If you have ambitions of attending SXSW in Austin, Texas, and are the type that micromanages your schedule of 'who, when and where' of the acts you intend to see, there may be a better book for you. If, however, you are the patient, easy-going music lover, as is the case with author Oliver Gray, read on. Retired school teacher, music promoter, music writer, grandfather and with a colossal appetite for live music, Oliver's latest novel recalls twenty years of attendance at SXSW. It's written with honesty, enthusiasm and no end of wit as he delves into his diaries from those twenty years to recall some memorable and less-than-memorable events in Austin.
The book begins with the author's introduction to the world of a 'music head', his early days as an aspiring music writer, and his first eventful trip to Austin in 2001 with his wife, Birgit.
Gray's first visit to the festival in 2003 was a surprise in many ways. As the UK correspondent for the US publication Amplifier, he was unexpectedly granted press accreditation and even managed to bring a 'plus one', his close friend and now official photographer, Paul Dominy. This partnership would become a regular feature at the festival in the years to come.
Hindsight can sometimes be cruel, so we hear of the artists that the author deemed to become 'the future of rock and roll' yet disappeared without a trace (Sons and Daughters, Stellastart*), the 'nearly made it' ones (The Polyphonic Spree, Andrew Combs) and the apparently over-hyped and unlikely to display any degree of longevity (Arctic Monkeys, Drive By Truckers). History will be more applauding to Gray for recognising the potential of Fontaines DC, and especially, as far back as 2012, Ed Sheeran. Despite early documentation of Sheeran’s‘world domination' likelihood, Gray's street credibility was potentially under fire until a photo appeared of Sheeran completing his set standing on a table where Gray was seated and apparently asleep (which he wasn't!).
Incredibly bad sound, disgusting toilet facilities, blistered feet, hour-long queues only to be turned away from venues, cheap and not so cheap and occasionally free beer, and lunchtime margaritas are recurring entries each year. Though a seasoned writer and interviewer, Gray, honestly and somewhat surprisingly, regularly refers to being 'star struck' and unable to bring himself to approach many of the artists. On one occasion, in an act of bravado, he invited P.J. Harvey's band out to dinner and trembled as the bill was presented to him. A spotlight on various venues is also included each year, from the relative luxury of the Convention Center to the Tex-Mex restaurant Jovita's and Stubb's Bar-B-Q.
UK acts that get regular mention include Frank Turner ('He announced that he was going to pay his hits. I wasn't aware he had any'). Greater appreciation is afforded to fellow Brits Peter Bruntnell, Billy Bragg, and The Zombies. Acts that were enjoyed on many of the trips to Austin included Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet, Billy Bragg, Jesse Malin, and Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
The novel's foreword asks, 'What is it REALLY like?' After enjoying this page-turner (which I devoured in one sitting), you'll have a 'warts and all' representation of precisely what the SXSW has to offer whether you are a potential visitor to the festival, a rock and roll music lover or simply enjoy a delightful music travelogue.
Review by Declan Culliton