My band is playing South By Southwest this March and we are scraping our piggy banks just to get there. Conventional wisdom says that we should be trying to use the opportunity to get a PR person and find the right unofficial parties and get the right people to come to our showcase for it to be worthwhile. Can anyone recommend a PR person who knows SXSW well or has any other realistic advice about the whole thing? I've been many times to hear bands, but it's a whole new headache to get across the world and play there. I'm also looking for someone to rent equipment from (drums, guitar amp, bass amp) so if anyone knows a cheap way to do that, especially if they are in Houston, please share. We are planning on flying into Houston and playing there and Corpus before Austin. Thanks.
I can't answer any of your questions (lol sorry), but what's the name of your band? If y'all make it to SXSW I'd love to check it out. Gotta support fellow Clutchfans!
congrats on getting in...not an easy feat these days! what is the name of your band? ive played the festival a few times and used to work for sxsw judging submissions. my experience was that the showcase set was not as fun as the free shows. everything is very rushed from set-up to your actual set. you might be dealing with a soundman that is from sxsw and not the actual venue you are playing at, so they are unfamiliar w/ getting a good sound in that room. parking/load-in/loud-out can be a logistical pain in the ass. i would suggest trying to play as many day parties as possible. thats where its at! check this website...www.showlistaustin.com. in the coming weeks you will start to see all the free day shows listed and many of them will have links to hosts. if you see something that your band might be a good fit for start contacting them and ask if you can play. cant hurt!
Thanks jo mama, I just repped you. The band is called Kids From Nowhere. Our site is here. I'm still biting my nails worrying about the drummer getting his visa from the US.But as long as that clears, we should be coming. I'm also trying to get dates in other Texas towns before SXSW. So far, I'm a bit daunted by the cost of equipment rental, like $100-$200 a day for drums. Is that normal?
listening now. good stuff dude! the first song (biscuits) doesnt waste any time! i like it from the start - somewhere b/t pixies and zz-top! really like your lead guitar player! i have a couple friends that put on day shows...one might be filled up already, but the other should have an opening. the only thing is that it is in the parking lot of a pawn shop north of UT and when ive been there attendance has been pretty sparse. he usually doesnt book it till a couple weeks before so let me know if you dont find anything else and might be interested - i can probably get you on there. not surprised drum rental is that much, especially during sxsw. i happen to play drums so if you cant get your drummer over here let me know...id definitely be interested in filling in!
