After a powerful set from Pulp on the Friday night, it was safe to say the air in Hillsborough Park was full of excitement, especially for Tramlines day two.
I feel like the Saturday is probably the most anticipated day of 2025’s offering of Tramlines, with Rotherham band The Reytons topping the bill, making history of the first unsigned band to headline the festival, which in fairness, is a pretty big deal.
More on that later, but let’s kick off with one of Sheffield’s most beloved bands, in the form of The Everly Pregnant Brothers…
Kieran Wardle and Pete McKee of the Everly Pregnant Brothers on the Sarah Nulty Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Firstly, if you’re new to the brothers or need a bit of catching up, might be worth reading the review I did of their recent Leadmill gig, which you can do HERE.
In the meantime, in short, the band is fronted by Kieran Wardle, who took on the reins following Big Shaun’s departure in 2023, and also includes Pulp’s own Nick Banks on drums and Sheffield artist (and legend) Pete McKee!
They drew in an impressive crowd to open up the day, kicking straight off with fan favourite “Chip Pan”, frontman Kieran Wardle using the stage fantastically and all of the other brothers, primarily Mr McKee, all getting in the spirit, this is a band that just oozes good energy and on top of that, they’re all hilarious – a very good choice and fantastic start to Saturday’s offerings.
And of course, breadcakes were thrown, of course they were. (For anyone outside of South Yorkshire, yes it is a breadcake and I will die on this hill).
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Next up on the line-up for us was a band that’s been making waves across the music scene in recent years, it’s The K’s…
The K’s Frontman Jamie Boyle on The Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Lauren Basford
The band from Earlestown recently released their second album “Pretty on the Internet” (which you can read our review for HERE!) which received a good response from fans – and I did overhear many saying they were looking forward to the set.
It was roughly a 30-minute set, which in all honesty, they needed more, but they really brought the energy and from the crowd reaction, they loved every second of it! They kicked off with “Gravestone”, and ended with fan-favourite “Sarajevo” – which you could hear punters singing back, jumping around and chanting, including a slowed-down sing-a-long for “Hoping Maybe” which was an acoustic number.
Even though the set was short, they made a big impact, and everyone seemed to agree they deserved a higher up and longer slot next time.
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Now to the act that all millenials at Tramlines were looking forward to, it was only bloody Natasha Bedingfield!
Natasha Bedingfield on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
It was pure early‑2000s bliss, and a real sense of that nostalgia, it was a very short but sweet set, but with all her biggest hits and at the time, I knew it was going to be hard to contend with.
Natasha launched onto the stage in this gorgeous black floral dress, she wasted no time in getting started with “Love Like This” and my god, this woman knows how to use a stage!
She also has one of the most impressive hair tosses I’ve ever seen and spoke to the audience in frequent amounts, especially ahead of track three “Single” where she encouraged people that “you don’t need another half to feel whole” – which was met with cheers, so I think the crowd agreed!
This was definitely the biggest singalong of the day as “These Words” and “Pocketful of Sunshine” lit up the crowd and she encouraged the audience to join in.
I feel like Natasha could have comfortably had a longer slot and kept it going, but for this appearance, it was the perfect length, a sprinkle of nostalgia and it lifted everyone’s mood.
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Next up was Jake Bugg, from just down in the road in Nottingham.
Jake Bugg on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Now I was a little bit intrigued, as everytime I’ve seen Jake Bugg, he’s either been really talkative and energetic or really static and quiet, either way though, everytime I have seen him, his voice has been spot on.
This was one of those times where it felt a little bit more static, maybe because it was early in the day, but the crowd seemed a bit flat compared to other performances in the day too.
Regardless, it was a healthy balance of his big hits, including “Lightning Bolt” and “Two Fingers” as well as some of his newer material, like “All I need” and the musicianship was definitely there, just could have done with being a bit livelier (that’s just me though) but that said I do appreciate when you’re a solo artist, it can be daunting, especially on such a big stage!
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Next up for us is one I’d really been looking forward to, Heather Small!
Heather Small on T’Other Stage at Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Heather Small (original the lead singer of the M People, if you know, you know!) now doing her own thing, the dance and soul queen hit all the right notes for me this weekend, not only did she exceed my expectations (which were high in the first place!) but she absolutely smashed it out the park.
It was my first time seeing Heather live so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but she delivered a fantastic set full of energy and iconic anthems we all know and love!
She kicked off with “One Night in Heaven” and whilst it was again, a short but sweet set, it was everything I could have wanted, she definitely should have been on the main stage, as the crowd was spilling out of T’Other Tent and they were hooked! Lots of singing along, dancing and it was generally a great place to be!
I have to give her more credit than I initially did because Heather’s voice is ridiculously powerful, travelling through the tent right over towards the The Library Stage, the whole performance had absolutely no down time, it was just pure joy and big stage presence, soulful vocals and a massive party that turned T’Other Stage into one big dancefloor.
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Next up are two local bands and artists that have been making waves across the South Yorkshire media scene…
Freddie Halkon, hailing from Doncaster, took to The Leadmill Stage and he drew in an impressive crowd, it’s easy to see why he is one of the most exciting up and coming indie artists in the local area, and having being taken on by The Reytons Manager Rich Goodwin as well as being mentored by the lads themselves, he’s attracting the right attention, and it shows.
Carl Maloney managed to chat with him on the day…
Annoyingly my photos of Freddie’s set were blurry, but we saw songs like “Girl In The Smoking Area” and “Come Around Again”, which projected through The Leadmill Tent, despite his young age, Freddie offered charm and charisma throughout whilst giving real, heartfelt lyrics throughout his songs, and impressive guitar hooks that locked in the crowd.
I did manage to have a very brief but quick chat with Freddie and he came across as really grounded and genuine, a lovely lad with a lot of passion! and that also showed on stage and he was very clearly enjoying every moment, which I think can elevate any set.
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Onto The Rosadocs now and this set is following an incredible 12 months for the band, including a signing, an EP and a string of sell-out shows across the UK…
The Rosadocs on The Leadmill Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Crosfield Content
The Rosadocs have previously played Tramlines, primarily The Library Stage, which I’ve said every single time they needed to be on a bigger stage, as they always draw in a cracking crowd! but this year it was their debut on the Leadmill Stage and what a set it was! I can easily say it was one of the most electric sets of the day, walking onto a chanting crowd, it was obvious that it was going to be something special.
They kicked things off with “At Your Door”, which is a personal favourite of mine and set the tone perfectly, as it has plenty of energy, and set the precedent for the set.
Alongside “At Your Door”, was the likes of “Towards the Sun”, “No.54” and “Settle Down” to name a few, and of course their big hit “Run Away Instead” – which is the perfect finale.
Frontman Keelan Graney has so much passion and energy in his performance and the whole band Myles, Callum, Joe and Will all look like they’re having the time of their lives, which I think makes all the difference to a performance.
They’re all incredibly talented individually but also work together fantastically, which for a five-piece, can be hard to achieve.
L-R: Will Davies, Callum Raynor, Myles Henderson, Hayley Grice (not in the band!!), Keelan Graney and Joe Egan of the Rosadocs.
Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Alongside that, they’re genuinely lovely, down-to-earth lads, who expressed love for their fans and where they’re from, and the opportunities they’ve been given – they appreciate it all, which we’ll share in the interview soon!
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And now for the big one, quite possibly the most anticipated set of the weekend for most…
Rotherham’s own, The Reytons.
Jonny Yerrell – frontman of The Reytons – On the Sarah Nulty Main Stage at Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Making Tramlines history as the first unsigned band to headline the Main Stage, this was a huge moment for the band and their fans, having previous played the Tramlines Fringe back in 2017, it’s a massive step up and further proves that the lads have moved up the ranks independently and built something incredible.
My expectations were high, having witnessed the growth from Magna to Sheffield Arena to Clifton Park (and everything inbetween!) They love to put on a show, including big props, pyros and special effects, no expense is spared, so I was looking forward to seeing what they’d come up with for what was possibly their biggest audience to date.
The Reytons Opener on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage – Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
And of course they made an entrance! with a HUGE trojan horse and what I belive to be ninjas swarmed the stage for the big countdown for The Reytons presence, it was an instant hook for all.
As soon as the big entrance was done with, Jonny Yerrell, Lee Holland, Joe O’Brien and Jamie Todd all burst onto the stage with their hit “Red Smoke” – which in turn, saw a number of red pyros set off into the crowd (like most Reytons gigs!) – and giving that passion and energy that Reytons fans all know and love.
The crowd reacted to the opener “Red Smoke” at Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
They all use their stage space in the best way possible, whether it’s unique videos for each song in the backdrop, jumping around, singing and smiling at each other, it’s infectious energy and it would have kept the most shy and chilled person ready to jump about.
Speaking to the crowd after their initial couple of songs, frontman Jonny Yerrell said “We’re the Reytons from Rotherham!” and it was met with cheers and applause, as he carried on telling the crowd how much it meant to them all, and the most important thing being “whatever you do, look after each other, if someone falls, you pick them back up” before kicking into a number of hits, including “Antibiotics”, “Harrison Lesser” and “Cash In Hand and Fake ID’s” – with back to back energy from both the lads and the crowd.
Lee Holland and Jonny Yerrell – of The Reytons – On the Sarah Nulty Main Stage at Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
Part-way through the set, as as a potential medical emergency was being investigated, Jonny invited one of the crowd up to play a bit of guitar, which was the perfect distraction as security investigated.
Olly Hanley got up and played “Slice of Lime” and the crowd loved it, I think the band did too and it shows that their hard work and determination is inspiring the next generation of musicians.
Olly Hanley playing “Slice of Lime” on stage next to Joe O’Brien after catching Jonny’s attention – Photo Credit: Ollie Hanley on “The Reytons – We’re All Reytons!” group via Facebook
Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency in the crowd, and out of respect for the person involved, the set was halted whilst they got the right assistance, but if it taught us anything, it’s that The Reytons know how to handle anything thrown at them in a classy and brilliant way, it’s how show-stops should be handled – with Jonny acknowledging the crowd’s part to play in it saying “Tramlines that was f*cking beautiful. That’s how you handle that”.
They of course got straight back to it, with “Knee’s Up” off their last studio album “Ballad of a Bystander” and it was a great way to kick things back off, they also did the live debut of “Seven in Search of a Ten” to the delight of fans and kicked into their biggest hits.
“Slice of Lime” and “Broke Boys Cartel” always go down a storm and they also included “Billy Big Bollocks” a clear fan favourite, but we all knew they weren’t done yet.
Jonny Yerrell did take a minute to tell the crowd of the “Reytons’ Grassroots Foundation”, which they’ve formed to help create opportunities locally across sport, music, art, to give back to the community and give those grassroots artists and sports teams the help they wanted, which is true review to their dedication and love for their local area, which showed with the crowd’s reaction, a very touching moment for all.
Jonny also expressed how much it meant to be on the main stage and how far they’d come and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the crowd, as you could tell how much it meant to them all.
Onto the encore, which I actually decided to watch from the ferris wheel (which turned out be a fantastic decision in the end) and you could feel the energy and the love all the way from there, the lads played “On The Back Burner” and of course “Kids of the Estate” and in a surprising twist, finishing with fan favourite “Low Life” – which was received incredibly well and saw fireworks light up the skies of Hillsborough Park – an incredible thing to see.
A big firework finale for The Reytons at Tramlines 2025 – Photo Credit: Hayley Grice
And of course, it wouldn’t be a big Reyton’s gig without a little tease, the song “Que Sera Sera” blared out of the speakers as they left the stage and a graphic of the song title with “Monday 10am” lit up.
Turns out they’ve only bloody gone and booked a show in Wembley!
The Reytons are just proof that hard work, perseverance and good attitude pays off, from performing at Tramlines Fringe eight years ago to anyone who would listen, to being one of the most requested headline acts, performing to a strong-40,000 crowd who were singing their songs back to them is a credit to hwo far they’ve come and that my friends, is how you headline the main stage of a festival.
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We managed to catch up with the lads ahead of their set, they told Carl Maloney about how they felt about it all, and you can watch the video below:
Well that’s Saturday and easily the best Tramlines day to date I’d experienced, there was a definite buzz in the air as people left Hillsborough Park that evening, with a sea of Reytons football tops and band t-shirts seeping into the suburbs of Hillsborough, with groups singing Reytons tunes, laughing and joking and genuinely looking incredibly happy, it had left everyone feeling in a very positive mood and only built more excitement for the third and final day of the 2025 edition.
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