’s disgraceful removal of Kneecap from the line-up over some supposed “fear of riots” and similar nonsense. But honestly – what is music if it doesn’t provoke emotion and commotion? What are words if they don’t move something inside us? And what is art if it doesn’t create both communities and frictions within them?

Despite Kneecap’s absence, plenty of artists stepped in to fill the void and brought to the stage some of the words that were missing. Several appeared with Palestinian flags and spoke in support of the Palestinian people. Out in the crowd, flags and banners calling for freedom were impossible to miss. So, checkmate, authorities – you can’t silence us.

My second day began with Lucia & The Best Boys opening the main stage. It was my second time seeing them this year, and as always, they were a pleasure.

We then headed to the King Tut’s stage for Chloe Quisha, whose dramatic pop drew the crowd in with witty, tongue-in-cheek songs like Sex, Drugs & Exist.

Next, Alessi Rose lit up the main stage with her catchy pop melodies, full of self-awareness and relatable moments. My highlight was Everything Anything.

From there, it was back to King Tut’s for the grunge-punk of Hot Wax. It felt like coming home – the band tore up the stage under the blazing sun with Drop, Rip It Out, and One More Reason (from their debut album Hot Shock). They’ve definitely earned a main stage slot next time.

We then wandered to the King Tut’s stage for Brògeal – a Scottish band from Falkirk blending folk with punk energy. Tracks like Girl From NYC and Tuesday Paper Club (the title track of their upcoming debut album) had the crowd bouncing.

A quick interruption – on the way back to the main stage for Sigrid’s set, we spotted Fontaines D.C. stepping out of their vans. Known for their love of poetry and literature, I wasn’t expecting to see one of them carrying Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. For those unfamiliar, it’s a hefty slab of metafiction exploring addiction, toxic love, mental health, politics, sport, and media influence. For me, it’s like an old friend – so seeing it in the hands of someone who makes such incredible music was oddly moving. I imagined the band flanked by the ghosts of the Incandenza brothers, Don Gately, and Madame Psychosis.

Back to business: Sigrid brought a burst of pure fun to the main stage, bounding about and getting the crowd involved with tracks like Don’t Kill My Vibe and Jellyfish.

She was followed by Miles Kane, stepping in to replace Wunderhorse. His leopard-print guitar set and matching jacket didn’t last long in the heat – the jacket was ditched almost instantly.

Over at King Tut’s, Irish folk trio Amble charmed the audience with their harmonies. Then it was time for one of the day’s most anticipated moments – Inhaler. From the first note, the Dublin rockers had Glasgow Green in full eruption. Elijah Hewson’s chilled yet electric presence had fans singing every word.

More Irish representation came from Biig Piig, who turned the King Tut’s stage into a dance floor, leaping into the crowd without missing a note.

Another interruption – Saturday had a secret set. A “Miss Rock ‘n’ Roll” was scheduled for a small stage in the late afternoon, but everyone already had their suspicions. Sure enough, it was Amy Macdonald. For me, she’s the same Amy who used to buy birthday cakes in the shop where I worked – but for everyone else, she’s a star. She packed a sweltering tent with tracks from her new album Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?, ahead of her European tour in November.

We cooled down a little at the BBC Introducing stage with Chloe Slater, whose indie-rock and alt-pop tracks (Sucker, Tiny Screen) skewered modern life. Then it was James Marriott’s turn – and his beaming smile (which never left his face) might have been even more infectious than his music.

And then – the moment of the day. Entering the photo pit to the sound of In the Modern World felt almost transcendental. Chills, goosebumps – the lot. Even in the heatwave, I felt cold. The crowd screamed every lyric, tears mixing with sweat. Fontaines D.C. didn’t just play; they hypnotised. I barely remember taking any photos – my camera was overheating, my head was somewhere else entirely. There was a message for a free Palestine, there was despair and hope, there was Grian Chatten’s deep voice in the air, and somewhere among it all, the ghosts of Infinite Jest’s characters. It felt sacred.

It took the raw energy of Glasgow’s own Vlure to keep the bar high, blasting the BBC Introducing stage with their post-punk and electronic fury – a set that deserved a much bigger stage.

By the time Biffy Clyro closed the main stage and Underworld wrapped up the day with the Scottish anthem Born Slippy, we photographers were shattered. I honestly can’t remember much of those last two sets or how I even made it home – but, man, what a day. I was broken the next morning heading back for TRNSMT’s final day, but it was worth every second.

Words: Marco Cornelli

Images: Angela Canavan

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