Live Review

SXSW Day Four!!!! – Austin, Texas

• 18th Mar 2008

The end of any festival is always a depressing event. The SXSW interior of the Austin Convention Center was being dismantled while the music played and thousands of unwanted fliers and papers were strewn around as though what went before was throw away. A great finale of music helped blow away the blues, until tomorrow at least.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears played the most uplifting set in the sunshine at the outdoor sun painted venue at San Jose Hotel/Jo’s Bar over the river. Black Joe Lewis and his band dress in bright Thunderbirds style tees and the music is perfect for such a glorious day. Two sax, one trumpet, two guitars, bass, keys and drums make beautiful soul sounds for Joe Lewis to holler and howl over. A huge local crowd arrived to see Austin’s best new band and everyone was moving and singing along. This isn’t easy listening though, no way. The lyrics are masterful and they mean business; this is the real soul revival.

Perhaps the best showcase of the whole festival came at Stubbs Bar BQ. Three hours of wonderful music from three of the most interesting performers from Austin to Wales! Duffy is the clean cut version of Amy Winehouse, but taking no shit from anyone. Dusty Springfield to Aretha Franklin, maybe. Whatever, Duffy has some powerful soul filled lungs and the R ‘n B tunes – from ‘Stepping Stone’ to the popular, up beat ‘Mercy’ almost match up to our favorite Crackhouse. Okkervil River may be the biggest band in Austin and have penetrated the alternative indie market in the US and UK but it seems they’re not making money. They keep their local bar jobs; so if you’re in Austin while they’re off tour the drummer may just serve up your Lonestar. It’s a travesty they haven’t made it bigger. They played a superb, shortish set of songs both old and new. Mass participation from an Austin crowd who love their hometown sons. Roky Erickson – pictured by BR, Glasswerk – beat even that reception. The original psychedelic, 60s guitar rocker is a true genius, and a troubled one is to under state his past something chronic. In and out of psychiatric wards, undergoing electro-shock treatment, his bi-polar disorder made him an extreme rock ‘n roll version of Brian Wilson. The crowd were screaming for their man and any sight was followed with a hundred, “We LOVE you Roky!” The man was helped and guided to his microphone and awkwardly got his guitar sorted. Everyone waited, hushed until the band struck up and Roky transformed from the quivering, nervous wreck to rock master. His guitar playing, lyrics and voice are perfect. Music is some healer. Between songs he simply and with a seeming unstoppable urge shouts out, lifting his hand, “Thankyouuu! Thankyouuu! Thankyouuu! Truly one of the best and most remarkable performances of the week. The ovation went on and on with Roky ambling away, visibly moved.

Nothing matched that to finish. Two Gallants are a less well known Black Keys, each with two members. One lead vocal, guitar and drums and both gave roots rock a good name in their showcases. They struggled, as they always do at SXSW, with their equipment – having to borrow a drum peddle, and almost losing a microphone to a lone, dropped crowd surfer. The heavy, raw music comes with all the passion. The sweaty, long haired crashing drummer summed up all our thoughts at the end, “all I want now, after all this music, is some peace and quiet!” British Sea Power played a surely over-capacity Maggie Mae’s Rooftop to close SXSW 2008. The set brought classic single ‘Remember Me’ together with tracks from new album ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ and we moshed and sang with BSP and new music fanatic Steve Lamacq by our side for set highlight ‘Waving Flags’ before Glasswerk and the rest fought through the crowds to catch some sleep. Too much music though? No way, we love Rock. This festival was perfect. It’s all over, it’s all over.