T IN THE PARK S P EC I A L I S S U E
PARK LIFE Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at T? Three folks working at TitP ground zero share some festival insights
CRAE CALDWELL
Occupation Artist production
How many TitP’s have you been to?
11.
Favourite festival moment? Standing on the Slam Stage with The Chemical Brothers making the whoopee with the lasers.
What items will you definitely be taking with you this year?
Waterproofs, comfy boots, sun cream, laptop, t-shirt that says ‘it wasn’t my fault’ and a small monkey to fetch and carry for me.
What gets you through a hangover?
Water, Berocca . . . and someone to blame!
Which acts are you most excited about seeing this year? Muse and the mighty Plastikman.
Any on-site memories you’d care to share? Having an artist, who was known to be easily ‘distracted’, imminently due onstage, go round the nearby roundabout ten times until we were ready for them onstage, so they didn’t get ‘distracted’ in the dressing room area. Then straight out the car, on to the stage . . . voila! Only festival that year when said act was onstage on time.
T in the Park, in a nutshell? Hard work, mental at points, but always fantastic fun.
JERRY MILLICHIP Occupation Site manager
How many TitPs have you been to?
This will be my 14th. Favourite festival moment? Standing on the side of the stage while the
Beastie Boys played and the sun went down behind the Ochils. What items will you definitely be taking with you this year? Site plans, sun cream, gumboots.
What gets you through a hangover? No hangovers for me – I have a few beers after the event once the dust has settled and then hide in my cabin.
Which acts are you most excited about seeing this year? Vampire Weekend.
Any on-site memories you’d care to share? Getting the first paint marks on the ground each year always feels significant. It starts to become very real from then on in. At the end when I drive around and give the landowners the keys back to their fields, I finally realise another T has gone by. It always feels better than the previous year and I start thinking about what we can make better for the next one.
T in the Park, in a nutshell? Unique and hard to beat. 18 THE LIST 24 Jun–8 Jul 2010
HILARY GOODFELLOW Occupation Project manager; Healthy T & Refresh
How many TitPs have you been to? I lost count after 12 years. At my first T I endured the whole Del Amitri set to nudge my way to the front row for Primal Scream.
Favourite festival moment? The same each year – the piper playing Auld Lang Syne followed by the fireworks at the end, which mean it’s all over for another year. What items will you definitely be taking with you this year? Wellies, flip-flops, sunglasses, gloves, laptop and plenty of hayfever medicine.
What gets you through a hangover? I don’t crack my first beer open ‘til the end of the event; no pint ever tastes sweeter.
Which acts are you most excited about seeing this year? Unfortunately I don’t get the chance to catch the bands, but I’ll be excited to get reactions to various areas I’ve been working on; a string quartet, Victorian freakshow and a cabaret restaurant, all popping up where you least expect, and a caravan converted into a Solar Cinema in the Eco Village. . .
Any on-site memories you’d care to share? When I worked as an artist
liaison, explaining to Arcade Fire’s tour manager at the side of stage that it was indeed a huge compliment that the entire audience were chanting ‘Here we, here we, here we fucking go’ in anticipation. T in the Park, in a nutshell? Months of hard work + 85,000 people = Scotland’s biggest weekend of the year.