As always, I had my trusty Canon 5D Mark IV slung over my shoulder, paired with my go-to workhorse: the 24-70mm lens. Versatile enough to dance between wide crowd energy and tight performer focus without missing a beat. Nothing fancy. Nothing overthought. Just what works when instinct hits—and the stage starts breathing fire.

I wasn’t there to shoot.

Or was I?

Let’s just start there. Hardwired, a Metallica tribute band I’ve come to know and support, was taking the stage at Fake Fest—an event packed with enough amps, attitude, and throwback adrenaline to fuel a decade of chaos. I went to cheer them on. That was the plan.

But you know me. Plans break.

Somewhere between the rumble of the first riff and the crowd roaring like a beast with a thousand voices, I reached for my camera. No client. No checklist. Just instinct—that gut-pull that says, “Catch this. Don’t let it vanish.”

What followed was a night that felt like time travel and thunder all at once. Tribute bands poured their hearts into legendary sets, but for me, the lens kept drifting back to Hardwired. The lights weren’t always kind. The smoke wasn’t always placed. But the energy? The devotion?

Undeniable.

These images? They’re not clean. They’re not staged.

They’re loud, emotional, and beautifully imperfect.

Just like the music.

The Top 5

I could’ve posted them all. Believe me—I was tempted. But there’s something about restraint. About choosing the frames that hit the hardest. The ones that hold sound even when you’re staring at silence.

So here they are—my top five from that night with Hardwired at Fake Fest. No fancy edits. No fluff. Just moments frozen in sweat, smoke, and sound.

Each one says something.

Each one still echoes.

And if you’re hungry for more, the full set lives over on [Facebook].

The post I Was Just There to Support Hardwired… Until the Shutter Clicked appeared first on Through The Eyes Of a Queen.