T in the Park:10 highlights from the past 20 years

Ian Brown of the Stone Roses performs at the 2012 T in the Park. Picture: Jane Barlow

Scotland’s biggest music festival has attracted scores of big names since its debut in 1994. Here, in no particular order, are 10 of its best moments. How many did you experience?

1. Stone Roses, 2012

Mani, Reni, John Squire and Ian Brown arrived in Perth in the summer of 2012, headlining on the Saturday night after a series of comeback gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park, Dublin Phoenix Park and Parr Hall in Warrington.

A breathtaking set followed at Balado, with the group kicking things off with a sublime rendition of I Wanna Be Adored, and performing Sally Cinnamon, Fool’s Gold, Waterfall and I Am the Resurrection to a rapt audience.

2. Travis, 2000

A little-known band that made an appearance at the inaugural festival in 1994 under the name of Glass Onion would later come back to headline the ‘Millennium’ festival under a new name, and with a different lineup and sackful of pop songs to boot.

3. Kraftwerk, 2013

The German electronic quartet brought their Trans-Europe Express to Scotland in July 2013, in the form of a 3D concert.

Kommen sie bitte und listen to Kraftwerk indeed.

4. Rage Against the Machine, 2008

After a seven-year hiatus, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk reformed and embarked on a series of tours under the Rage Against the Machine flag.

A blistering set including hits such as Testify, Know Your Enemy and Killing in the Name Of rocked Balado in the same year that the festival won a handful of awards including Vodafone’s Live C4 Festival of the Year and Best Line Up at the UK Festival Awards bash.

5. Move to Balado, 1997

The festival upped sticks from its initial venue of Strathclyde Park to the disused airfield at Balado. The Slam Tent was introduced, with Daft Punk and Carl Cox among the headliners, as Paul Weller, the Charlatans and Kula Shaker headlined the main stage.

6. Joe Strummer / Keanu Reeves, 1996

The 1996 festival was the final event in Strathclyde Park, but it was also memorable for the introduction of the T Break stage (replacing the Caledonia Stage) as well as the late Joe Strummer, ex-frontman of The Clash, busking in the campsite and Speed actor Keanu Reeves arriving on a shuttle bus for his gig with band Dogstar.

Reeves, who would later go on to star in the 1999 film The Matrix, played bass in the band between 1991 and 2002.

7. Nicki Minaj, 2012

The US star was added to the 2012 bill just hours after it was confirmed that New Order and the Happy Mondays would be playing over the weekend.

Eyebrows were raised after it was revealed Minaj’s demands at her Superbowl gig had included two dozen roses, a gallon of lemonade and a number of scented candles.

8. Idlewild, 1998

Now known as purveyors of shiny indie rock, a brazen young Edinburgh band named Idlewild rocked up to the 1998 festival, three months before the release of their first full-length album, Hope is Important.

The band are returning nearly 20 years later to play this year’s festival, following the release of their seventh record, Everything Ever Written.

9. Kylie Minogue, 1995

The 1995 festival featured the likes of Salad, Corduroy and Fluke.

But it also featured Kylie Minogue (who played second fiddle to the M People and the Beautiful South) on the Main Stage on the Sunday.

10. The 2006 Festival

Tickets for the 2006 festival sold out in record time - under an hour, while weekend camping tickets appeared on eBay for up to £700.

Headliners included The Who, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand and Sigur Ros.