First stop of the year’s travels was SXSW,
held in Austin every March. I had attended on a whim as a wide eyed music
entrepreneur back in 2007. Inspiration and
contacts gained has since helped turned R&V from a one day party with kiwi reggae
bands into a multi genre showcase, before morphing further into a three day
international extravaganza. Back then I was fortunate enough to see acts like
Amy Winehouse, Bloc Party and Kings of Leon, meet NZ and international booking agents and hear
the founder of then-current online hit My Space speak about the world of social
media. What inspiration and
opportunities will come from this time 6 years later I thought as I taxied across down direct from the most memorable kiwi summer weather in recent times.
The festival has a three-pronged focus –
Interactive, Film and Music, and arguably the center of all things creative as northern spring pokes its head out of the winter covers. Most
popular now it seems is the Interactive part with 28k registered guests - up 9k from
2011 year. Many come to hear the latest on digital marketing strategies, online startups and
technologies such as 3D printing and Google Glasses. From key note speaker Al Gore speaking about
the future and how to confront it, Shaquille O’Neil on tech start-up
investment, to discussions revolving around buzz words like ‘Big Data’ and ‘Serendipity’
all while geeks furiously tweet and Storify news and trends to their outlying colleagues
and industries.
I arrived as the film sessions began and
kicked off the week by watching a new documentary ‘Download’ about the rise and
fall of music website Napster - which kicked off the online file sharing and peer to peer communication we are now so familiar with today. Other premiers taking place in town included Spring Breakers
with Texan actress Selena Gomez jetting in and out. Lots of high profile actors and directors were in town showcasing their indie flicks at what has become a prominent shop window for distributors and media alike. Having dinner next to us that night was
Joseph Gordan-Levitt and Tony Danza of 'Who's the Boss' fame. Other celebrities in town included Jared
Leto, Mark Cuban and manager Scooter Braun who was showcasing his new pop star – Tori
Kelly. Austin has become a central haven
for high profile lifestylers, with locals Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock
leading the flock of residents now calling home to what is America’s fastest growing city.
With cheap warehouse space and central access to both coasts, many tech
companies such as Samsung and Apple are now using this liberal city as a
pivotal commerce hub.
But it is the bands and music that many people
come to see and hear. The world music industry
descends onto the Texas capital city as the infamous Sixth Street, consisting of dive
bar after dive bar which along with pretty much every carpark, rooftop and warehouse is overtaken by a crude PA, staging and music set up. Agents, media and promoters alike all mingle and chin-stroke, trying to discover and develop the latest talent for the
coming year/s magazine covers, festivals and radio playlists. It really does live up to its name as the Live Music Capital of the World and almost summer time feel while the rest of the country is snow and cold. However, bright blue days are taken over by chilly nights as the fringes
of winter and summer meet under the mid-Texan sky.
A lot of the day conference action takes
place at the Austin Convention Center, taking up 2 square blocks at the bottom
of town. From noon each day (very acceptable music industry hours) a series of
panels are held discussing everything from future of record labels to how to
make money off live touring. Key note speakers dazzle and inspire the
audience. Stevie Nicks recollected times
when her and fellow Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVeigh led the way for woman in a male dominated rock
and roll work, and how she listens to current artists like Katy Perry for inspiration. Record mogul Clive Davis played an out take
from Whitney Houston’s early demos of her smash hit ‘I wanna dance with some
body’, and how he had been concerned about her drug taking just prior to her
death. Dave Grohl was the keynote speaker enthralled about music as his religion and how hard he worked in Nirvana and
Foo Fighters to become one of the greatest musicians alive.
Grohl and his motley crew of Sound City
Players were together for a one off concert on the Thursday night and were the hottest
ticket in town. Featuring Stevie Nicks, John Fogarty, Rick Springfield and
other legendary rockers this 3 hour marathon enthralled the invite only crowd
at Stubbs amphitheatre. Legends like
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Vampire Weekend and also
performed over the week, with the long snaking line for entry kept fueled by pulled
pork tacos for sale from local vendors.
Free parties which take place across the city
require pre registering RSVP online to secure your place. Uber brands such as Vice, Spotify, Myspace, Red
Bull are all jumping on the band wagon (‘scuse the pun) to showcase to their products to a diverse and very savvy audience. Acts Passion Pit, Public Enemy and TEED all
selling their souls to perform for the corporate dollar – par for the course in
this modern world where record sales continue to decline in the wake of online file sharing.
Food in Austin is a big attraction, as many deals
are done over steaming piles of BBQ meat and all the trimings. Unfortunately
just missed out on the famous Franklins BBQ which see queues around the block from
8am, but I did manage to commandeer a table at Stubbs to enjoy smokey brisket, succulent
ribs and pulled pork with sides of coleslaw and beans, all washed down with
local IPA’s. Fancy new mexican and thai fusion restaurants like Sway and La Condesa are popping
up alongside food-truck trailer-parks, drawing foodies the world over to Austin.
Secret shows were all the rage as the town
buzzed with which high profile artist would be popping up when and where.
Justin Timberlake launched his new album in conjunction with My Space (a
company he has shares in). The genius
that is Prince performed to 300 people with Tribe Called Quest in support. Rumours of Daft Punk showcase were
unfounded however, as huge posters of the new album appearing all over town
led everyone astray. The big crowd to watch local Texan Solange Knowles performed her
new indie material were also disappointed there wasn’t an appearance by famous
older sister Beyonce, or even brother in law Jay-Z coming out to join.
The stand out act for me was Haim - 3
sisters from Los Angeles performing a vintage rock sound not unlike Fleetwood
Mac or Wilson Philips. Macklemore who
performed at the festival last year as a new comer, performed his number one
single ‘ Thrift Shop’ with swagger of the success he is now enjoying. Ex-pat kiwi and now Londoner Willy Moon
was a modern day Elvis shaking and crooning at around 10 shows over the week.
Jake Bugg also bought his grumpy country ramblings to a willing music press,
all without once cracking a smile or engaging in conversation.
The music festival now also has a big EDM
focus, mimicking the current trend in the US today. New wonder kids Baauer, Disclosure, Rudimental
and Flume performing numerous sets – all strut their stuff in a
traditionally rock and roll and country-dominated musical landscape. Deadmau5
and Richie Hawtin closed the interactive sessions, giving a panel on the intricacies of
their technical creations. Veteran DJ’s like Paul Oakenfold and Derrick Carter also
kept the town's late nightclubs bouncing ‘til the early hours.
SXSW is about networking, building contacts
and following up on opportunities. My one meeting with Skrillex’s agent Lee
Anderson was postponed before meeting him later that night backstage at a
showcase. I also spent a bit of time
with Torsten from RBMA and Chris Goss from Hospital Records – two brands that
have aligned with the festival. I met with up and coming music label bosses Luke from UFK and Danny from Smog. Not many
kiwis in attendance although spent time with Sam and Mark from Serato, Tom Sahs
from Honey Claws and Cary Caldwell and his partner Charni Sikh, who have
prominent event management roles with the festival. Other kiwis chasing the inspiration included
Tommy Bates from Contagion keeping his finger on the digital pulse and Kate
Eltringham from Spaient Nitro joining the throngs of UK agency focus descending
on Austin to keep in touch with the latest trends.
There was a small but loyal presence of six kiwi
bands at the NZ showcase at Bracken Park. Current local heros Six60 were playing everywhere from a morning TV station to the high profile Doritos
stage, with Pharrell Williams popped his head in prior to show. Ex-pat and now
Echo Park resident Bradley Carter’s NO playing 9 times across the weekend, all after a long 2 day drive from LA across the desert to Austin. NZ
dubstep export Truth, on route to Miami were playing three sets a night at local night clubs. In all it did feel the NZ camp lacked a big super
star in the vein of Naked and Famous. Ladyhawke or Kimbra to really draw the
press or hype in what is a crowded and competitive market.
As Saturday night came to a close Sixth Avenue was full to the brim as many out of towners from nearby Dallas and
Houston arrived to join the party. Buskers and street performers kept the streets alive with make-shift blues bands and percussion ensembles gathering or passing by. With my head pounding from the sound of brostep coming out of the local clubs and afterparties, I
trudged wearily towards the airport for my 6.30am flight, spotting Six60 and Haim in
customs on their way to their next port of call. I hadn’t quite played 9 gigs as they had but I had seen dozens of gigs, pressed a lot of industry flesh, ate a lot of BBQ flesh and was full of musical
inspiration. See you next time Austin! Stay weird!
Hamish - March 2013
