First up at the last day, some famous names at the MOJO Bootleg BBQ @ Mean Eyed Cat
The Proclaimers
As the last day dawns, it’s off to the wrong side of the tracks for a ice cold beer and generous BBQ breakfast at the Mean-Eyed Cat, courtesy of MOJO Magazine. The juke joint – which is situated in an old chainsaw shack out by the railway line, and dedicated as a shrine to Johnny Cash – nestles under a sprawling 300 year old oak tree which offers respite from the blazing Texan sky. With temperatures already hitting the 70’s, those hard working proclaiming boys win over a whole slew of new converts with a rousing set which would not have been out of place at an evangelical tent mission.
Dan Auerbach
The Black Keys front man is up next, backed on this occasion by a full band in the shape of San Antonio’s Hacienda. They pump out a storming, swampy, psych blues set, the pace at times tempered by woozy 70’s-style, twangy, soulful country rock ballads. Largely comprising material from his debut solo album, the set has the crowd – die-hard Keys fans and industry faces alike – all getting into the groove, and willingly following the good ole boy down the gravel road.
Graham Coxon
Next up is Graham Coxon with a short six song solo acoustic set previewing material from his new neo-folkie concept project “The Spinning Top”. Displaying some pretty neat finger-picking (the influences of John Martyn and Martin McCarthy are readily divined), the guitar-work more than makes up for the voice which is at times too thin and reedy for these tastes.
The Courteeners @ Latitude
Catching the end of Coxon’s set is at the expense of the New York Dolls show at Maggie Mae’s which – despite the breakneck speed cab ride back into town- has queues round the block. With the venue’s unforgiving “one-in-one-out” door policy, it’s clear that no-one’s about to leave that show, so it’s a quick sprint up 6th Street to catch the end of The Courteeners set at the British Music Embassy in Latitude. Squeezing in to the packed venue, it’s just about possible to see the band above the heads of the bouncing audience. It’s clear that – at SXSW at least – our transatlantic cousins think that Liverpool is still capable of being the epicentre of the music industry.
PJ Harvey & John Parish @ Stubbs
As darkness falls, a coquettish and theatrical PJ Harvey takes to the stage at Stubbs with John Parish. Backed by a be-suited, fedora-clad band, we are treated to an early run-out of material from the imminent release A Woman a Man Walked By. Their first full-length collaborative work since 1996’s Dancehall at Louse Point, the presence of Parish seems to have freed the feral Harvey from the quieter, introspective plinky-plink of the last album, and the voodoo priestess/banshee incarnation is back in full and glorious voice. Swathed in a white shroud-like dress, bound with straightjacket-style belting, and teetering black patent heels, she croons and wails her way through the set, at one second shimmying seductively, the next screaming the house down in a childlike tantrum with the “I WILL NOT” chant of new song ‘Pig Will Not’. Elsewhere she literally spits out the nightmarish title track tale of ‘A Woman A Man Walked By’ featuring the human creature with ‘chicken liver balls…chicken liver spleen…chicken liver heart made of chicken liver parts’, violently shaking her maracas for emphasis – as if any were needed.
Silversun Pickups @ Antone’s
A race across town through the mayhem and madness that is the SXSW last night hurrah, is worth the risk of life and limb to catch the Silversun Pickups at Antone’s. The previous night had seem the Silversuns become the unwitting “openers” for Metallica – whose circus descended on Austin for a “secret” show at Stubbs on the back of the release of the Guitar Hero Metallica edition. The Silversuns Smashing Pumpkin-esque sound is at once retro and fresh, and after a few new numbers from the imminent second album, the familiar Lazy Eye has the packed Antone’s jumping.
Daniel Johnson @ Emo’s
Summoning up energy for a last gasp dash back to 6th Street, the crowd which queued for two and a half hours is already crammed into the part indoor/part outdoor venue, and clamouring for local legend Daniel Johnson’s SXSW closer show at Emo’s. ‘Speeding Motorcycle’ is greeted by rapturous cheers from the faithful, but as with every Daniel Johnson show, there are a number of those who are purely there for the sideshow/carney/curiosity value. Happily, many of the disbelievers slowly start to peel away, bemusedly shaking their heads or sniggering behind their hands at the seeming incomprehensibility of it all. As the 2am curfew beckons, the set closes with a delicate, fragile but beautifully optimistic ‘True Love Will Find You in the End’, and the crowd drift off into the night, warmed and reminded that joy and redemption can be found in the smallest of moments – even at the circus that is SXSW.
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