SXSW
I’ve not really talked about what I’ve been up to since starting at Rockfeedback. I suppose that ever-present excuse of busy-ness of the business could apply, but especially when the business is fun, I think the real excuse is the goodtimes spent in the world non-digital.
So it’s been two weeks since my first big shoot since starting – the big test – SXSW 2009, Austin, Texas. Tom Hannan has documented our complete trip in massive detail, check it out if you have the time, it’s comprehensive review of the week’s entertainment, and comprehensively entertaining. Below are my highlights from the festival…
My role in all of this, producer, entailed an awful lot of work before the event, and quite a lot less once there. I set up filming and interviews with 36 bands over the 4 days – we made all but two of the appointments, somehow. What struck me most about SXSW was how an entire city is transformed for a week, whilst all of the western media industry (film and media are represented in their own festivals, as well as music) descend upon it, and how literally EVERY band or musician with an intent to make or break something that year will be there. To which end I saw some of the best music of my life, and all of it was utterly current and up-to-the-minute.
Perhaps my two favourite acts of the festival best show the diversity there. We were filming the 4AD showcase on our second day in the gorgeous Central Presbytarian Church. All of the acts were wonderful, but the diminutive Anni Rossi was the one to carry my musical heart away. Comparisons to Regina Spektor will inevitably come in their droves, but it’s to be remembered that sounding like somebody else is occasionally the disadvantage of making great music. Starting the set standing on a suitcase, only heightened (teehee) her petite charm, but the image is quickly overshadowed by the voice: encompassing, growling, soaring, brutally honest, and utterly compelling. Hacking, slapping and battering at the viola in her hands, whilst stamping on the mic’d up suitcase – Anni literally blew us all away. Watch this space for the video we shot of her set…
… And on the complete other end of the spectrum, I also witnessed the most vitriolic and terrifying anarchy of punk in the shape of Gallows, in a tiny space somewhere off 6th Street. It was the most exciting, and most terrifying, gig I’ve ever been to. They told us afterwards (and they’re actually really lovely guys) that they can’t play gigs this size in the UK any more, because of audience violence problems. I can see why. The footage below is from a little handheld camera I got given just before the gig started by our director that happens to take HD 16×9 video – in I dutifully went to the centre of the crowd. I emerged half an hour later utterly bruised and exhilerated, having held the lead singer aloft with one hand whilst filming with the other, watched him smash the bar lights into the ceiling, climb the doorframes, perform half of the set from the bar, and the other half in a widening circle in the middle of the audience. Truly unforgettable.
Other greats from the festival were the acoustic sessions we held, with loads of artists, all over the place. We filmed A Hawk and a Hacksaw, on the front porch of our amazing hotel, The Austin Folk House. They were absolutely brilliant – and very good-looking too – a envy-making husband and wife musical partnership. We’d feel bitter if they weren’t utterly lovely people too!
...on the porch of the Austin Folk House
We went record shopping with Graham Coxon at Waterloo Records, and then went on to film a session with him in a hat shop… Tom Hannan’s dream-come-true, and an entrancing performance by Graham. Working in the offices next to Transgressive Records, we got a sneak peak of Graham’s next album, The Spinning Top – and it’s absolutely awesome. It’s really Davey Graham and John Martyn influenced – absolutely a departure from his previous solo work. When listening, I can’t help but wonder – ‘did Graham decide to make an album just for me?’ – which is the way every amazing album should make you feel. Here’s a youtube link for one of the songs we recorded in the hatshop:
We also spent a lot of time with Daniel Johnston and his manager, Tom Gimbel. They were both incredibly accomodating, and we met up with multiple times across the festival… for two exclusive, acoustic songs in the State Capitol Park, at an unannounced special performance, and for his festival-closing set at Emo’s, where he played with a Grammy nominated latin band, performing a cover of ‘Live and Let Die’ in amongst a set of his own material.
It was an incredible experience to spend so much time with Daniel – he seems kinder and much mellower than the ubiquitous documentary show him – which is probably thanks to continued hard work and diligence from his manager and his brother. And much rather than exploiting him, as some have suggested, I felt very strongly that these people are working to give Daniel the one thing he craves in life – the opportunity to be creative, and to make music. When we spoke to him, Daniel told us the one thing he wanted was to “make music until I die”, and “to make lots of money”. We’re working the material we shot into something really special, so I won’y give any away now, but his songs are some of the most moving I’ve heard, and SXSW turned me into a diehard fan.
Daniel Johnston being interviewed by rockfeedback's Toby L
The Dirty Projectors played at the French Legation Museum on the last day – and reinvented music in front of our eyes. Really. I have very little else to say about it – it was awe-inspiring. And again – they were incredibly lovely people. What’s going on with all these lovely musicians – I thought they were meant to be awkward, egotistic souls? That’s not a complaint, though – please don’t change…
And finally, I got to interview and watch the live set of a long time hero – Buck 65. The live set was an odd one – I’ve never seen him perform the same way twice. This time round he’d lost a little of the Tom Waits glitter and tweed jacket, and moved into a tracksuit – presumably to better fit with the hiphop stage he was playing? The set functioned as something of a best-of, with the the most popular tracks from his back catalogue, including a rare outing of ‘The Centaur’. He’s been releasing a massive amount of material in recent years, including a number of free-to-download EPs and singles. One such is hard to find now, but I’ve uploaded it to soundcloud… you can download it from there (don’t worry – it was released for free over his myspace page!). It’s called Indestructable Sam, and it might just be my favourite Buck 65 track.
So, SXSW ’09 was awesome, is the long and short. The above were just a few of the musical highlghts of an amazing festival – I won’t go into the free beer / mojitos / tequilas madness that caused every day to be spent in a wonderful, drunken, eventful haze – much to professional to write about that. Honestly. But roll on next year…