SXSW
Wednesday
CANADIAN PARTY (Marquee opposite the Convention Center, afternoon)
The Golden Dogs - good
Pilate - very good. Owing more than a little debt to U2. http://www.pilate.com/
Magneta Lane - http://www.magnetalane.com/ pretty young girls (well, gorgeous, in fact) which in itself seems to have qualified them as some kind of Next Big Thing deserving of our attention - fair enough, really, though the music was a bit crap.
Swollen Members - (c)rap. is this stuff for real?
EXODUS (large, rather unpleasant, pub type venue)
8pm Richard Julian "One of the best songwriters and record makers I've heard in a very long time."Randy Newman.
"Richard just knocks me out. Some of the coolest, smartest and original music I've heard in years." Bonnie Raitt
"I can't remember anything about this geezer's performance. Bland in the extreme, if that's not an oxymoron" The Paper.
9pm Colin Herring. Kind of a Ryan Adams-in-country-mode copyist wannabe. Band competent enough, though predictable and cliched. CH, a rather annoying on-stage persona, all shades, drawl and chewing gum from this apparently world weary 18 year old.
10pm Amos Lee. Another annoying bloke. Strumming an acoustic guitar. Jack Johnson type thing. Seems to be some kind of heart-throb judging by the idiot whooping of the 20 something female contingent.
11pm World Party - for it was he that we were there for blog buddies - disappointing though obviously great that Mr W is back with us after a 5 year hiatus. Gig at Shep Bush Empire c2000 - Dumbing Up tour - was among best gigs ever been to - this was all acoustic, Karl W + 1 other acoustic guitar + mandolin/violin. It needed some drums, man. Rather loose and unpolished and didn't do it for me, even though the set list was great, perhaps mainly as I was jet-lagged and irritated by the crap views to be had in this rather dismal venue.
Thursday
CONVENTION CENTER
1.15pm Morrissey interviewed by David Fricke of Rolling Stone. Excellent all round really. Usual caustic observations and put-downs of deserving targets.
WATERLOO RECORDS
3pm The Go Team. Only caught their last 5 minutes. Pretty damn excellent though. What you call 'infectious'.
4pm Time out : Whole foods grocery store cum restaurant opposite Waterloo Records. New store just opened surpasses even the excellence of their previous store. Handily located across from Book People too.
5pm Wolfmother. Led Zep hair-based antics. Ok.
AUSTIN MUSIC HALL - BBC RADIO 2 BRITISH MUSIC SHOWCASE
6pm start waiting in line for the 6.30 doors open. Queue of maybe 200. Not a problem as venue capacity is well in the thousands. Non-badge holders must've got in fine, as the place never got more than 75% full all night.
7pm Zutons. Revelation of the festival for me. I'd always been kind of annoyed at their fey/quirky act on that 'You Will, You Won't'. But what d'ya know, they're a proper rock band, with great songs, musicianship and rock n roll attitude de nos jours of which The Paper wholly approves. Even the previously irritating snake-hipped antics of the brunette sax player/vocalist somehow now appealed to the jaded palate of your humble narrator. The drummer was a cross between Ginger Baker and a permed Rory Liffey about to turn into a werewolf, all snarls. Truly a hero for our times.
7.45pm Corinne Bailey Rae. Announced by compere Stuart Maconie as having sold 300,000 copies of her album in the last few weeks, unknown to this Yank crowd. Not exactly unpleasant, but .... well, you know.
8.15pm Richard Hawley. Recall him as excellent on TV. Disappointed. All rather flat and insipid (well I suppose that was the style). Engaging affable character though.
9.30pm Morrissey. Yeah, good. Some of the new songs not too convincing though.
11.15pm Surprise guest act Ray Davies fails to show after supposedly falling out with Morrissey's crew backstage.
12.15am Goldfrapp. Hmm, what is this all about eh? Bland rubbish really.
Friday
WATERLOO RECORDS (SHOP)
2pm. Beth Orton. Yeah, pretty ok. Felt the songs might grow on me if I gave them the chance, though unlikely to change my world kiddies.
3pm KT Tunstall. Is it right that her albums have sold so well? Not sure about that. Anyway, yeah, she's pretty ok.
4pm Whole foods revisited.
ANOTHER VENUE
10pm The Beautiful New Born Children. London-based I believe. Described by Time Out as ‘full speed, heroically lo-fi punk’. They are confused in my mind with the next band, Putney-based Archie Bronson Outfit. Both created a shockingly dreadful noise of no merit whatsoever.
11pm Archie Bronson Outfit. Yeah, quite good... no, only joking, shockingly dreadful, see above.
12am Arctic Monkeys, for it was they that we were there for, blog buddies. Yeah excellent really. Swirling dervish hoodie antics left fast-thinning Yank industry crowd mystified and totally distressed.
Saturday
VELVET SPADE
Afternoon. Cool ultra-small venue, beer garden type set-up outside, plus groovy interior space. 'NY2LON ' afternoon show, lucky to blag entry by schmoozing fellow-queueing, bona-fide guest listers. A mix of New York and London up-and-comings. Editors rained off as gear got soaked. Charlatans succeeded under clearer skies with minor technical hitches of a damp-based nature. They'd never registered with me except as a name bandied about among Manchester mathematicians in the mid 80s. But they struck me as excellent and entirely endearing in their middle aged pomp.
ETERNAL
Nice small scale pub type venue.
10pm Lisa Germano. Very nice songstress of the Joan As Police Woman school. Piano-based, striking.
11pm Martha Wainwright. For it was her that we were there blog buddies. Well, this was a 50 minute orgasm basically. To be 5 feet or so from The Goddess herself, performing flawlessly with minimalist bass and drums accompaniment, a perfect set, all songs from the album, no messing or experimenting, guttural sweatiness, Tequilas. YESSSS!!
EXODUS
12am Nine Black Alps. These are apparently a popular combo from the North of England. A straight replica of Nirvana basically, a handicap which they never really began to overcome.
BLENDER BALCONY AT THE RITZ
1am Black Moses. High Octane Rawk n Roll. A feeling of stepping out of the main festival into the 'fringe'. Sparsely populated small banked-table-seating venue. The hint of true rock n roll bravado cutting through all the niceness and corporatism generally pervading the entire festival. Which was nice. But - and this is the first time I've ever said this blog buddies - and I've happily tarried awhile at Motorhead and Manowar gigs (Battle Hymns - what an album - www.manowar.com "It was then that Manowar entered the Guinness Book Of World Records as the world's loudest band".) TOO BLEEDIN LOUD!!! My companion was able to wear the ear plugs kindly provided in the badge holder's goodie bag on the first day. Otherwise it would've been a v swift exit. Anyway, about 4 songs only. Good stuff, but yes, too loud indeed.
EXODUS
1.30 am Charlatans. Scheduled for 1 am. Join queue and get swept into venue by mini tide of people. It seems band is just about to start. They've been delayed. Now seems this mini tide is the band's entourage entering the backstage area. Heavy set, long haired bearded band manager type, of Peter Grant like stature and mien, yanks me back outside the door saying 'he's not with the band'. Good sense prevails, and I am granted admission anyway as band strikes up to repeat their session of the afternoon. Yeah, not bad at all, this lot.
SUMMING UP
Overall a good experience. Would go again, but wouldn't shell out $525 for the all areas access badge, would just pay cover charges at the door - seems this can get you into most things, and if not, then worthwhile to explore some of the lesser known venues/acts anyway. Free and open-to-all afternoons at Waterloo Records very worthwhile for starters.
CANADIAN PARTY (Marquee opposite the Convention Center, afternoon)
The Golden Dogs - good
Pilate - very good. Owing more than a little debt to U2. http://www.pilate.com/
Magneta Lane - http://www.magnetalane.com/ pretty young girls (well, gorgeous, in fact) which in itself seems to have qualified them as some kind of Next Big Thing deserving of our attention - fair enough, really, though the music was a bit crap.
Swollen Members - (c)rap. is this stuff for real?
EXODUS (large, rather unpleasant, pub type venue)
8pm Richard Julian "One of the best songwriters and record makers I've heard in a very long time."Randy Newman.
"Richard just knocks me out. Some of the coolest, smartest and original music I've heard in years." Bonnie Raitt
"I can't remember anything about this geezer's performance. Bland in the extreme, if that's not an oxymoron" The Paper.
9pm Colin Herring. Kind of a Ryan Adams-in-country-mode copyist wannabe. Band competent enough, though predictable and cliched. CH, a rather annoying on-stage persona, all shades, drawl and chewing gum from this apparently world weary 18 year old.
10pm Amos Lee. Another annoying bloke. Strumming an acoustic guitar. Jack Johnson type thing. Seems to be some kind of heart-throb judging by the idiot whooping of the 20 something female contingent.
11pm World Party - for it was he that we were there for blog buddies - disappointing though obviously great that Mr W is back with us after a 5 year hiatus. Gig at Shep Bush Empire c2000 - Dumbing Up tour - was among best gigs ever been to - this was all acoustic, Karl W + 1 other acoustic guitar + mandolin/violin. It needed some drums, man. Rather loose and unpolished and didn't do it for me, even though the set list was great, perhaps mainly as I was jet-lagged and irritated by the crap views to be had in this rather dismal venue.
Thursday
CONVENTION CENTER
1.15pm Morrissey interviewed by David Fricke of Rolling Stone. Excellent all round really. Usual caustic observations and put-downs of deserving targets.
WATERLOO RECORDS
3pm The Go Team. Only caught their last 5 minutes. Pretty damn excellent though. What you call 'infectious'.
4pm Time out : Whole foods grocery store cum restaurant opposite Waterloo Records. New store just opened surpasses even the excellence of their previous store. Handily located across from Book People too.
5pm Wolfmother. Led Zep hair-based antics. Ok.
AUSTIN MUSIC HALL - BBC RADIO 2 BRITISH MUSIC SHOWCASE
6pm start waiting in line for the 6.30 doors open. Queue of maybe 200. Not a problem as venue capacity is well in the thousands. Non-badge holders must've got in fine, as the place never got more than 75% full all night.
7pm Zutons. Revelation of the festival for me. I'd always been kind of annoyed at their fey/quirky act on that 'You Will, You Won't'. But what d'ya know, they're a proper rock band, with great songs, musicianship and rock n roll attitude de nos jours of which The Paper wholly approves. Even the previously irritating snake-hipped antics of the brunette sax player/vocalist somehow now appealed to the jaded palate of your humble narrator. The drummer was a cross between Ginger Baker and a permed Rory Liffey about to turn into a werewolf, all snarls. Truly a hero for our times.
7.45pm Corinne Bailey Rae. Announced by compere Stuart Maconie as having sold 300,000 copies of her album in the last few weeks, unknown to this Yank crowd. Not exactly unpleasant, but .... well, you know.
8.15pm Richard Hawley. Recall him as excellent on TV. Disappointed. All rather flat and insipid (well I suppose that was the style). Engaging affable character though.
9.30pm Morrissey. Yeah, good. Some of the new songs not too convincing though.
11.15pm Surprise guest act Ray Davies fails to show after supposedly falling out with Morrissey's crew backstage.
12.15am Goldfrapp. Hmm, what is this all about eh? Bland rubbish really.
Friday
WATERLOO RECORDS (SHOP)
2pm. Beth Orton. Yeah, pretty ok. Felt the songs might grow on me if I gave them the chance, though unlikely to change my world kiddies.
3pm KT Tunstall. Is it right that her albums have sold so well? Not sure about that. Anyway, yeah, she's pretty ok.
4pm Whole foods revisited.
ANOTHER VENUE
10pm The Beautiful New Born Children. London-based I believe. Described by Time Out as ‘full speed, heroically lo-fi punk’. They are confused in my mind with the next band, Putney-based Archie Bronson Outfit. Both created a shockingly dreadful noise of no merit whatsoever.
11pm Archie Bronson Outfit. Yeah, quite good... no, only joking, shockingly dreadful, see above.
12am Arctic Monkeys, for it was they that we were there for, blog buddies. Yeah excellent really. Swirling dervish hoodie antics left fast-thinning Yank industry crowd mystified and totally distressed.
Saturday
VELVET SPADE
Afternoon. Cool ultra-small venue, beer garden type set-up outside, plus groovy interior space. 'NY2LON ' afternoon show, lucky to blag entry by schmoozing fellow-queueing, bona-fide guest listers. A mix of New York and London up-and-comings. Editors rained off as gear got soaked. Charlatans succeeded under clearer skies with minor technical hitches of a damp-based nature. They'd never registered with me except as a name bandied about among Manchester mathematicians in the mid 80s. But they struck me as excellent and entirely endearing in their middle aged pomp.
ETERNAL
Nice small scale pub type venue.
10pm Lisa Germano. Very nice songstress of the Joan As Police Woman school. Piano-based, striking.
11pm Martha Wainwright. For it was her that we were there blog buddies. Well, this was a 50 minute orgasm basically. To be 5 feet or so from The Goddess herself, performing flawlessly with minimalist bass and drums accompaniment, a perfect set, all songs from the album, no messing or experimenting, guttural sweatiness, Tequilas. YESSSS!!
EXODUS
12am Nine Black Alps. These are apparently a popular combo from the North of England. A straight replica of Nirvana basically, a handicap which they never really began to overcome.
BLENDER BALCONY AT THE RITZ
1am Black Moses. High Octane Rawk n Roll. A feeling of stepping out of the main festival into the 'fringe'. Sparsely populated small banked-table-seating venue. The hint of true rock n roll bravado cutting through all the niceness and corporatism generally pervading the entire festival. Which was nice. But - and this is the first time I've ever said this blog buddies - and I've happily tarried awhile at Motorhead and Manowar gigs (Battle Hymns - what an album - www.manowar.com "It was then that Manowar entered the Guinness Book Of World Records as the world's loudest band".) TOO BLEEDIN LOUD!!! My companion was able to wear the ear plugs kindly provided in the badge holder's goodie bag on the first day. Otherwise it would've been a v swift exit. Anyway, about 4 songs only. Good stuff, but yes, too loud indeed.
EXODUS
1.30 am Charlatans. Scheduled for 1 am. Join queue and get swept into venue by mini tide of people. It seems band is just about to start. They've been delayed. Now seems this mini tide is the band's entourage entering the backstage area. Heavy set, long haired bearded band manager type, of Peter Grant like stature and mien, yanks me back outside the door saying 'he's not with the band'. Good sense prevails, and I am granted admission anyway as band strikes up to repeat their session of the afternoon. Yeah, not bad at all, this lot.
SUMMING UP
Overall a good experience. Would go again, but wouldn't shell out $525 for the all areas access badge, would just pay cover charges at the door - seems this can get you into most things, and if not, then worthwhile to explore some of the lesser known venues/acts anyway. Free and open-to-all afternoons at Waterloo Records very worthwhile for starters.
posted by The Paper at 1:28 PM
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