Saturday, March 17. 2007
The Night Watchman (Tom Morello) photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
The Night Watchman (Tom Morello) photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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One of the cool yet equally frustrating things about SXSW is the secret show.
Sometimes these are shows by big name artists who aren't on the regular schedule. Sometimes it's an additional show by an already scheduled artist. Either way, they are rumor fodder and often difficult to find.
The rumor mill coughed up that Tom Morello would be playing an unannounced show in the secondary room at Stubb`s BBQ, so after a quick stop at the Hilton to unload some photos, I scurried, like a mouse after cheese, to try and get into the Secret Show.
When I strolled in, there were few others in attendance. This quickly changed though, and I was glad I'd staked out my piece of floor by the stage. Yes, I'm there to get pictures, but I am a huge fan. I put my cameras away for most of the show to give him the respect he deserved. Tom played as the Night Watchman and shared with us some powerful folk music. This is angry folk with a heavy hand and in your face lyrics. Tom is a revolutionary, and he is going about it in the correct non-violent way. During lots of bands I'll stroll out part way through their set. Tom Morello was among the elite few (including Serena Ryder, the Zico Chain, and Lemon Sun) thatI hung around for. Thank you Tom! Cheers mate!!!
After that there was nothing to do but to set a course for bed. On my way I HAD TO have my nightly slice of Roppolo's Pizza. That has to b the finest pizza I have ever tasted. Since I only partake in the god's greatest gift to man, beer, when it's free at the day parties, know that I am stone cold sober when I eat this pizza so there are none of the alcohol induced flavor enhancers. If you come to Austin, go see live music but also go eat a deluxe slice from Roppolo's Pizza.
BTW: As I write this I am two-fisting my coffee into me courtesy of the blessed little machine in our room. It brews two individual cups of coffee at one time. I gots to get me one!
Continue reading "SXSW News: Secret shows, quiet revolutions, and pizza"
Friday, March 16. 2007
Iggy Pop Interview at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
Flavor Flav at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
Serena Ryder at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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I woke today with a new vitality. No longer was I praying for death. Lucky, too, since I've barely had a chance to sit down all day.
After I went and got the tradeshow booth prepped for our intrepid team, I hopped, skipped and jumped to the BBC party at Brush Square Park. Having been turned away from a party at the same place yesterday, I arrived right when it started. Silly me, the bands are just sound checking. They'll get started soon, right? No worries, there are breakfast burritos. Eighteen or 20 of those, and I'm good to go. No bands yet. I'm burning daylight, so I kiss the BBC goodbye and head off into the cruel world.
I saw a couple of bands at the Parish and had my morning beer. It's happy hour somewhere, right? Then it's back the Convention Center to shoot Thomas Dolby on the day stage for our writer John, and then "what we've all been waiting for," the Iggy Pop interview.
I couldn't stick around past the few minutes we photogs were given, since I had to cover the Kings of Leon and the Buzzcocks the Spin Magazine party at Stubbs. Good show. The Buzzocks are old but they still rock. The boys from the Zico Chain told there were free Margaritas but I was busy fighting to get to the photo pit. I met Jamie Kennedy and hooked him up with one of our infamous t-shirts.
I'm done at the Buzzcocks, now it's time to head to the hotel, get my shit together and head to the Public Enemy show. But wait, the Zico Chain and JeffB arrive to film and interview and hang out. Ok, now I'm really leaving for Public Enemy. Chuck and Flav have still got it. I am not a hip-hop connoisseur , but I'll give these guys their due.
Now I'm back on the shuttle bus to downtown and over to see hometown girl Serena Ryder. She is all that and then some. That voice! Incredible songwriting, and stunning good looks.
Ok, now I'm going to go see Tom Morello. Later.....
Thomas Dolby - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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Thomas Dolby was temporarily blinded by science during his short afternoon set on the Day Stage in the convention center. Playing his Apple laptop with the Jazz Mafia Horns, three guys to add some horns and percussion, Thomas worked the Apple in awkward silence before taking the crowd on a flashback trip, pulsating to his greatest hit, "She Blinded me with Science." He was able to alert those in attendance to his 7:15 PM performance outdoors on 4th Street. Let’s hope he’s had his Apple tuned before then.
I just spoke to Jeff on the phone. His voice sounded ragged, but he assured me he'd had a really good night's sleep, possibly as much, he said, as six hours.
Clint is apparently dead still sleeping.
I should never have left those two in Austin unsupervised.
I've been holding off on posting my review of Scott Walker: 30 Century Man until I've transcribed the hour-long interview I did with filmmaker Stephen Kijak, not the easiest thing in the world to do with a carpal tunnel syndrome flare-up caused by two long liveblogging sessions.
Hopefully the boys will have some good video and photos and reports ready to upload for us in a little while - I know Jeff got some great footage of REM's Peter Buck last night, if he can only access enough brain cells to download it and write something.
I feel bad but I honestly didn't know that part of my editorial duty would involve getting those two Lojacked. I'm so sorry.
Here is some more Ask a Ninja blogging, this time with me and my tiny little laptop. Kent Nichols on the left, me and said tiny laptop in the middle, Douglas Sarine on the right, club kingsnake booth in the background.
And as soon as I have this interview transcribed, I'll post my thoughts on the Scott Walker music doc. Short review: Great film, and hopefully the reclusive genius will find a few new fans when it starts showing on the American art house circuit. Those who don't like Walker because they think he's pretentious may change their minds when they actually see him interviewed and watch the footage of him recording The Drift, but those who don't like him because his current work baffles them will most likely not. And fans will think they've died and gone to heaven. Interviewees include Brian Eno, Johnny Marr, Marc Almond, Lulu, Dot Allison, Radiohead, David Bowie, and a lengthy list of other notables in experimental, alternative, and pop music. I got chills, but then again, I'm a complete freak.
Thursday, March 15. 2007
Shirock at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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By the time I got to the UK Bash at Brush Square it was guest list only and Amy Winehouse had just started her set.
She was the only reason I wanted to go so I strolled on to 6th Street.
I ended up at Maggie Mae's and saw the Valentines (downstairs) and Shirock (upstairs).
Both good bands and free beer and BBQ to boot.
I'm gonna see how things are shaping up at the trade show booth an try to make it back to Maggie Mae's for Lemon Sun at 4. I can't feel my feet anymore. That means they're getting better right?
Wish me luck.
The Valentines - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
| 6th Street at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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I feel like I have been poleaxed.
I think my downfall was drinking a few beers with the Zico Chain after their sound check. After going to dinner with the guys and possibly having a few too many for the pending task, we wandered off up to Stubbs just in time to catch some band from the UK doing a bloody awful version of the Heads' "Life During Wartime." Chris Zico looked at me and laughed and said they had the current #1 in the UK. From where I was standing a handful of audience members hooted the band down for the same, but were drowned out by the amplifiers.
Leaving the guys from Zico I wandered off to cover Blacklist, Bird, then Hugh Cornwell at Austin's Eysium. I finished my night with the Zico Boys as they trashed the stage at the Dirty Dog.
I will post more later, if I am able to make words into at least poorly formed sentences that our editors can decipher and fix.
Bands good. Food good. Need sleep.
The Zico Chain at SXSW - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer |
I am the walking dead.......
I got rug burn in the photo pit at the Pete Townsend keynote interview, every toe has a blister from the endless hiking up and down 6th Street and my voice is but a memory.
The Pete Townsend keynote was amazing. The scene during our 2 minutes of papparazi-like shooting was mayhem. After that I did sit down and listen to what Pete had to say and quite enjoyed it. He is a musical genius, and he is a living legend after all.
I heard through the grapevine that Pete did show up at the Austin Music awards, and the dumbass that I am, I didn't go. It had been leaked to us that he would be there, but I just didn't want to believe it and I couldn't imagine sitting for 2 1/2 hours hoping the rumours were true.
I did journey to 6th St. and see lots of bands. Stand outs for me were Lemon Sun, X-Wife, and probably the best band at South By, the Zico Chain.
Sleep was once my friend. Now it mocks me.
Cool guitar on 6th St. photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
| Lemon Sun at SXSW photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
| X-Wife at SXSW photo by clint gilders - staff photographer
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Wednesday, March 14. 2007
Pete Townsend Keynote Interview - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer |
Pete Townshend’s keynote address to the SXSW Music Festival is being held in the same room where I liveblogged Dan Rather’s keynote interview at the interactive part of this conference a couple of days ago – same stage set, and lots of the same people. Quite a few less laptops in evidence, though. And with less than 15 minutes to the start, plenty of empty seats, although people are streaming in – I think they may be making people without badges wait until the last minute to come in, not sure.
It’s now only 6 minutes until the address is supposed to begin – still more than half the seats are empty, and the number of rock ‘n’ roll as opposed to indy/geek types is growing. Probably not so much now with the Rather crowd. And a lot more camera equipment.
I shall now amuse myself counting Grateful Dead t-shirts.
Four minutes now…. I can’t help but think this is a disappointing turnout, although I don’t really know what they were expecting.
I also noticed when the music festival officially opened, there was suddenly a deluge of tan, white haired, industry types from LA with cell phones glued to their ears. It’s not that the tech crowd didn’t have cell phones glued to their ears. It’s not that I didn’t. It’s just these guys do it in a certain self-important way quite different from how geeks do it.
It should be starting now, but people are still pouring in. There’s a girl who is probably young enough to be Pete Townshend’s granddaughter, wearing army fatigues and a Grateful Dead t-shirt.
Here we go. Welcome to SXSW XXI etc. Then more etc. “It is entirely reasonable for kids, and adults, to devote their passions and their lives to rock and roll.�
Standing ovation for Pete. Chants of “Pete, Pete, Pete.�
Continue reading "SXSW: Pete Townshend"
Lions in the Street at the Canada Blast - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer |
If the analogy fits, use it! Today I do in fact feel like a chicken with its head cut off.
Wednesday marks the start of the music portion of Austin's South by South West Festival. What that means is that everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE, you look there is a band playing, somebody telling you about where some other bands are playing, free BBQ, free swag, scantily clad women, or a vagrant asking you for spare change.
Willy Jak of the Dayglo Abortions - photo by clint gilders - staff photographer |
I'm a tired chicken. We've been running the tradeshow booth at the Film/Interactive Festival since Sunday, and going out to shows and movies at night. Generally I hit my blessed pillow around 4:00 am.
I'm a happy chicken though. My belly is full of BBQ from Emo's and the Canada Blast and Pete Townshend is giving the keynote tonight, and Jimmy Vaughn is playing at the Austin Music Awards.
Now if only the rain would stop.
Gotta run....... later.
Clint and I saw Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, the new documentary on musician Scott Walker, last night - Clint wasn't familiar with Scott Walker, and was entranced (my word) by Walker's more recent works, while I found Walker years ago via Bowie and Eno and freely admit to being more appreciative of his middle period than either his early pop star days or the experimental music of his last two albums. Then again, Clint is a musician and I'm not, and Walker is typically revered by musicians.
I'll review it more fully lately, but I thought the documentary was brilliant and should be interesting even to those who've never heard of Walker - at least, those with an interest in music. I was very surprised to see how articulate and witty Walker is, given his extremely reclusive nature. The technique of having the musicians interviewed for the film listen to Walker's music on camera is something I've never seen before - I loved it.
I'm interviewing director Stephen Kijak this afternoon, and Clint's coming along to take photos. Tonight I'll also be liveblogging Pete Townshend's keynote address from SXSW here on club.kingsnake.
Update: The review, plus an interview with Stephen Kijak, is here.
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