I arrived in Austin from Los Angeles operating on literally one hour of sleep, and headed straight for the convention centre for the cluster fuck that is conference registration. After receiving my truckload of flyers and SXSW information, and having all of my possessions tagged as ‘press’ I was finally deemed as ‘ready’ to hit some shows. One thing that gradually became clear throughout the week – even in the first couple of days – was the general disdain (at least amongst the bands of more maligned sub-genres) for the industry focus of the week. Free day time shows that were not SXSW sponsored generally found these sentiments on the sleeves of a lot of the hardcore or punk bands playing, notably by The Bronx, Ruiner (who were not playing any official showcases) and Gallows. Concerns regarding the playing of all ages shows and supporting artists rather than the industry beaurocrats seemed to be at the forefront of the criticisms or at the butt of jokes.
Welcome to Texas, asshole.Day One. These beads of sweat feel like a flood.
My very first stop was the famous Emo’s venue on Wednesday afternoon for a Solid PR party, (which is what they called the day time shows with no cover charge - something to do with licensing laws in Texas) which featured Trash Talk, The Bronx, Young Widows and Annihilation Time. Thanks to the infallible Austin traffic, I only got there in time to catch the last few songs of Young Widows and then the tornado that is The Bronx live. Despite missing a couple of amazing bands, The Bronx still made for a great start to my week, and played relentlessly in the stifling heat of the venue. By that night, the dichotomy between these free, unsponsored day shows and the ‘official’ showcases was clear, the biggest difference being the number of stage dives at each kind of show. I didn’t get to see another show in the Emo’s small room, however I can’t imagaine it ever looking quite as energised or chaotic as The Bronx had that afternoon. Later on I headed to the Suicide Squeeze showcase, where These Arms Are Snakes would later headline, and I would miss due to my extreme fatigue. At this early hour, however, I was lucky enough to catch hip-hop act Champagne Champagne. Their beats were equal parts analogue and digital, powered by various pedals, a mac, vocoder and melodica. Lyrically the song centred around girls and sex, but not with the usual braggadocio or misogyny usually found, at least in mainstream hip-hop (which this definitely was not). Technically, their verses weren’t noticeably skilful, but the overall sound was original enough to provide an engaging and energetic set.
After this I headed over to Emo’s main room, were my SXSW experience may have peaked a little early. My first night there, I had the fortune to see two punk rock legends. H.R. of Bad Brains playing a set of punk and reggae informed rock with his young band, followed by Circle Jerks. During CJ’s set, vocalist Keith Morris was another musician to question the true motives or priorities of the festival, and praised U.K. band Gallows for their non-bullshit attitude towards music. Whilst not being overly aggressive in his statements directed at any business minded individuals attending the conference, his implications were clear. H.R. on the other hand was much more blunted (obviously), and cruised through his set despite the cries of dissent from Bad Brains purists in the crowd. Both sets, whilst being unquestionably amazing, seemed to be a little lost in the context of a festival that seemed to be preoccupied with the ‘next big thing’, rather than the musical foundations that were built by living legends.
Day Two. The Truth Is Here.
Cursive, Radio Room.
Gallows, Dirty Dog.I accidentally stumbled into the Red 7 venue and caught someone I had only recently been introduced to, The Tallest Man On Earth, a solo artist from Sweden. Seeing his songs played live was a truly transcendent experience. I can only hope his understated performances and Dylan-esque songs did not get lost in the sea of new artists playing at the night time showcases. I had a bit of downtime on this day, and thus was able to wander around catching random sets here and there, and after TTMOE, I stumbled across the UK’s Gallows, who had set up on the floor of a bar with fans crowded around them in no particular order or frame. As I said, they had some unfavourable opinions on the industry-types doing the rounds at SXSW, which were zealously expressed at this non-SXSW day show. Their show was electric and organic, with the combination of their no bullshit, say-what-you-think attitude and all the sweat and blood (actual blood) that punk has been missing recently, and that often is completely non-existent at events like this.
Eyedea & Abilities, Habana.Later on that night was the event I had been hanging out for on a very personal level. It was the Rhymesayers showcase, featuring such Midwestern acts as Brother Ali, POS, Eyedea and Abilities and a host of other fantastic, left of centre emcees. One such guy, who I had been aware of for years but never searched out was I Self Divine, whose set was as inspirational as it was seething with earnest anger. His energy was almost tangible in the air, and technically he was faultless. He was followed by a personal favourite of mine from a few years ago, the emcee-DJ duo Eyedea and Abilities. I hadn’t heard a thing of these guys for about four or five years until tonight, and things have certainly changed for them. While still remaining stooped in the art of DJing, there are obvious influences of soul and indie rock coming through in their newer material, and Eyedea’s verses are becoming more complex and poetic. Their set definitely planted the seeds of anticipation for their new album.
POS, Habana.
Brother Ali, Habana.
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