It’s as much what you miss as what you catch at SXSW
– no matter how amazing the acts you saw were, and
no matter how much you enjoyed hearing them, there was always
another that you wished you’d seen, and always someone
keen to tell you what you really should not have missed
– because it was …. Awesome! The adjective of
choice at a 1000 band full throttle SXSW ’04.
Strict enforcement of capacity restrictions caused queues
(or lines as they say
here) to back up at a SXSW already running at maximum potential.
The enforcement of these regulations by both venue staff
and police and fire authorities strayed into the draconian
at times, and on occasion almost detracted from the usual
good time feel that we old hands have come to expect from
SXSW and Austin, but the SXSW spirit prevailed in the end!
The eighteenth SXSW filled the hotels, overran the streets
and packed the venues. Proceedings officially started with
a Fife and Drum Band from Mississippi, who marched on to
the stage and quickly managed to engage and entertain a
morning audience prior to the opening speeches – they
excited marching to the strains of ‘Glory Hallelujah’
leaving SXSW MD Roland Swenson to address the by now full
hall.
Roland is - by his own admission – a shy man, and
normally avoids making speeches, but he took this opportunity
to voice his disquiet – an emotion shared it appears
by the majority of the US music community and beyond, about
the present state of the nation. He compared the optimism
abiding at the time of his 18th birthday, I guess sometime
in the 70s, when civil rights and liberties , and positive
attitudes were being fostered and developed, with this SXSW
18th anniversary, coming at a time dominated by unrest and
seeming loss of rights, including the freedom of speech.
He called on US writers and artists to use their power and
urged that this year’s upcoming presidential election
cannot be ignored. Artists have a powerful voice and must
speak out. There was obvious approval and agreement from
all gathered, and these sentiments were in truth the keynote
to the beginning of the 2004 edition of SXSW.
A man of colour:
The advertised keynote speaker – the one and only
– LITTLE RICHARD! – followed these serious observations,
lighting up the stage in a staggeringly monochrome grey
conference room, with his trademark flamboyance, scarlet
jacket and gem-encrusted boots. Interviewed, on the very
few occasions when he could get a word in, by writer Dave
Marsh, Mr Penneman regaled us, in inimitable fashion, with
tales and observations as only a living legend could, ranging
from his tastes in music old and new – ‘Anything
that makes my big toe shoot up in my boot is alright with
me!’ – to the serious advice to tell all young
artists – ‘ Always sign your own cheques!’
and ‘Be the best – be nothing less!’ He
talked of The Beatles, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, James
Brown, Soul Music (‘God didn’t give all the
Soul to Black folks’), Rock’n’Roll (‘Don’t
know where it came from – but Gospel is the true foundation’),
the Blues (knew all the greats), and Country Music (the
white man’s blues).
For a seventy year old his energy was astounding and impressive,
and it was still there for his performance with his 9-piece
band at the Austin Music Hall in the evening. – "Ain’t
y’all glad I’m here?!!" – YES! –
We all were.
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I could devote the whole of this article to a list of SXSW
highlight performances, but space and time precludes this
for now. We will follow-up in future editions on the successes
of this eighteenth SXSW. My personal favourites from the percentage
of what was available that I actually got to see included
two Scottish acts (it must be my heritage!) – FRANZ
FERDINAND and THE GRIM NORTHERN SOCIAL, all of the fifteen
Scottish acts did well, but these were the ones most talked
about. JAMIE CULLUM was busy, playing three times, including
the UK night, finishing with a late night gig that was as
impressive as the eighteenth floor panoramic backdrop to the
stage, overlooking Austin at night. TOM McCRAE also impressed
in this venue. AQUALUNG had a very ‘English ’
quality that some of the US business went for in a big way.
BOB SCHNEIDER and his band are Austin secrets that must get
to a bigger audience, this was one of the most eclectic sets
that I saw. THE SUB-DUDES came across with vocals that reminded
me of The Temptations, married with Americana roots. To be
honest, I didn’t see anything that I didn’t enjoy,
and I will, as I say, comment on other acts over the next
weeks.
Michael Bisping of ASS Concerts in Germany is a regular at
SXSW, and apart from the standing in line, was as impressed
as usual. "I make an effort to go and see acts that I
know little about, as well as the recognised and up and coming
names; this enables me to hopefully form relationships with
acts from the US and elsewhere that I can help build and work
with in my territory over the next few years."
The MD’s Reaction
I asked Roland Swenson, SXSW MD, for his initial reactions
to this year’s event. He told me, "I’m surprised
it’s turned out as well, we’re back to where we
were before 9/11. We thought this would still have an effect,
but we’re back to the high water mark. I don’t
have all the figures in place yet, but we’re possibly
over 8,000 people registrants and artists, up by some 25%.
A weak dollar and a cold winter up North also make for a good
year. Also, NARM cancelled their spring event, and the Winter
Music Conference in Miami moved their dates, freeing up people."
I asked him if he thought there was a growing need from various
other territories to exploit SXSW as the best available entry
to the US market. He replied, "Yes, many things that
we have worked on came to fruition this year. The Brits finally
took a joint Stand, for instance, and their presence alone
was over 40% up on previous years. People are definitely doing
business, and international participation has grown."
I asked if there was a possibility that SXSW could become
a victim of its own success by becoming too big for business
people to access. He told me, "There’s a way to
do SXSW, you can always be surprised by the gigs that you
can get into that you would think over-subscribed. We still
get requests for small intimate shows, then have the producers
surprised that they cannot get everybody in that they’d
like to have."
His conclusion is, "SXSW is on a roll for talent, our
reputation is going up all the time." – Place your
bookings for next year now!
P.S. I got Willie Nelson’s autograph!
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