photos by Steve Gunn

For all the outrage, you've got to admire these guys: lanky, long haired Nat (Nathaniel Motte) and chiselled Sean (Foreman) who make up 3OH!3 (pronounced 3 -0-3, their area code back in Boulder, Colorado).  Not bad for two physics students from the University of Colorado. In fact, pretty Einstein. Taking all the elements MTV and advertising have used to shove their varying messages down our throats, they've created an irreverent bold sound, spawning hits featuring Katy Perry and Ke$ha, with their fusion of electro, emo and hip hop.

Known for their hits 'Don't Trust Me' and 'Starstruckk', they soon had the King Tuts Wah Wah tent heaving; the overflow of people were even dancing outside.  They are just as audacious and fun in their live shows. If punk needs aggro and an element of fun and satire, this is America's closest to it post-Green Day. And hot dance moves always require aggro and not too much niceness. It's the tension, you see.  So yeah, feel very afraid when you hear those terrible lines: 'Shush, girl, shut your lips. Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips.' It's not P.C. nor particularly poetic but in King Tuts Wah Wah tent, it was definitely the hips of both the guys and the gals that were doing the talking.

Straight off the stage, sweaty but delirious with the crowd's response, they talked about T in the Park 2010.

Your first time at TITP. How do you feel about Scottish audiences?

Nat: 'One of the best audiences in the world. This is the best ever festival show we’ve played. We played Glasgow in November last year but this was even better. Within one show, we went from 1500 kids to a rammed full tent.'

What is the biggest influence on your music?

Sean: 'We just try to make it fun rather than being dependent on any musical scene.  We want to have a proper exchange between us and the audience and for them to have a totally fun time.  We don’t want people to feel like they have to try to fit in with a scene or to understand what we’re about. We want them to let loose and enjoy themselves.  We like a variety of music.  I like tribe music, hip hop.'

Nat: 'We write songs that are cool to us, innovative.'

Who would you pay to see perform and why?

Nat: 'I’d pay to see Florence and the Machine. I want to see her perform live.  I have an obsession with the female voice.'

Sean: 'I’d pay to see Broken Bows.'

If you have a creative vision, what is it?

Nat: 'That in there was the creative vision. To have a tent full of people having  fun with their hands in the air, having a good time.'