6 days ago
Cape Breton musicians save the day after Sloan's gear doesn't show up
Tony Leudy and Stephen Campbell lent their gear to Sloan during Red Farm Field Trip music festival. (CTV Atlantic/Katie Kelly)
The first-ever Red Farm Field Trip music festival wrapped up with a bang in Cape Breton, thanks to some last-minute local heroics that helped keep the show on the road.
Canadian rock legends Sloan were set to headline Sunday night's performance in Howie Centre, N.S., but just hours before taking the stage, they found themselves without their gear. While the band made it to Cape Breton, their equipment didn't.
'My phone was blowing up,' said Stephen Campbell, a local musician. 'I had about seven different people calling and texting me, asking if I had any gear on this list.'
Campbell and fellow musician Tony Leudy were two of the locals who quickly stepped in to help, answering the call from organizers who were scrambling to find replacements.
'They said 'Sloan's gear didn't arrive. Do you have anything?'' Campbell said. 'And I was like, 'I have pretty much all of it.''
Gear
The gear Tony Leudy and Stephen Campbell loaned to Sloan. (Source: Stephen Campbell)
Within the hour, Campbell had packed up bags of guitar pedals, guitars, straps, picks and strings and raced to the festival grounds to help set up.
The generosity didn't go unnoticed. Sloan gave mid-set shout-outs to the local crew who saved the show, turning a potential cancellation into an unforgettable night.
'It was pretty cool,' said Campbell. 'I'd grown up listening to them, and then looking up on stage and they're playing your guitars and pedals - it was amazing.'
Campbell is a member of RG Schaller and the Peacemakers, who have several upcoming shows including a spot at Rock the Fiddle.
