The day when camera obscura came to my town

By Epin Hervin

21 Mar 2010

Camera Obscura, the last performers on LA Lights Indie Fest. Festive Sound, which was held at Sasana Budaya Ganesha, Bandung city, West Java, Indonesia, South East Asia, March 20th, 2010

Like a dream come true, Camera Obscura come to my town. Perhaps, this is the once in a lifetime chance, so I'm very imbecile if I missed this. Eventhough I came alone by myself to this gigs, I don't care. For Camera Obscura, I'll do everything!!!

The check sound is nearly an hour. But I'm still patient. When Camera Obscura was played, it's worthwile. Great job from the technician!!! Oh, no. My slide film is full, I should loaded a new film. NO.... I missed them in early songs for rolling my film, put it out from my fish eye's

and loaded my expired film.

Camera Obscura was bigger in my town. People sing along almost in every songs. But, for me their peak performance was in their last songs of the gigs, "Razzle Dazzle Rose". Carey typing fastly on her nord electric 3 and the way she plays it reminds me of Ludwig Van Beethoven!!!

Before that, TracyAnne said thanks to us because a lot of us keep message on Carey (the gatekeeper of their myspace :) and she tried to said thanks in our language, but she can't. Then Kenny McKieve, the guitarist said "Terimakasih" (Thank You) in funny accent. The crowd were clapping their hands on him.

Best gigs is over. But I want to take a photo with them. Slowly I come closer to their dressing room.

Unfortunately, I'm not alone. So I have to (again and again and again and again) waiting on them patiently.

When the time was coming for me to face to face with them, this is the dialogue between me and Carey.

Me : "Carey, I'm message you on myspace."

Carey : (Looking at my eyes) "Oh, thank you, yeah. Thanks."

(We are at 5 seconds quiet situations)

Me : (Trying to break the ice) "So, why you don't bring your vinyl album here?"

Carey : "Ohhh, it's so heavy. We couldn't fly it to here. But you can buy it on line."

Me : "But, I don't have a credit card (Oh, no. Did I said something wrong? Carey's face look like confusing. I never wanted to have a credit card, because in Indonesia, the reputation of the credit card's debt collector is worst than the useful of the credit card it self.)

Oh, My God Allah Subhanahuwata'Ala, I forgot, there are a lot of fans who still queue behind me. So I have finished chat with Carey and take a photo with her.)

Then I'm take a photo with TracyAnne. I'm not talking much to her, because the security forced me to move quickly. After that, I still wait for them, it's like don't wanna say goodbye moment.

At the beginning the security was angry at me. But I'm trying to talk to him. He looks tired. He grabbed one of stick drum and beat it slowly but sure at the table besides where the band member were stands.

Lee Thomson, the drummer, who stands in front of him, attract by his drum stick bite sounds on the table. And this is the short chat between them:

Lee : "Are you playing drums?" (he move his hand like he did at the stage before)

The security : (shaking his head, the sign of "yes.")

Then Lee look back at the fans who still queue to take a photo with them.

The security mumbling with himself about the crazy fans who take a long time for taking a photo.

I could understand, because tomorrow, Camera Obscura should come to Jogjakarta city (about 12 hours by car from Bandung city. But, I'm sure they will take a flight) so they should take a rest as soon as possible. (lucky you, Jogja people. The are not in a hurry when their finish a gigs in your city, so you have a long time with them ;p)

And the security who was did their great job this time

looks very tired too. So, I'm trying to be polite on him. This is my (short) chat (too) with him.

Me : "Nanti malam mereka langsung ke Jogja ya pak?" ("Tomorrow, their went to Jogja, right, sir?")

The security : (shaking his head, the sign of "yes." again :)

Then, I saw this great opportunity after the security was not look in anger to me again. I'm trying to talk to Lee, the drummer :

Me : "Excuse me sir, do you know Au Revoir Simone?"

Lee : "Yeah, we had a toured with them." (Yes, he wanted to talk to me. Lucky me, because he and other guys member were stands behind the female member, whom was the most highly demanding member to take a photo with the fans, so I could talk to Lee in a relaxing situation ;)

Me : "Could you promoted to them to come to Bandung?"

Lee : "Oh, told them to come here? Sure, of course." (Oh, he was so friendly)

Me : "Where do you had a tour with them? in US? in Japan?"

Lee : "No, we met in London." (Ha ha, I forgot that Camera Obscura are from Scotland. Of course their met in Britain ;P)

Me : (Trying to remembered Au Revoir Simone's London's photo that I've downloaded from the net) "Where, in Union Chapel?"

Lee : "No, in a place called Koko."

Me : "Oh, yeah, Koko." (I remembered that place ;p) "I heard that Heather is going back to college."

Lee : (Get up his two hands, the sign of "I don't know") "Well maybe."

Me : "They are my favorite band, they are the best. So, please told them to come to here. And I love your gigs tonight. Please come here again next year."

Lee : "Yeah, I will. Maybe Au Revoir Simone would come to Jakarta next year."

Me : (Shocking) "What? Jakarta? Not in here? In Bandung?"

Lee : "I don't know. Whatever. In Jakarta or in here." (Oh My God Allah Subhanahuwata'Ala, did I said something wrong before? I hope it's just because of the miss interpretation language between me and the drummer :)

Me : "So, thank you very much sir. Please don't forget to told Au Revoir Simone to come to Bandung. Goodbye" (Waving my hand on him.)

Lee : "Ok, thanks. I will." (With his friendly smiling face)

But it's so hard for my heart to went home. I'm still waiting for them until all of the fans have finished meet and greet "accidentally" (;p) with them. One by one the band member were going inside of their dressing room.

But, I'm understand if the concert organizer were not held

after gigs meet & greet, because Camera Obscura was "band on the run" to the next gigs at Jogja, tomorrow night.

But, I have to give them four thumbs up, two thumbs up to Camera Obscura who treat their fans professionally adorable great marvelous; and the others two thumbs up was giving to the LA Lights Indie Fest Festive Sound 2010's concert organizer, who could flight them to my town and didn't want to disappointing all the fans with held this great "accidentally" meet & greet.

Camera Obscura - Razzle Dazzle Rose: http://www.vimeo.com/10595834

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8 responses

Samuel Burroughs gave props (21 Mar 2010):
i like Camera Obscura
Epin Hervin said (21 Mar 2010):
Me too. Thanks for comment & vote, Samuel :)
Anton Mulya Siregar gave props (30 Mar 2010):
cool
Epin Hervin said (31 Mar 2010):
Makasih sudah berkomentar, mas Anton :)
pandji alfi (Deleted) said (10 Apr 2010):
man, your english is horrible.
Epin Hervin said (12 Apr 2010):
Makasih Pandji. kemampuan bahasa inggris saya memang buruk, tidak seperti anda yang mahir berbahasa inggris.
Giselle Goloy gave props (24 Jun 2010):
Wow, you saw Camera Obscura! Cool.
Epin Hervin said (25 Jun 2010):
Yes, I think I'm lucky, because the ticket is very very reasonable price for unemployee like me. Anyway, thanks for comment, Giselle