Thousands of bands from every country under the sun are readying themselves for the soon-to-beupon- us Austin music convention South by Southwest, more commonly known as SXSW. It’s a unique festival that divides opinion within the industry but is still thriving 32 years on from its first event. Back in 1987, there were around 700 registrants and artists, and there are now over 75,000. Headliners and established artists such as Snoop, Springsteen, Nile Rodgers, Garth Brooks, Erykah Badu and The Flaming Lips share stages with new heroes Shame, Idles and Ezra Furman etc; last year, older indie artists like The Wedding Present performed, in what is the fastest-growing city in America. And yet it still provides a unique opportunity for unsigned bands to perform, in the hope of finding an agent, a promoter, a publisher, a publicist or indeed a record label.
SXSW is a lot more than just a music festival. SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive are now as successful as the music, and this year the three elements will again take over the city from 8-17 March.