I guess it would come as no surprise that this was the talk of the festival. The Hidden Cameras were one of the headliners – a band I have long (and unfairly) put off listening to properly. I’ve heard the singles, thought they were pretty good.. and then decided to devote my pre-Indietracks listening to Herman Dune, Crystal Stilts and Edwyn Collins. A shame, because out of all of them, Hidden Cameras have ended up becoming my favourite (well.. maybe Crystal Stilts).
On the Saturday, Hidden Cameras had been given the sub-headlining slot, just before Edwyn Collins. A source from Team Indietracks revealed to me that this was due to time constrictions – ideally they would have headlined different days. Help Stamp Out Loneliness had some technical issues, with the lead guitar stuttering halfway through the set. Then, suddenly, during Record Shop (one of their best songs!), all power suddenly cut to the main stage. No lights, no amps, nothing.
Thankfully they managed to get the main stage up and running again, for the rest of their set. Afterwards, Hidden Cameras were due to play. A large crowd gathered on the hill ready for them to play, but worse things were to come. They slipped past their due time, ten minutes, then twenty, then more. Eventually, Andy from Pocketbooks announced (without a microphone) that the main stage generator malfunctioned, and that there would be a change of schedule – everyone being moved inside. Massive confusion and disappointment in the crowd. At least everyone would be playing, but the inside stage isn’t as good for large amounts of people, and we’d have to wait til 11pm for Hidden Cameras. Rubbish.
Then, out of the goodness of their hearts, The Hidden Cameras said (I’m paraphrasing) – fuck it, we’ll play anyway.
With their powerful vocals and their orchestral instruments, they did what few bands could, and played to hundreds acoustically. They didn’t have to do that. At Indietracks, nobody blamed the band, or the organisers, they had a plan and nobody would be let down. Still, they delivered a stunning impromptu mini-set in addition to their full set later. The crowd became silent in appreciation, at their dogged refusal to let circumstances ruin the evening. It’s a true testament to their showmanship – I think they just love playing live, and played just because they could. Only at Indietracks, eh?
