The biggest weekend of the year for Sheffield came around quickly once again!
I’m talking Tramlines, and honestly, this year it’s snuck up on me.
The “Be More Nulty” Sign on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
When I first saw this year’s lineup, I was pretty happy with it. Definitely a step up from 2024’s offerings (which weren’t bad at all, just a bit more mixed, not as much to my taste!) This time around, it ticked alot of my boxes and there was definite excitement building.
Day one had some great names — Fat White Family, John Cooper Clarke, Ed Cosens, Femur, to name a few! — but let’s be honest, most people were there for one thing: Pulp. Sheffield legends and by the sight of hundreds (if not thousands) of Pulp t-shirts, it was clear that there was excitement in the air.
Also, let me just say — it was ridiculously hot. The forecast had promised a very manageable 20 or 21 degrees and mainly cloud.
What we actually got was blazing sunshine and proper sweaty weather, let’s just say I dressed based on the forecast, and I instantly regretted it. Felt gross all day. Note to self: always bring spare clothes.
Now, I am told that Pulp curated Friday’s lineup. I’ll be the first to admit that we have wildly different music tastes, but that said, I’m always open to being surprised and hearing new music across different genre’s — and to be fair, I did end up enjoying a few artists I might not have given a second thought to otherwise.
John Cooper-Clarke (AKA The Punk Poet) on T’Other Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Crosfield Content
Getting there wasn’t exactly smooth sailing though, unfortunately, due to numerous roadworks and what not, I missed John Cooper Clarke (AKA “The Punk Poet”) — which I’m gutted about, from what I’m told, he gave a really decent set of his poetry and clever commentary. Definitely one I wish I’d caught, maybe in the future.
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I initally took a wander around Hillsborough Park. The layout this year had a few tweaks compared to 2024/2023, nothing too over-the-top, but some small changes that made everything look a bit slicker, felt like a nice upgrade.
Oracle Sisters on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
The first act I actually caught was Oracle Sisters.
This was a recommendation for me and I’d added a few tracks to my pre-festival playlist, but hearing them live was a different experience, I caught most of the set, but what I saw completely won me over, and to be honest I was kind of caught up in the moment, so I wasn’t really paying much attention to the track names, but I’ll definitely been revisiting them once Tramlines is done and dusted.
They had a fantastic energy on stage — it was really uplifting and quite easy to get into, I did see a lot people dancing together or swaying, properly in the moment, which was so lovely.
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Infact, one of my favourite things to do alongside watch the sets is people watching, you see so many bloody lovely moments between groups of family and friends, but you also see some hilarious and errrr interesting moments too…
A very special mention to the man confidently strolling around in just his boxers. I mean, it was hot… but still. Brave. – but I am a little bit scarred.
Baxter Druy on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
But back to the music, Friday for me was actually mainly recommendations, so that’s actually how I ended up at Baxter Dury’s set – I’d heard the name and the odd track before, but never really paid that much attention. That changed pretty quickly once he got on stage. His stage presence is something else, it was confident, a bit chaotic, but also ridiculously engaging, he used the space really well.
He appears to have drifted from indie into more indie-electronic space over the years, and that really came through in the set. One moment that stood out was when he delivered the line “You broke my nose once, it f*cking hurt” with such a deadpan tone, it somehow landed as both hilarious and totally sincere. I feel like it was a pretty edgy set, but he drew in a decent crowd and they seemed really into it.
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After that, I went to check out Spiritualized. I hadn’t listened to them much before, so I was curious. They pulled a decent crowd — not surprising with their discography — but the start of their set felt a bit distant. There wasn’t much crowd interaction, and it took a while to get going. Maybe that’s just their style, but I would’ve liked a bit more connection. That said, I’ve heard it picked up as the set went on, so maybe I just didn’t give it long enough.
Spiritulized on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
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Then it was time. Pulp.
The crowd was massive, the atmosphere was electric, and from the second they opened with “Spike Island,” you could tell it was going to be something special. They dropped some of their biggest hits early on — including “Disco 2000,” which I personally would’ve saved for the end (it deserves that spotlight!). But the set overall was full of surprises and proper magic moments.
“Do You Remember the First Time?” was a standout — Jarvis dedicated it to The Leadmill, which sadly closed earlier this year. He joked about stealing back the music heritage plaque, asking if anyone had tools on them. Classic Jarvis.
Jarvis Cocker of Pulp on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Crosfield Content
“Mis-shapes” got another little shout-out to the crowd, with Jarvis pointing at random people during the lyrics “misshapes, mistakes, misfits.” Not sure if that was meant as a compliment or not — maybe both?
He’s still got all the charm, the weird dancing, and the quick wit. An absolute icon. And then we got a surprise guest — Richard Hawley — who joined for “Sunrise” and stuck around for the rest of the set. It was a lovely Sheffield moment.
Of course, “Common People” was the big one. Jarvis gave a nod to Sheffield before launching into it — saying it might’ve been written in London, but couldn’t have existed without Sheffield. That got a huge cheer. Everyone was singing, shouting, on shoulders — just this huge wave of energy. At one point they slowed it down so Jarvis could introduce the band in his own quirky way, before ramping back up for one final chorus. It was proper goosebumps stuff.
I thought that would be the end, but they closed with “Sunset” instead. Beautiful track, but I was surprised by the order — I’d have paired it with “Sunrise” earlier in the set, then ended with the big hitters. Still, that’s just personal preference, and maybe it’s how they always do things.
Pulp on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Photo Credit: Tramlines via Facebook
All in all, it was a brilliant set. Emotional, fun, a bit odd in places — exactly what you’d want from Pulp, really. A perfect homecoming.
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So that was day one of Tramlines 2025. Discovered some new favourites, caught a couple of acts I’d previously overlooked, and finally saw one of my all-time favourite bands live. Not a bad way to start the weekend — and it definitely left me excited for what the rest of the festival had in store.
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