For those in the know, South by Southwest (always referred to as SXSW) is an institution. It’s an all-encompassing media, technology, gaming, film and music conference, networking opportunity and party that lasts a week and –some would say – takes a year to get over. It’s been going for 35 years in its hometown and has significantly grown from what was originally a small music conference to showcase the local Austin scene.
So, everyone wondered what would happen when the famous North American festival hits the Southern Hemisphere for the first time? Sydney was the lucky ‘winner’ of the conference, working hard with a number of prominent sponsors and in particular, ‘Destination NSW’ to create a space for the event and a chance to embed it into the Australian psyche.
With so many competing fixtures, festivals and events in Sydney, the work needed to make the conference successful was always going to be huge. The most noticeable thing when you went to the SXSW Sydney website was the sheer volume of events that were on over the eight days of the conference. Spanning the Darling Harbour precinct, Chinatown, Chippendale, Ultimo and even Surry Hills, the event was undoubtedly not compact (as all the steps would be attributed to!)
Although a lot could be said about the exhibitors, the conference, the expo and the sessions, this review will cover the core of what the festival felt like it should be about. The music. With more than 300 artists over four days of music across 25 venues, many of which were ‘pop-ups’ or repurposed locations, there was literally something for every taste, whim or urge.
That’s where the app came in handy – to a point. Although the website and app were pretty unwieldy at times, if you persisted with the schedule mode and just took each hour as it came, you were sure to be able to create a path of gigs that you were interested in across the days. Of course, if you preferred to go with the flow, you could just pop into a well-worn favourite haunt, like The Lord Gladstone, Hollywood Hotel or The Chippo, to catch a slew of amazing talent all night.
As it was, there was even a great collection of artists playing at Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park that was free to the public and gave everyone a taste of the eclectic mix of artists on show.
So, what stood out? Who were the big names that made a mark, and what happens from here?
This reviewer certainly did not see everyone, and a lot of the time it came down to comparing notes with fellow punters or getting the hot tip on who to see each day. This list is far from definitive, but some of the highlights from the festival are listed below.
Wednesday
With the bulk of the music content starting on the Wednesday, there felt like no better way to kick it off than an all-star rock ‘n’ roll party in Darling Harbour. The Young Henry’s Rock & Roll Circus, whilst not a new idea – was undoubtedly a welcome one at the Tumbalong Park stage. The concept is simple – build a shit hot backing band from members of the Delta Riggs, The Preatures and True Vibenation, invite amazing singers and musicians to join them and let the show go wherever it takes you!
The all-star performances included Dan Sultan taking on INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart”, which was especially poignant, Hayley Mary bringing some rock to Belinda Carlisle and American up-and-comer Wallice taking on Kate Bush. Throw in the red Wiggle Murray Cook, Zoe from The Buoys, Annie Hamilton and a stack more, and it was indeed a hell of a way to start a Wednesday night. The only disappointment was the lack of an all-in track at the end!
Two venues, not far from Darling Harbour, were established next to each other that, created a convenient place to be throughout the event. Mulan’s Restaurant and the resurrected Pleasures Playhouse hosted an array of acts. On that first night, Gut Health were a huge standout, with their droney, visceral post-punk at Mulan, which juxtaposed perfectly with the energetic, Tik Tok boosted pop star, Go-Jo next door. The old theatre was bouncing heartily to the youngster, who had a bevy of young fans near the front.
The decision to trek across town to the Hollywood Hotel was worth it, as a completely rammed pub hosted locals Velvet Trip, people clambering to catch the rock stylings of Zeppelin Hamilton and band. The vibe was high, and that carried through for the following act, Bumpy, who captivated the old pub with her perfectly delivered soul set. Her voice was simply exquisite and appreciated by those lucky enough to be there.
If there’s a better way to round out a Wednesday night than seeing country rock and rollicker Andy Golledge in a small basement bar in Ultimo, then I don’t know what it is! The Agincourt Hotel’s Alley stage was host to a range of acts over the week, and although it’s not great for the claustrophobic amongst us, it made for a helluva fun venue, and his set was one of the highlights of the whole week.
Thursday
One of the heavily branded bigger stages for the event was ‘The Courtyard’, presented by Rolling Stone in the outdoor area underneath the Powerhouse Museum, which featured some Mexican food and a wide array of acts. In fact, the openers on the Thursday night were the crazy medieval party metal rockers, Battlesnake. The photographers were feverish as the band, adorned in their usual medieval garb (with not much else), delighted the afternoon audience with their antics, which included climbing the scaffolding and venturing out to the crowd for the final song as well as a sneaky AC/DC track delivered with all the theatrics you’d hope for.
To keep the buzz going, all you had to do was walk upstairs to the Powerhouse café and you’d be presented with one of the buzziest bands in the country, Dust. Their powerful post-punk performance as the sun went down was simply stunning and cemented them as a band with a huge future, both here and abroad.
To change the pace, back in The Courtyard, another hot act, having just come off a successful European jaunt, was Telenova. A sample of new and old songs soothed the soul after the frenetic previous acts.
This is where things got tricky. Stick around for ‘secret headliners’ Teenage Dads? Go and experience The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band at Phoenix Central Park or catch Boy Soda at Mulan Restaurant? In the end, it was a case of singing along to Babitha at The Alley to get you in the mood! Things were a bit delayed at Barney’s Church on Broadway, which ended up being one of the more unique venues with its vaulted ceiling, Universal Music vinyl sale and free t-shirt printing, but getting to watch a one-off Middle Kids performance was well worth it especially catching new song, “Dramamine”, in the flesh on the day that album no.3 was announced!
Brisbane band, Girl and Girl, rocked out The Lord Gladstone, Fcukers delivered their intense new-fangled Beck remix and bangers to a too-small crowd at UTS underground and recent NLMA ‘Best Country Act’ winners, Caitlin Harnett and The Pony Boys, replicated bandmate Andy Golledge’s mood at The Alley, but there was one set that really stood out that night. Upstairs in a very local, quirky pub called The Sneaky Possum, was a bedroom that was transformed in a party den just for Raave Tapes to play. In what was probably the smallest venue of the festival, 30-40 people squished into a room and watched a set from the Newcastle duo that felt like it was from another world, synchronised lights, a throbbing electronic backing and the typically eclectic vocal delivery from Joab (guitar) and Lindsay (bass). The fun and personal set was the perfect way to round out the night and set course for the final couple of days.
Friday
Friday meant knocking off early to head to The Lord Gladstone to check out their bountiful line-up, and it was a doozy, starting with Taj Ralph in full band mode. The ultra talented songwriter was suitably backed by a band that showed off his array of quality songs, with undoubtedly a lot more great stuff on the way. Such was the scheduling of their shows, that you could casually chat to the singer as he migrated his band and gear to The Chippo Hotel for another set.
Firstly though, WA’s own Dulcie lit up The Chippo Hotel stage with a full room and a set full of bouncing, burgeoning pop. The three-piece engaged the audience closely with a fine set before we returned to The Gladdy for the ultra-smooth Cool Sounds from Melbourne.
We could have easily just stay at The Lord Gladstone all night with a great set from Londoners, Los Bitchos, but how could we resist watching Gut Health again? A healthy gut is very important! The group, who have just been announced as a support for the upcoming QOTSA tour, certainly know how to fill a room!
To change the pace completely, it was off to The Lansdowne Hotel (or in SXSW Sydney’s case, Spotify House) to catch Tkay Maidza and a huge one-off set. Her energy was infectious as the full room reacted feverishly to a brilliant set from the hip-hop star. The tone changed considerably when Jem Cassar-Daley took the stage, but we were no less transfixed as the young artist delivered a pinpoint and beautiful set.
A return to The Lord Gladstone was inevitable though as Milan Ring rounded out the night with a sublime performance before an appreciative cosy crowd. Her one-person show is something special, showcasing her brilliant guitar-work, production and voice. She is a huge talent in, not just Sydney, but Australia’s scene and still not appreciated enough!
Saturday
If the last three days hadn’t been enough, The Factory Theatre put on an epic ‘South by Inner West’ day party on the Saturday that encouraged an early start to soak up the excellent line-up. On a glorious spring day, two stages rotated a stellar line-up of talent to, not just badge holders, but anyone who was keen! From local art-rockers Loose Fit to Melbourne post-punkers ENOLA, to These New South Whales, the day had a bit of everything, including a whole load of good drinks and people.
The stand-outs would have to be a rip-snorting set from Melbourne’s young brit-rockers Radio Free Alice, whose stage presence deservedly filled the room, a gorgeous and joyous set from Sydney’s Mega Fäuna and a visceral and crackling show from ENOLA, another representative of the bursting Melbourne post-punk scene.
If the mini-festival wasn’t enough, it was time to crack on to the Lord Gladstone for what would be a monumental evening and pinnacle of the festival.
The respect shown to First Nations artists in the curation, delivery and promotion of the conference was to be commended. In the shadow of the failed referendum, it was important to reflect on the result, but to also portray a united front from the punter to the promoter that things need to change in this country for all people to feel represented.
There were multiple opportunities for Indigenous artists to stand up and be proud of who they are, where they come from and how they feel about the state of the country, but none better than the final night at The Lord Gladstone with the “3% Present: Our People” event. The iconic Chippendale pub is not only a killer place for a beer and a tongue-wag, but a favourite haunt for the local Indigenous community and their art.
Barkaa was first off and showed just how important her music is right now. There’s no holding back – it’s angry, it’s vital and it’s important – but hey, you can still shake your booty to it!
With the pub at capacity and a crowd outside, US hip-hop sensation, Chance the Rapper, took the mic. The artist, who had earlier in the conference delivered a Q&A session to a huge audience, was now in a local Sydney pub and not only gave a warm shout-out to the Indigenous people, but introduced 11-year old rapping prodigy, Inkabee and his dad Flewnt. It was an awe-inspiring moment and the wave of energy flowed through the crowd as Inkabee delivered a set for the ages.
The theme of the night was not only a response to the ‘no’ result, but a call for empathy in a world gone mad. Dobby’s set, filled with searing, spitting raps referenced culture, respect and love. His ability to silence a packed room of people is inspiring and his passion towards his craft is noticeable. Yung Brother, a young rapper from Sydney, performed a burgeoning set, that would have felt nerve-wracking in the circumstances, because then the unthinkable occurred.
Already a night filled with passion and powerful performances, the best was yet to come. 3%, a brand-new collaboration between Nooky, Dallas Woods and Angus Field were to perform their debut show and there was a huge sense of anticipation. They entered with dark hoodies, the crowd parting to let them through and proceeded to deliver a short, but killer set of songs we’d never heard before which lead to the finale of ‘Our People’ a track that repurposes The Presets’ “My People” into something they’d probably never imagined. The crowd raised their fists to the sky in a clear sign of solidarity at the end of the memorable set, rounding out an iconic night at The Gladdy and a SXSW Sydney music programme that will take some bettering in future years.
The SXSW Sydney team went big for their inaugural event. It might have been the easy option to ease the Australian attendees into the concept over a few years, but with their first year, they’ve proven that the event can be grand in style and substance for years to come, with at least five of them locked in.
The key to 2024? Take a few days off and soak it all in, including the conference, the expo and the music. This is one event that will quickly become an important week in the calendar.
