"A breath-taking performance" - Photo by Laura Patterson
About three-quarter’s in to tonight’s set Indiana’s drummer and guitarist depart the stage leaving her and the keyboard player to play a stripped down take on Blind as I Am. It’s a breath-taking performance, the point at which you understand what Indiana is all about: transcendental devastating emotional moments that stop you in your tracks.
It’s also a notable moment as it is the first time this evening where the crowd stop talking amongst themselves and actually listen. A remarkable feat considering for the first thirty minutes of her set much of the audience seemed determined not to let Indiana’s glistening electro soul spoil their gossip session, and their chatter could be heard over the top of her delicately poised songs.
Blame the multiple glasses of wine that people were carrying; perhaps this was the excited clamour of people attending their first gig; or maybe Indiana has now reached that point, fuelled by online buzz articles and fashion magazine features, where people now attend her shows just to post a selfie on Instagram and hashtag that they were there without caring for the artist or her music? Either way, when someone is pouring out their heart for you on stage, the least you can do is lend them your ears and listen.
"Nottingham lads who add subtlety and flavour to Indiana’s songs" - Photo by Laura Patterson
Representing the other side of Indiana’s character, Blind as I Am is followed by Mess Around’s electro squelch that is pumped and primed ready to flex its moves on the dancefloor. One of her harder hitting numbers with glacial synths breaking out of the emotional detritus.
The last couple of times I’ve seen Indiana perform was last year at Dot To Dot and Splendour, and at both of those performances her band consisted of London session musos who made her sound like Depeche Mode attempting to play in a library. They’ve fortunately been kicked to the kerb and have been replaced by a crack team of Nottingham-based lads who add subtlety and flavour to Indiana’s songs. She debuts a newie early-on in the shape of No Romeo and it’s the sound of the lass from Long Eaton now ready to take on the world.
She ends the night, after awarding herself a well-deserved encore, with Solo Dancing, the song that is likely to break her in to the mainstream conscience. Tonight its catchy as hell chorus rams itself straight through my ears and in to my brain, and when I’m back home having a cuppa waiting for Match of the Day to start I find myself humming it - if that isn’t the sign of a pop smash, I don’t know what is.
Indiana performed at Rescue Rooms on Saturday 12 April 2014.
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