LIVE REPORT: Indiependence

A much-loved fixture of the August Bank Holiday weekend on the festival calendar, Indiependence celebrated its 10th birthday in style. The mixture of mud and monsoon-like showers didn’t dampen the spirits as 8,000 music lovers flocked to Deer Park to catch some great live sounds nestled under the majestic Galtee Mountains.
Singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti was one of Friday’s first highlights, showcasing tracks from his latest record Written In Scars on the Big Top Stage. His gravelly tones engulfed the tent as he belted out the likes of ‘Home’ and the rhythm and bass fuelled ‘Tie Me Down’ with supreme confidence and panache.
Two-time Choice Music Prize winners Jape truly entranced on the Main Stage with an impressive combination of dazed vocals and vibrant synths in signature track. Selections from this year's very fine This Chemical Sea went down a treat, with Richie Egan taking the opportunity to indulge in a spot of crowd-surfing during 'The Heart's Desire'.
The Main Stage was soon mobbed as headliners Basement Jaxx made their entrance. Opening their set with famous anthems ‘Never Say Never’ and ‘Red Alert’, the British dance duo proceeded to blare out tunes from across their extensive, formidable back catalogue. Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton’s thrillingly schizophrenic mix was an excellent example of how Indiependence continue to cater for fans of all genres, not just the indie rockers.
While the light drizzle never relented on the Friday, day two seemingly delivered all four seasons, as rain showers followed sweltering sunshine. A proclaimed lover of Indiepedence’s intimate country vibe, Roisin O’s mixture of rock and folk genres lit up the Main Stage on Saturday evening.
For something completely different, All Tvvins turned up the electro-pop energy. ‘Thank You’ encouraged moshing from the crowd while the ice cold ‘Too Young To Love’ showed off the band’s fresh fretwork and vocal prowess. From there, it only took a brief dash to the Big Top to catch rising folk duo Little Hours – the beauty of Indie’s intimate setting. John Doherty’s vocals entranced and echoed through the air for key track ‘It’s Still Love’ and ‘Tired’. A real highlight of the weekend.
Ash were unfortunately not 100% for their headline set, as Tim Wheeler’s sore throat meant that the ‘Shining Light’ singer could only perform five songs, leaving many fans frustrated.
HamsandwicH took it upon themselves to save the day, as the Meath chart-toppers moved their set from the Big Top to rock the Main Stage. It was a fitting, well-earned slot and setting for a band who has played the festival solidly for its decade-long existence.
With rumours doing the rounds that Ed Sheeran was in town to support his mates Kodaline on Sunday, anticipation for the closing act was at fever pitch.
Earlier, young guns The Academic lifted the Main Stage with their summer anthem ‘Different’ while Hermitage Green proved to be another homegrown crowd-pleaser.
From there, fans made their way in droves to the festival’s Main Stage to catch Kodaline... and possibly a cameo from a certain flame-haired singer-songwriter?
Exploding into life with ‘Ready’, Kodaline journeyed passionately through some of their biggest hits, including 'High Hopes', 'Honest' and 'The One', before finishing their set with the poignant ‘All I Want’ as a sea of iPhones lit up the arena. No Ed, but no complaints at the end of a weekend where everything from Irish indie and folk to synth-pop and dance united gloriously under one banner.