Toddla T Hits Tramlines Festival

Sheffield’s reputation in the steel and metallurgy industry is one possibly only rivalled by that of its musical contributions to the world. From the experimental electronic works of Cabaret Voltaire from the late seventies onwards, which took in everything from techno to dub and house through the sharp social commentary of erudite lyricists such as Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys there is probably a record in everyone’s collection that found life in South Yorkshire.

Another special something that has fast gained a reputation in the city of steel is Tramlines Festival, and in particular Sheffield DJ Toddla T’s dance night, which even after moving to the larger venue of The Octagon in 2010 still saw people queuing for up to four hours on the night.

This year that particular night promises to be the biggest yet, as Toddla has teamed up with Red Bull Studios Live to bring his dream line-up, guaranteed to generate queues of road block proportions.

Alongside the man himself, whose newest project The Toddla T Sound which features MCs DRS and Serocee along with vocalist Shola Ama, there will also be the unrelenting energy of Benga & Youngman, Numbers head honcho Jackmaster, RinseFM stalwart DJ Oneman, Julio Basmore, L-Vis 1990; one half of influential Night Slugs label’s curators and T Williams, who also recently got selected for the Red Bull Music Academy in New York, so if you’ve yet to hear about him expect to soon. That’s not even half of the acts Toddla has selected for the event either, so make sure you check the Tramlines Festival website for the full ensemble.

The Red Bull Studios Live & Toddla T stage fires up early at 12pm and runs all the way through til 4am at the Sheffield Student’s Union Concourse & Octagon Centre. It’s free, it’s guaranteed to be a smash and it’s guaranteed to be rammed, so get some dancing shoes and get yourself to Sheffield early for another sample of the Steel City party style.

www.tramlines.org.uk