South By South West - A Retrospective pt 2

THURSDAY - Day Three

Morning came and the Wit waited in the plush Omri Hotel while Chris and Johnny bought a banjo and mandolin. Another Johnny look-alike - the second in three days - popped nimbly past the lobby. Fear not - I captured the moment on my mobile. As soon as we had all finally met up, we trooped, instruments in hand, to the rooftop of the Wave bar where the NME/Transgressive party we were set to play in the afternoon was being held. The crowd was scenester, the sun was shining, and the free beers were welcome. After a dramatic display by OX.EAGLE.LION.MAN we waited for the noisettes to appear, but they didn't, so we went on early. A good gig was followed by a strange interview with NME.com on an old tour bus. Asked to introduce the band and say where we were, Joe drawled to camera; "Hi I'm Joe, I'm in America". Not really what they wanted - the video is yet to be featured on their website....

The after gig mood was high as we were taken to lunch by Lost Highway (seemingly the entire company). It turns out that they want to put the record out in the states and we all got on really well, so fingers crossed. It would be a huge deal if this happened, we would be the first British artists on their incredibly established books. Oh, and the Lunch cost them $1000 dollars in all. Pleasing.

After a pretty tiring afternoon in the incredible heat we walked to our second gig of the day, again with instruments in tow. This time we were to play at the Latitude 30 club, a bar turned into an English Artists gigging den for the festival week. The walk was an odd one, passing throngs of happy, loved-up musicians, the gossip monger Perez Hilton and a bum carrying a sign saying "trying to get drunk....spare me some change". I found the second show odder, even with the treat of our friend Laura Marling singing with us on a couple of songs. It was just getting too hot for me and I limped home before that odd little feller Son of Dave took to the stage.

FRIDAY - Day Four

Lilly flew in today which was apt because it was Johnny's birthday. We had already got him a present on the Laura Marling tour we had just finished - a polystyrene head which we'd made up to look like our tour manager Chris - but I promised to buy him a pen as well (he loves a good pen). After a lovely lunch with Miriam's sister Sophie and her boyfriend (their fake record label 'Broken Biscuits' allowing me to eat some excellent Cuban fare), I left to meet the band at the home of one 'Hank Sinatra' - the place of our next gig. Hank's home is one of the most amazing I have ever been too. It's a huge Texan farm with a lake, chickens, caravan (where he does the bands' sound and smokes consistantly) and an incredible homemade stage.

The cowboy home-grown weed, kegs of beer, and huge BBQ - all for free - made for one of the best days of my life. The afternoon was leisurly, but after chilling with new friends Peggy Sue and the Pirates, watching a band called The Morning Benders and spying Kate Nash, it was our turn. We played a gig with no on-stage sound and little drum kit but it was amazing. The Sun was contagious and we were all as happy as larry. Finally though the time came to leave, and after a desperate search for taxis, we were taken into town by two cowboy friends of Hank's. They didn't have a pickup.... We got all six of us and our instruments in three seats of the back of the American version of a Morris Minor. It was the most ridiculous ride I have ever taken and I was glad to arrive at our destination.

With music going on for free at south by, it would be rude to have two easy nights in a row though... And so after arriving in town we headed off to catch another amazing Langhorn Slim set, and then went, on Joe and Adam's orders, to see 'Health', an amazing hardcore band. Finally, after all this, Johnny and I headed for home pleased with our day while the others stayed on. It took us ages to get a taxi home and the driver was a complete shit. Oh well, can't have everything.