Earlier this month, the music ascended on Austin, Texas for the annual, non-stop festival known as South by Southwest (SXSW). With conferences, trade shows, shows, and other events happening across 10 days, SXSW is known to attract some of the best and brightest names in music, film and gaming all looking to gain great exposure. One of those many bands who attended this years event were Leeds noisenik rock and roll quintet Fizzy Blood.
As they ventured Stateside for the first time, we asked the band to tell us what they learnt from their time at SXSW. Seizing the moment, embracing the land of the free and more…
1. Forget America as a whole, SXSW is the land of the free! If you keep your ear to ground it’s very easy to find free food and drinks all day.
2. Don’t worry if you miss your favourite band or you can’t get in. They’re probably playing again down the street 2 hours later.
3. This one’s for people coming from further afield: The jet lag is real, and the heat can be a real shock to the system, so try to keep water with you and sleep when you can.
4. Everyone is open to meeting everyone else. Eye contact is a good enough reason to start a conversation there and you never know what crazy situations a chance encounter and a “yeah, fuck it!” will lead you to.
5. No one smokes rollies, so you better get used to those hench Pall Malls.
6. Cops with rifles on horseback is a thing.
7. The ultimate hangover cure is a Denny’s Grand Slam.
8. “No, I don’t want your mixtape, I’m just trying to buy a Big Gulp.“
9. TIP YOUR WAITER/WAITRESS.
10. You’ve got one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment; would you capture it, or just let it slip?
You can catch Fizzy Blood in the UK on the following dates:
April
20 The Star Inn, Guildford^
21 Hope, Brighton^
23 Two Pigs, Cheltenham^
27 Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow^
29 Live Rooms, Chester^
30 Live At Leeds
May
28 – 29 Sound City Festival, Liverpool
^ with Max Raptor
