Rachel Fuller (2)

T in the Park 2005

Saturday 9th to Sunday 10th July 2005
Balado, nr Kinross. Scotland, KY13 0NJ, Scotland MAP
£82 for w/e: £97 w/e with camping: £46.50 for day tickets - SOLD OUT

Daily capacity: 52,500

(Main Stage, Sunday)

I have to admit I know nothing about Rachel Fuller, so the only real way that I can make sense of the gig is to put it like this.

12:20: Rachel takes the stage. First notes ring out, sounds promising, keeping a very open mind about this one. Then the vocal kicks in, and it sounds uninspiring, and truth be told, has a slight whine that grates very, very quickly. Could really do with something to eat, and thanks to being sick of cheeseburgers and awful noodles all weekend, even a tofu burger from that vegan stall seems more appealing than the remaining 20 minutes of the set.

12:23: You can tell an artist is failing badly when they have to get a cheer from the crowd by tellins us that they like to do their housework naked. Something I never really wanted to know, just like finding out that this is her first paid show means that you can't help but feel that she has no place on the T in the Park bill this year.

12:25: That guitarist looks familiar...

12:27: He is familiar! Peter Townsend of the Who is opening the Main Stage of T in the Park with Rachel Fuller to his smallest crowd in many, many years!

12:30: Pete needs more of a look-in to this gig.

12:32: I wonder if Pete Townsend cares how Rachel does her housework as little as us....

12:35: Set turns out to be the crashing bore that it promised to be. Tofu burger marginally less bland than the artist.

Not even a rock legend could save this set, which is a shame, as rather than seeing a special T moment, it's just taken the shine off of "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright". It's a shame for both Peter and the crowd, as a member of the Who opening the main stage could have been a monumental T in the Park moment, but nothing could make this artist work to the T in the Park crowd, and the general air of apathy to the music reflects this.

T in the Park seems to specialise in more popular, rock, dance and the occasional hip-hop outfit, and although this could have worked at a more mellow festival, it's not built for Balado, let alone the main stage.

review by: Matthew Shaw