The Good The Bad at SXSW? We believed it when we saw it. It was only after three months of visa-based rigamarole, neverending form-filling, embassy appointments, listing every country we've visited in the last 10 years, confirming we were not Nazi war criminals, remembering what instruments we played when quizzed by customs, arriving in Newark and going straight to play a show in Brooklyn, having three hours sleep and a burrito then going back to Newark, connecting to Austin and arriving at our downtown apartment where a trusting Austinite lady was willing to let 4 guys crash at her pad for the week, that it felt real. The only small task that awaited us now was playing 7 shows in 6 days...
We played a superb Strummerville showcase that Monday night with Billy Bragg, Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and took Tuesday off to feel human again.
It wasn't until Wednesday that the SXSW Music festival had started good and proper. A quick glance over the balcony revealed the freshly installed road blocks attended by a beady-eyed cops who love their jobs, rendering downtown Austin a pedestrianised gigging precinct. The sun was beating down, several soundchecks at various distances attacked and billowed through our patio window as neatly assembled lines of people wrapped around the block, queuing for an unofficial day party doubtlessly tanked up with free beer and brisket for those RSVP'd in good time. These were all the indications required to let us know it was time to get in amongst the monolithic and mythical musical theme-park that is SXSW.
In what is now a flurried fuzzy blur of a week, we went on to play amazing shows with musical dignitaries such as Wayne Kramer (of MC5 fame), J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) and Rocky Erickson, stole someones bike for a photoshoot, hung out at Jack White's pop-up record store, joined a search party looking for Barley the dog, found toilet seats shaped like guitars, crashed Tom Morello's not-so-secret afterparty, drank 20 tequilas and 20 fritas (frozen margaritas) in two hours, and the rest you can find out about at thegood-thebad.com.
It doesn't matter how little sleep you get whilst there, being in any one place at SXSW you are (by default) missing sixty plus other great shows elsewhere. Wayne Kramer said it best: "Take it easy. But take it". We took as much as we could and we left wanting more. Until next time Austin, you're an ace city and special crowd for sure.
that band is pretty bad just saying. you don't have flail around to make music. also if you can flail around and still play the song isn't very difficult.
that band is pretty bad just saying. you don't have flail around to make music. also if you can flail around and still play the song isn't very difficult.
that band is pretty bad just saying. you don't have flail around to make music. also if you can flail around and still play the song isn't very difficult.
a lot of times I watch local bands only because of their sage presence. If they don't play perfectly, who cares, at least they are entertaining to watch.
Misc : The Good The Bad At SXSW
