Well, its that time of year again. If its March it must be spring break and lucky old me must be propping up a bar in Austin, red-eyed from lack of sleep, clutching a Margarita or a Shiner Bock (It鈥檚 a beer) and reflecting that there are a lot worse ways to make a living.
"I watch a monkey on a border collie round up some sheep and we all smell slightly of cows for the rest of the day."
We arrive late Tuesday, make a determined last minute assault on the hotel bar and fall into a fitful jet-lagged sleep accompanied by the relentless blast of shock-jocks and adverts for people who鈥檒l clean up after your dog if you鈥檙e just too lazy to do it yourself.
Wednesday morning, it鈥檚 off to Kris Kristofferson鈥檚 hotel to meet a bona-fide living legend who at 69 is still looking and sounding good and still mad as hell about a variety of
righteous causes. Next it鈥檚 a little chat with that lovely Norfolk lass Beth
Orton and then off to the Star Of Texas Fair and Rodeo. Amongst the food on
offer are gigantic footballs of Wisconsin cheese in batter which make even a
Wigan pie-eater like me feel smug about his diet. A cowboy makes me a big
pot of stew, I watch a monkey on a border collie round up some sheep and we
all smell slightly of cows for the rest of the day.
Wednesday night, we only get in to the massively oversubscribed Bell and Sebastian gig at Stubbs barbecue because Stuart Murdoch himself is walking by and vouches for us to a recalcitrant bouncer. Then thanks to some help from the boys from Gomez and Chip from Waterloo records we blag out way into the VIP area. That鈥檚 right, there are actually more important people in the
world than Radio 2. Unthinkable. A great gig though, so thanks everyone.
This morning, my duties include doing a great drivetime show for y鈥檃ll in the UK, interviewing the wonderful Morrissey and getting rid of my headache. I鈥檒l see you tomorrow.
It was a busy, bustling day at the SXSW. Festival. It started for me in an empty room in the convention centre, unable to find the registering desks. Once found and having got the Bag of Information, it was off to wtch the first bands of the day (after a few tasty tacos of course).
"Cambodian LA pop isn't something you get to hear every day unfortunately."
The Herms make spiky, American rock which was a good way to start the day. They played in a venue called Emo's, which has three stages, one big one which is half inside and half out, a smaller one inside, and the annex which is in a marquee opposite the main one. It's quite strange at times standing in what isn't quite a room, and yet isn't quite a barn either.
Brighton's The Mutts are excellent live, and are currently on an American tour. Earlier today a policeman had warned them they were very naughty boys for drinking on a pavement and for parking on a kerb. This didn't put them off the gig though: they were ace.
Cambodian LA pop isn't something you get to hear every day unfortunately, so it was a treat to see Dengue Fever in action, bringing something nicely different to the day of mostly bands.
Norway's Serena Maneesh played a very good gig, also in Emo's, while Goldrush, here with their Truck Records label, overcame microphone problems (ie-not working for half a song), and were very enjoyable.
Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly won new friends tonight at Buffalo Billiards, a venue which also makes mean cheeseburgers, has a million pool tables, and is everything an American hanging out place should be. He's political, honest, melodic and has great songs, which will win him loads more fans in the near future.
Why? Make beautiful, light, odd and strangely engaging hip pop songs, and it was a pleasure to see them play a set which involved a glockenspiel. Yes my friends, a glockenspiel. It would have been a pleasure to have seen a certain hip hop trio who like to shake their rump and fight for rights to have a bit of a party, who were rumoured to play the Fox and Hounds, but it was a 'no show' as they say.
I missed Lesbians on Ecstasy today sadly, and missed a lot of bands who played. That's what you have to accept at SXSW - you can't see everyone that's playing. But maybe you can tomorrow.
Wow! From Houston's empty skyscrapers to Austin's crazy bars, and bustling energy, it was like arriving on a film set yesterday when I finally touched down on Austin's famous 6th street, a proper 21Century Western, only the sheriffs walk around in shorts and T's here!
"... then Huw S's gets a gem of a call saying that there's a secret Beastie Boys concert down a few blocks... the excitement is at fever pitch"
Thanks to the Margaritas and bands, bands, bands, it got dark really early. But so far, so bad, I wasn't convinced by most of what I'd watched during the early afternoon spent at Emo's annex, seeing Magneta Lane (girl rock band), The Mutts (a bit like the Hives), The Slip (cheesy American rock), and the Huw S recommended Dengue Fever with their Cambodian singer (funk band with warbling singer), and a brief visit to Tagworld to see the Skeletons (what could happen should Shakin' Stevens front a psychedelic rock band), but things soon picked up when I accidentally found Austin band I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, playing in an outdoor barn-type venue. I say 'accidentally' as the programme of events spins me out every time I look at it!
After a baffling hour long trek to try and hook up with Mogwai (there was nine of us at the mercy of Vic Galloway from the session in Scotland) we made it back to see the newly signed Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly! It wasn't what I was expecting at all, seeing as most solo artists with guitars and laptops play up the shambling low-fi of loops and samples - a style I'm very fond of - but here was a young man, with a polished full sound running around the stage with gusto! He's about to play some dates with Funeral for a Friend and I'm convinced that he'll definitely live up to the task.
Then we watch a band called Why, who were marvellously entertaining, featuring a former member of Clouddead for the trainspotters out there, ... then Huw S's gets a gem of a call saying that there's a secret Beastie Boys concert down a few blocks... the excitement at fever pitch, a whole load of us squeeze on the courier bikes, running down some streets... only to hear that the stage in front of us with 3 microphones poised will not be graced by the fabulous BBs. It was already the early hours of the morning by now so glumly I head home, well not too glum obviously!
