Texan festival is known for making or breaking acts
A roster of new acts hoping to export their British brand of music to big-spending audiences across the Atlantic are heading to the Texas city of Austin this week to play their hearts out in bar-room gigs that could help them make it big in America.
The South by Southwest festival, acknowledged as the biggest international melting pot for new ideas in technology, film and music, is seen as a rite of passage for bands trying to crack the lucrative American market, luring dozens of emerging acts, many on the brink of emerging as household names at home.
Among those packing their six-strings and swagger will be the Vaccines, a four-man troupe of indie rockers from London; Chapel Club, a downbeat rock band touted by the NME; and Leeds alt-rockers Dinosaur Pile-Up, who have already notched up success touring with the Pixies.
While some of SXSW's tiny venues would make Britain's pub stages look cavernous, those making the trip will be following in the footsteps of acts such as Muse, Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, who all enjoyed wider success after Austin. And while names such as Pulled Apart by Horses and Lower than Atlantis might be alien to mainstream audiences here, their British origins should lend them exotic kudos in Texas, while also offering them the possibility to schmooze with rock royalty such as Queens of the Stone Age and the Strokes.
To further help their cause, music industry promoters will generate a buzz around the 40-odd acts heading to Austin with a "British Music Embassy" stage, although they have been robbed of their prize act due to injury. Anna Calvi, hotly tipped for future success after her self-titled debut album scored five-star reviews, has pulled out after hurting her wrist and hand.
"Perhaps that's for the best," the Los Angeles Times's music blog said in weary acknowledgement of the blind adulation that often greets British acts. "The rock crit press was ready to name her the breakout artist of 2011 without even seeing her perform."
During daylight hours, SXSW might not seem an obvious destination for those seeking the rock'n'roll big time. The event appears to proceed much like any large convention with thousands of delegates meeting in the Austin Convention Centre to visit the Exhibition for Creative Industries or joining panel discussions. At night, however, SXSW transforms into a hub for hundreds of international musical acts appearing on more than 80 stages across the city. It also hosts a film festival with a programme that showcases the latest and boldest documentaries and features.
Friday night saw the premiere of David Calek's controversial documentary Heaven Hell, a defence of sexual bondage. More conventional entertainment was available at the Paramount Theatre for the festival debut of British director Duncan Jones's surreal new thriller Source Code, in which Jake Gyllenhaal plays an air force captain who finds himself inside the body of another man.
Other performers and musicians will be converging on Austin on Monday. Appearing this week are the Black Lips, the "flower punks" from Atlanta, Georgia, known for their boisterous live performances. DJ Diplo will also be appearing, as will Midlake, who are backing John Grant, the musician whose last album, Queen of Denmark, was rated as one of the best of 2010.
This weekend, stars invited to the technology festival to debate the dawn of the next age range from the creators of the world's most successful computer games and social networks to Craig Venter, the man who mapped the human genome code.
? If you want to follow the bands on the bill at SXSW online, the Observer and the Guardian have joined up with Google, Last.fm, Soundcloud, Amazon, MusicBrainz and YouTube to create an index of every band playing. Go to www.guardian.co.uk/culture/sxsw
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