Having spent a few days catching some great bands in LA – Le Face, a dark, broody and slightly confrontational post punk act; Rough Kids a raucous, coke-fuelled power pop band; Eat Skull a Portland based noisy lo-fi act and the hyped yet awesome Mika Miko, we’re finally heading to Austin, Texas to see what the infamous SXSW has to offer.

The four hour flight seems heaving with industry types clutching BlackBerrys and copies of Q Magazine, and talking about when they signed Modest Mouse and Anti Flag.  Being sceptical by nature, thoughts of the time wasted at Manchester’s In The City industry festival come flooding back. This is my first time here in Austin, and I’m apprehensive as to whether it will live up to the reputation that precedes it.

Tonight we don’t actually watch any bands,  mainly because the music part of the festival hasn’t really started yet. However, there is a Minor Threat covers band featuring Frank from Gallows on vocals and members of MXPX, Gorilla Biscuits and a few other pretty legendary punk/hardcore bands which we unfortunately miss, a shame as it would have been hilarious!  We also do not attend a house party featuring Wavves and Vivian Girls, because its miles out of town and we don’t have transport, another shame!

Adding insult to injury, we do get locked out of our house and denied access to a bar because we don’t have our passports. The food situation is grim as well – so far we’ve struggled to find decent food or vegetarian food anywhere in the US, and seeing that this is the land of cow-folk and hamburgers, finding some in Texas is looking like it’s going to be a tad difficult.

Better Luck tomorrow eh?

Steve

http://lovvers-letscommunicate.blogspot.com/