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Post by Shannon on Mar 14, 2008 17:15:57 GMT
wow, you guys are getting a great impression of americans, huh? just so you know, not all of us are racist fast-food eating morons love the tour blog, keep them coming!
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Post by Tova on Mar 14, 2008 17:19:14 GMT
Sorry, the flights were delayed!!! But they are going to be there at 12:30 at the convention center today when you are there. The guy that is in charge of the label for WMG is going to be there for sure along with Ty Roberts and George White. Fear not! They will be there! George's assistant knows to make sure he is there, okay? Good luck! Well, you go on in 14 minutes from now so it's not like you are going to read this before hand. I wish I was there. Come to San Francisco and you guys can stay at my house. No crack houses around there. Tova
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Post by FireSka on Mar 14, 2008 21:30:31 GMT
Yeah, the boys are really getting a horrible impression of Austin from what I've read... that's unfortunate because Austin is such a beautiful and clean city. SXSW does transform it somewhat from what it's normally like... I think they need a better host and to explore outside of the downtown area.
Also, cabs and busses in the states (except for many New York and L.A.) are expected to be dirty and full of weird people, including strange cab drivers. Most people don't take cabs here. In fact, I'd say a good 90% of the people who take cabs in Austin are tourists. ... also sounds like they are staying in East Austin (the "driving by strip clubs and crack houses" bit)... East Austin is completely different from most of the city and is the worst area. It's really low-income and ghetto. It's really unfortunate you guys have to stay in that area!
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Post by delorentos on Mar 15, 2008 15:07:48 GMT
Thursday 13th Gig: Irish Breakfast, BD Riley's
When we got up at around 11 i had a shower and had breakfast in the kitchen with Ame and her baby daughter Azelia. When i put the milk into my cheerios two dead crickets rose to the surface of the bowl. I gagged and left it aside. I decided against any more and called a taxi to get us into 6th street for the Music from Ireland showcase for one o'clock. At half one the taxi hadn't arrived, so our host Ame's sister Amber kindly dropped us into the city and we got there late. The venue was packed and Cathy Davey and her band were in the middle of a great set. We watched her for a while and then brought the gear through the crowd into the back and set ourselves up for the gig, tuning guitars and drums and checking all the various equipment. There's a lot of bands on at this showcase so when the band before us finished we quickly arranged ourselves and started into the first song, She's So Modern, which thankfully sounded good. I began to settle, and then, i broke a string. Pulling the string off in frustration caused a whale of feedback and i felt like just throwing the guitar out the window and going for a lie down. When the song finished i picked my spare, which stupidly I'd forgot to tune. The next song started and i tried to tune and sing to no avail, so I couldn't play guitar at all. In line with the rest of this tour, this gig had to be a rollercoaster, so after i'd tuned up properly, things started clicking again, and it began to feel good, and i relaxed. Phew. After the gig, it was clear that the people that didn't come last night were here today, and i spent a bit of time chatting to various people all the while trying to sneak a glance at their laminate to see who they were. At SxSW there are three classes of people - the people with laminates (no queueing for gigs! free booze!), the artists (admission to gigs and some free booze) and the general punter (pays for stuff as they go). No matter who you are everyone looks at everyone else's laminate to see if they're important. The laminate folks talking to use were very friendly anyway, so it was ok.
We hung around afterwards and watched great sets by the other bands, it was a really good lineup, and then went back and got burgers in the same place as yesterday. There's a lovely atmosphere around the streets, lots of attractive indie kids excitedly seeing their current favourite band and lots discovering new ones. We split up and I went off to watch some bands i'd written little x's beside. Popup from Glasgow were really good, but couldn't understand them as the singer talked so fast. I saw another band called Pete & the Pirates but they weren't great. The venue was packed though, so lots of others seemed to like them. Fair play to them i say. The streets were packed and all manner of folks were wandering around, some selling, some singing, and lots just looking. I talked to a friendly guy who offered to help me save my soul. I told him i was ok with my soul's current level of damnation. He followed me around for a while. I hid down an alley. Later that night we sat by the houses' pool and heard details on who'd come to see us and what they'd thought. Tomorrow's lunchtime gig in the convention centre was our last time to impress and we were looking forward to it. As we sat in the dark looking up at the clear night sky listening to the sound of crunk from the affordable housing scheme across the road it felt like all the hassle was beginning to be worth it.
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Post by guest on Mar 15, 2008 20:00:09 GMT
One of you didnt smash a mirror over a black cats heads under a ladder indoors holding an unfolded umbrella before this trip did you?
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Post by delorentos on Mar 17, 2008 13:33:48 GMT
Friday 13th Gig: Day Cafe, Austin Convention Centre
We got the bus in early to our gig in the convention centre and set up our stuff. It was a pretty weird place to be playing, especially when we had folks along to see us, but we didn't think about it and tried to treat it like any other gig. The band before us was a Russian mountain band, and they played bells, bongo's and did kinda throat singing. I didn't really know what to make of it. We had a five minute changeover so we jumped up, set up, and started straight into it. Our stage time was at half twelve so there was lots of yawning laminate wearers wandering around dizzily squinting at us when we started. The venue is like a factory canteen, complete with little cafe, but we gave it our best and actually kinda enjoyed it despite the weirdness. Afterwards we gave out the rest of the cd's we'd brought over and chatted to the people who'd stuck around to say hello. One lady wanted us to play for the American troops in Honduras. Another was a blogger who wanted us to describe the gig entirely in emotions. I didn't really know what that meant. I said i was hungry. He didn't think it was funny. there was also a few industry folks there so after we'd packed up we went to the Four Seasons acoustic brunch and sat in the hot sun on the grass drinking. Today was apparently the hottest March day in four decades, and we had to move to the shade because it was so bright. We spoke to lots of cool folks and thankfully it was all very relaxed.
When we finished we grabbed some food and then strolled around getting presents for people back home and talked about the trip. Poor Nial couldn't think with the heat so we got a bus back into town and went to Stubb's to watch a few bands and relax. Stubb's is the biggest SxSW Venue, a natural amphitheater by the river, and a cool place to watch bands. They're famous for their barbecue, but i don't know why, the thing we got last time tasted like dog food. As i had a $30 bottle of Bailey's (for our host family) hidden in my bag, i tried to sneak past the bag check, but i got stopped and had to go around the corner and stash it 'til after the gig. Stashing a bottle of spirits in a city centre where there are thousands of people (and lots of tramps) is pretty difficult and i didn't hold up any hope that it'd be there later, but i certainly wasn't going to see it thrown in a barrel. We stood about drinking and chatting to Conor and Ross from Cathy's band. We saw the drummer from Kings of Leon and Ro went over and had a chat. We also saw the Pigeon Detectives. We left them alone. Of the bands onstage The ting tings and Santogold were ok, but MGNT were brilliant. At 11 we went to the Irish showcase in the Soho lounge and watched Cathy Davey and Fight like apes again. They were both great, but i preferred their sets in the BD Riley's the day before, i guess for the intimacy of that venue. Earlier in the day I'd tried to swap our flights so we could stay an extra day in Austin, but unfortunately tonight was our last night and we have to fly home tomorrow. To have played such a great festival is fantastic, and despite all the messing that went on for the rest of the trip, its been totally worth it. Hanging around with the others bands and crew everyone was in high spirits, so it was a shame to say goodbye, but walking down sixth street through the carnival of musicians, entertainers, fire eaters and madly dressed hobo's i promised myself i would make it back again. soon. When i made it back to the spot where I'd hid the bottle, mercifully, it was there. Our luck had finally turned around.
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Post by klaartje on Mar 17, 2008 17:11:32 GMT
Did I tell you the story about the Pigeon Detective singer grabbing my ass? ...oh well...
Glad to hear you finally had some luck.
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Post by guest on Mar 18, 2008 14:21:43 GMT
Our luck had finally turned around. And on friday the 13th and all
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jennie
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Post by jennie on Mar 18, 2008 16:23:50 GMT
Our luck had finally turned around. And on friday the 13th and all Even though Friday was the 14th..? I know this as it was international Pi day.. (3/14) ;D
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Post by guest on Mar 18, 2008 17:39:12 GMT
And on friday the 13th and all Even though Friday was the 14th..? I know this as it was international Pi day.. (3/14) ;D The post had friday the 13th at the top. It's Delorentos's fault It was also steak and blowjob day
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Post by Baglady on Mar 18, 2008 23:06:24 GMT
The Delos blogs are infamous bow... they were being discussed on the Bellx1 forum(The Bellies tour bus ended up on fire) Whatever happened to the luck of the Irish??
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Post by Nutzy on Mar 20, 2008 17:19:56 GMT
Jaysus boys ye had a pretty tought time realy....
how are yes now? hope yer all ok! X
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Post by delorentos on Apr 2, 2008 20:45:27 GMT
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Post by Griff on May 14, 2008 21:29:45 GMT
i was just readingthis again, its cool
i hope they do it for all their tours
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Post by inlovewithdetail on Jul 21, 2008 9:17:52 GMT
I eh umm well..... what the hell
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