Dougie Payne (bass): “We were just talking about whether this year Travis pip Biffy Clyro for most number of appearances. But we think we’re level at nine. ”
Fran Healy (singer, guitarist): “When it all went bananas for the band in 1999, 2000, we were going out playing every night slam-dunking it, playing it like it was our last gig. We still do that to some extent. We’ve been touring the world all this year but now we’re in festival season, which is a lovely thing. Most of the people who come to see you at festivals don’t come to Travis shows, and they’re not necessarily gig-goers – they’re festival-goers, so you get this nice conversion thing happening a lot of the time. And this is the first festival we’re doing this year – I can’t wait.
Payne: “If I think back to us headlining T in 2000, I have one clear memory. The main set had gone by in a blur, and we went off, and we’re about to go back on and do an encore. And Franny says: ‘You go on and do Just The Faces Change on your own…’ This is a b-side I’d written. And I was like, ‘what?!’ The next thing I’m being handed a guitar and I’m walking out on my own going, ‘er, here’s a song you don’t know…’ In retrospect, it was very funny but at the time it was sh*t-your-pants scary.
Healy: “T in the Park has been really important to our band. You have that T in the Park apprenticeship, where you start on the ground floor and you work your way up. And we’ve been there. And what’s also special about this festival more than any other is that the people behind it, not only do they do T in the Park, they’re concert promoters. They go out of their way to help new talent. They bring them by putting them on a wee stage and giving them their first shot. They book them into King Tut’s in Glasgow, like they did with us, and you bring all your family and friends and force people to come see you. And then once you get it rolling, they stay with you, and they’re still with us. T In The Park and the people behind it are our family.