Velvet Revolver at Stubb's - more photos... photo by Jeff Barringer - staff photographer
Velvet Revolver brought their tour buses to town and parked them at Stubb's last night for a smoking hot set, or was it? Raoul Hernandez over at The Chronicle is doing more than suggesting that Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland had a little help from performance enhancing electronics to get through the set. I was there and can attest to a very variable sound, to the man with the laptop offstage, and to some interesting pre-show happenings with the mics, but the crowd for the most part seemed to enjoy the show. I was there to check out Slash's performance and dig for SXSW rumors so I wasn't paying that much attention to Scott. I am just glad he didn't sound like a bag o' cats like one of Slash's previous frontmen. Slash's performance, as well as Duff's and the rest of the bands, seemed to be 100% au natural and Slash sounded good.
On to SXSW 2008 news...
Ok now it's getting weird.
One of my sources has been hired to cover Roky Erickson's Ice Cream Social specifically to cover the purported R.E.M. set, yet when I talk to Roky's management they are insistent that they have no clue what I am talking about and insist they have not booked R.E.M. for a slot. My sources employers are just as adamant that it is happening to the point that they are ready to write him a check to be there.
Another source has reported to me that the Black Crowes have pulled out of their Saturday gig at Stubb's, reportedly not wanting to be second billed to R.E.M. Checking with a number of my contacts at Stubb's they are unaware of any schedule changes and are still planning on a Crowes gig that night. Pollstar still has the Crowes listed on Saturday as well.
I don't know if any of this is true, but my sources are usually pretty good, and SXSW tends to get strange as we get down to the wire.
I do know that every day that passes more bands are confirming SXSW gigs, and we will probably see the "official" list posted sometime next week. Some of the more interesting confirmations include The Hymns from New York (Watch for a podcast interview next week), The Presidents Of The United States Of America, Bowling For Soup, and Zebrahead to name a few.
Are you looking at an old list? Presidents played last year but have confirmed west coast dates during sxsw.
Jeff Barringer on :
Pollstar has them playing at Cedar St. on 3/13/08 along with Bowling for Soup
see http://www.pollstar.com/tour/searchall.pl?By=City&Content=Austin,+TX&PSKey=Y&Sort=Date&Date_From=&Date_To=02-01-2010&Market=N&Market=N&Page=4