September Girl Jessie at SXSW

Jessie Ward - September Girl guitarist and host of Love Action’s Friday Fix here on RadioNowhere is keeping us up to date on her adventures at SXSW 2014! Catch the latest edition of her show!

 

Day 2 Weds - We start the day a bit more organized, but a bit hungover as well. It's warm, but changeable and the crowds really seem to get going in the late afternoon. Most of sxsw is sprawled around downtown Austin, the convention centre for official talks and around 6th street for music. Anywhere and everywhere seems to become a music venue, although the city really seems purpose built for this kind of thing.

 

We start our day heading to Spotify House to catch Dum Dum Girls and their new 5-piece including a bit lineup. They roll through most of their singles confidently and with decent sound considering the outside venue. The band have really stepped up their game with the new album, and it is a much more slick operation. Just when we're starting to think it might be getting a bit samey, Debbie Harry strolls on stage and they all burst into a version of Blondie's "Dreaming". Harry looks absolutely stunning, and the band look as if they are fulfilling their dreams. It's a pretty magical moment.

We head over to another pop up venue in 6th to catch Irish band Kid Karate, a two piece punk outfit with a sound much bigger than just two lads suggest. They've got a confident swagger and the small crowd is really enjoying it. 

After visiting a few of the cool spots for drinking and watching bands, including The Mohawk and Cheer Up Charlie's, we queue up for the NPR showcase at Stubbs. It's a large outdoor venue and unfortunately the sound is pure mush. Perfect Pussy take the stage looking great, and a bit scary, playing the kind of hardcore I had been into as a 90s teenager. And It. Is. Loud. After Perfect Pussy we stuck around for Eagulls, a band eveyone seems to be tipping. They are five lads from Leeds who are pure indie rock. It's enjoyable, but not particularly enthralling.

(photo credit: Five Seven Music) 

We head over to the Irish showcase to catch Hozier, who plays his soulful folk to a heaving crowd. Everyone is delighted to eat his earworm "Take Me To Church". The crowd thinned out for The Young Folk, a real Mumford-y band and not my particular cup of tea. WOUNDS were up next and had an incredible stage presence and swagger, screaming noisy punk and swinging the microphone like nobody's business. Tired, we headed off to the packed bus, dreaming of Day 3 and our own showcase.