I’m a total SXSW stan. I first went to the Austin event about twenty years ago, and it’s been one of my favourite places to be ever since. The sheer amount of live music on offer combined with the amount you can learn about the wider industry, never ceases to amaze me. It’s Disneyland for music dorks like me.
I’ve not been to Austin in a while now though, so I’m positively giddy with joy that the festival’s first foray outside of Texas is being held here in Sydney. Back in the day, when I was based in Scotland, I used to blog a fair bit about which British bands were playing at SXSW. Since I’m now living in Australia, I figured I’d do a similar thing except with a focus on which emerging, independent, and DIY Australian bands are playing this year’s inaugural Sydney event.
In the months leading up to the event, the list of artists playing gets released and updated in batches – the latest list of artists confirmed is on the SXSW site (the most important URL of the event). However, what I’ll try and add is a bit of filtering and focus and context to the artists that are playing, as they get announced. I’m planning on banging on about the bands, plus a few more bits about the city and some useful local knowledge, plus I’ll no doubt do something dorky with some bits of data.
Of course, when it comes time for the event itself, I’ll be barrelling around the city at a million miles an hour trying to see as much as humanly possible and regretting that there is only one of me. Can’t wait.
All of the stuff I’m doing around SXSW Sydney 2023 will be here