'It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times...'

Alright, that is perhaps an exaggeration and I certainly mean NO OFFENSE to any band mentioned in this post. I also don't mean to sound ungrateful. Don't get me wrong, we saw some AWESOME AND AMAZINGLY TALENTED musical acts, but it was not the SXSW I was hoping for. From shuttle problems to logistical issues, missed meals to irate females, the entire week was one big roller coaster ride of highs and lows.

Always one of my favorite sights of SXSW

Our five days of FUN! began by waiting for our hotel room to be ready... the hotel room I booked way back in September 2013. After finally getting checked in we went down to catch the shuttle to the convention center. Little did we know that you could no longer ride the shuttle downtown and buy your pass at the convention center. After waiting for an hour we were informed upon the shuttle's arrival that we needed to have already purchased our passes prior to boarding. So, we missed the bus. Literally. This year they did not have ticket lotteries available to enter on-line and there was a 6pm deadline to enter the raffle for the JayZ/Kanye show. So, we hurriedly hoofed it the roughly 3 miles down to the convention center on foot. (By this time we had purchased our $80/pp 5-day shuttle pass, but we knew we didn't have time to waste waiting for it to come back around).

Fortunately our journey paid off when we later received not 1 but 3! messages stating we each were 'winners' and 'guaranteed entry' to this sure-to-be-a-hit-of-the-festival event.

Since we had not planned to be downtown Tuesday night we then tried to proceed with our original plans. However, by the time we had hiked back over to SoCo, the stores I most wanted to visit were closed for the evening. So, we continued on back to our hotel room (on foot) and managed to never ride the shuttle at all that day.

Wednesday morning found us missing the shuttle once again. So much for the QCode app. We had to cross a highway to a neighboring hotel in hopes of hitting it as it came back downtown. Freezing cold and no time for coffee, we finally made our way downtown bright and early and were able to snag some breakfast before Low Cut Connie's set at noon. Considering they'd had a 1am show the night before, I don't know who was worse for wear but you'd never know it by their high-energy, full-on performance. 

Click Photo to watch 'Brand New Cadillac'

As it was my first time to see them Live & In Person, I was tremendously curious to see what all of the fuss has been about. I was surprised to learn that not only do they travel with their own piano, but Adam is just as entertaining in person as he is on paper.

Click Photo to watch 'Boozophilia'

 The Connie Boys left quite an impression and set a high standard for the rest of the Fest's acts to live up to.

On to Lime Cordiale, another fantastic band I was super curious to hear in person. Caught up with these Aussie boys for a quick interview after their first set of SXSW. Infectious, upbeat tunes brought to life by beautiful boys with accents- yes, please.

Click Photo to watch an Exclusive Video Interview with Oli & Louis from Lime Cordiale

That afternoon we hit the SXSW Session with Blondie. An informative hour where band mates Debbie Harry, Clem Burke and Chris Stein discussed what it was like to explore different genres in the context of Blondie and how the lines have blurred so much now between bands and audiences 'you can't make a big enough fool of yourself.' (A point repeatedly enforced all week by the 'Keynote' speaker, Lady Gaga).

After that we grabbed a sandwich and went to wait in line for Kanye/Jay Z! Four hours later we were 4 persons short of actually entering the building as Kanye started up inside the venue. Despite being 'guaranteed entry' with our winning wristbands (a detail which was enforced via megaphone several times throughout the hours we spent waiting in line), fire marshals had deemed the venue at capacity and we went to one in/one out rules. Eventually we did make it in from the cold and caught the majority of the duo's insanely tight set.

Now I don't want to piss Mr. West off by saying that his cube on the floor of the venue was ultimately the reason several hundred other folks were eventually turned away, but I'm pretty sure it was his cube on the floor that took up that space where those people could have been standing. Nevertheless, it was pretty mind blowing when he came up through the top of the cube mid-show and performed 'Runaway' and 'Stronger' on top of it.

Click Photo to watch a snippet of 'Stronger'.

Sadly, we returned to our hotel that night to learn of the accident that had befallen a crowd of unsuspecting Fest attendees when a drunk driver being chased by Austin police from a DUI checkpoint ran through barricades and into them. Two persons died and over 20 others were injured in this horrific event that cast a pall over the rest of the festival.

Thursday we attended an afternoon SXSW session 'Marketing Band Perception' with BP Fallon, Bob Gruen, and a few other well-known rock photog's.

What, overall, was a very interesting and informative look at the in's and out's of photographing musicians and bands unraveled in the last five minutes when one of the panel members took offense to my man's question regarding album cover art work. She proceeded to unload on him in front of a crowd full of people about how 'offended' she was that he would ask a question like that. And although she later apologized to him via email, her outburst was unwarranted, unprofessional and certainly unexpected in that setting.

In an attempt to shed the bad juju of that public smack down, we sought out The Ghost Wolves show at The Owl Gallery. Quite a saunter from the convention center area, we passed the Texas State Cemetery which was pretty cool to see and finally made it to catch (literally) the last 30 seconds of their set. Apparently they weren't having the best time of it either as Carley had caught a cold and lost her voice, but I was able to pick up some of their vinyl which they so kindly signed for me.

On to The Strypes show, one of the most hyped (and deservedly so) acts of the Fest, these young men rocked our faces off, offering a somewhat welcome reprieve over the weird turn of our afternoon.

Click Photo to watch 'What the People Don't See'

Click Photo to watch live concert footage

A second dose of Lime Cordiale show capped off our evening. They appeared a bit more relaxed and were able to expand their set a bit, adding about 5 or 6 additional songs we hadn't heard on Wednesday.

Friday we (thankfully) skipped the Not-a-Keynote Q&A with Lady Gaga. After reading of the girl puking (as 'performance art') on her during the Thursday night Stubbs showcase, we were pretty over her antics and theatrics. And after learning John Norris (formerly of MTV) was the fan-boy host of the event, we were even more appreciative of the extra sleep we managed to get instead. Finally made it downtown (again, shuttle delays) and managed to grab a slice before heading over to the Dog & Duck to catch BP Fallon & The Ghost Wolves set. Saw a few other cool bands there including these guys...

 
Of course, didn't manage to catch their names but if anyone knows who they are please do tell.












Now this was actually my very first time to see BP in person so I was quite excited and he did not disappoint.

Click Photo to watch 'Increasingly Often'

Performing 'Fame #9/ I Believe in Elvis Presley', 'The War to Fight for Love' and signing off with 'Increasingly Often'- I was set. From the Dog & Duck we headed over to Waterloo (otherwise known as 'Heaven on Earth'). After drooling over vinyl for a bit we headed back down into the thick of it attempting to see The Grizzled Mighty, a band highly recommended to me by my good friend and new-to-me music advisor, Jen Hume Ludolf. Unfortunately, their set was majorly delayed and although we did witness some disturbing Steampunk Burlesque and a really great band called Bond & Bentley, I couldn't take the crowd and people anymore, so we went back to the solitude of our hotel to regroup. There's always one point during SXSW where we look at each other and are just DONE with it- this was that point.

Saturday we woke up to a steady, pounding Texas rain. And to word that our ride to Third Man Records SXSW Pop Up Store was no longer a go. After scrambling for several hours to find transportation over there (I HAD to see Pujol, we'd missed all of his other SXSW shows) we managed to bribe a different shuttle company driver to hitch us over there. A few tears and $50 later we were finally at Third Man. Well, the Austin version of Third Man. I know I give them a hard time over stuff (like selling in Whole Foods) but honestly, this was one of the best events we were at the entire time we were in Texas.

A full-on  pop up store complete with limited vinyl and goodies, free beer, a great line up of bands that started on time and had great sound. What more could you ask for?

Oh, and they were even selling ice cream and bacon-wrapped hot dogs in the parking lot! Ran into a lot of friends and had a great time overall.

Not only did we catch great performances from Pujol and Natural Child but also became acquainted with a new-to-me band, Blind Shake, who were AMAZING and a really surprising treat in Kelley Stoltz's set. Not only is he super talented and groovy, but his incredibly entertaining stories in between songs were really endearing. It made for a sweet end to our time at SXSW.

Click Photo to watch Kelley Stoltz perform 'I Remember You Were Wild'

Sunday we encountered the typical travel bullshit that makes you never want to leave your house again- flight delay, random TSA search, broken escalators, broken baggage carousels. Not to mention we found out Scott Asheton had passed away, and Wayne Knight had hoaxedly died. We finally made it home 4 hours later than planned to my sweet puppy dog who had a complete fucking break down upon our arrival. Ahhhhhhhhh.

So, unlike years' past I'm not already dreaming of next year's SXSW... and don't think it will happen for us in 2015. In fact, we've made a vow- Never.Again. Famous last words, I know. We'll see. The founder of the decades-old event passed away in 2012 and unfortunately I think we fell victim to some of the fall out of new organizers trying to effectively put on a Fest of this magnitude. Which, to be fair, is to be expected. There were many bands I wanted to see more of and we just couldn't make it to while we were there. If we didn't live so far away and had better transport while in Austin it wouldn't have been as big of a deal. But, as we are just normal folks dedicating our hard-earned vacation dollars to funding this adventure, it makes a difference to the overall experience. Next year I'm thinking... Beach.

Lime Cordiale Wraps up Their SXSW Debut, Prepares for California Tour

Lime Cordial-  a mixture of concentrated lime and sugar, sometimes used as a mixer for a cocktail.

Lime Cordiale- a Sydney-based pop band fronted by beautiful brothers Oli & Louis Leimbach.

Photo Courtesy of Big Picture Media

Boasting a strong fan-following Down Under, the boys have recently debuted in the U.S. market with their sophomore EP "Falling Up the Stairs" (produced by Daniel Denholm, Midnight Oil). Featuring hits 'Bullshit Aside' and 'Sleeping at Your Door', Lime Cordiale prove to be extremely POP & FUN. With their catchy riffs & clever lyrics, Lime Cordiale provides a welcome & much needed change from the majority of pop at the fore-front of today's music scene. 

They initially brought to mind a No Doubt/ Madness kind of ska/ reggae vibe mixed in with some early Sting/Police. That said, these boys have a truly distinct sound all of their own- I promise you won't be able to keep yourself from grooving. And would I lie to you?

I recently had a chance to catch up with this hard-working band after their Big Picture Media Showcase at the Thirsty Nickel in Austin, TX for SXSW 2014. Here's what they had to say...

Click Photo above to watch an Exclusive Video Interview with Oli & Louis

Preparing for a Slew of SXSW Showcases, BP Fallon 'Rambles On' with Me About This, That & the Other

Photo by Christopher Durst

Yes. That BP Fallon. If you know the man of which I speak, you've probably been to some amazing parties . If you don’t know of him, here’s as brief an introduction as I could manage…

BP began his star-studded, globe-trotting career as a young broadcaster in Ireland. Fast forward to a position with Apple Records (yes, that Apple Records) to acting as publicist for the likes of T Rex, Thin Lizzy and LED ZEPPELIN, he’s spent his life immersed in music.

Photo by Bob Gruen, with Jimmy Page

He’s authored a few best-selling books, he’s DJ’d here and there, he’s managed & guru’d, he’s Wang Dang Doodled and Choogled about with the best of them.  

Never one to sit idle, he recently launched his own musical career. A 2009 spoken-word, 3-sided single,  TMR 022 ("Fame #9/ BP Fallon Interview by Jack White/ I Believe in ElvisPresley") released via Jack White and Third Man Records introduced Fallon in his new role of songster.

Photo by Jo McCaughey

It was followed by a crowd-funded 2012 LP release "Still Legal" with the Bandits- comprised of Aaron Lee Tasjan (guitar), Nigel Harrison (bass) and Clem Burke (drums). 

Photo by Christopher Durst

Spanning the gamut of love/lust/sin to more universally cosmic issues, Fallon’s first full-length foray into song-writing proves thoughtful and considered while rocking your socks off to no end. 

As one does. 

Mr. Fallon has so kindly agreed to elaborate on some of his life experiences here with us…. 

It’s my understanding that you started recording music a few years ago... in fact, I've read that you say we should 'blame Jack White' for starting your recording career’. So I’m curious, how did this project with The Bandits and the ‘Still Legal’ album come about? Was it something you had previously had in mind, or did it organically evolve?

After recording the 45 with Jack White - his idea - I figured I had what most groups would sell their soul for ie a record produced by the coolest guy in rock'n'roll who also plays guitar on it, on one of the coolest record labels... so I thought, in a moment of madness, 'I should have a band'. Three phone calls to three friends later - to Clem Burke the drummer in Blondie in LA and Nigel Harrison who used to be the bass guitarist in Blondie and Aaron Lee Tasjan who played with The New York Dolls in South America, both of these cats in New York - I had a band. Then I sat there thinking 'My God, what have I done now?!'  So we wrote some songs in New York and then met up in Austin - which has become something of a spiritual home - and rehearsed in Kathy Valentine's house and then played at SXSW 2010. Then I figured 'We should make an album' and we did, near Austin at Red Horse Ranch Studio. It was wonderful, we just moved in and my pal Ian McLagan from the Small Faces/Faces joined us to play Hammond organ. Thus, 'Still Legal'. I'm so lucky to have these exemplary musicians who are also my friends. Ian, he says 'I know BP from before he had a hat'. And he does.

How did the Pledge Music campaign factor in? Would you recommend it to artists as a fund-raising technique?

Pledge Music was brilliant. We couldn't have made 'Still Legal' off our own bat without Pledge. Pledge - like Kickstarter and all the crowd-funding schemes - is driven by the audience and it's the audience that decides whether the project will happen or not. And people were very kind, like Bob Gruen donating limited edition prints of Jimmy Page and I on Led Zeppelin's plane Starship a hundred years ago and his prints of The Bandits' very first gig. John Paul Jones gave us permission to use as a Pledge reward a track on which I'd made my recording debut in 1964 with me playing finger-cymbals and him playing everything else except the drums, which were played by Ian McGarry of Bluesville. Google 'You Turn Me On' by Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville.  (Iggy & The Stooges guitarist) James Williamson saw on Facebook that we were doing the Pledge thing and offered his services to help. 'A Guitar Lesson By James Williamson' was sold boom! just like that and the guy who paid for it wrote and said it was the best day of his life ever. So Pledge allowed us to make the CDs with the great booklet designed by Steve Averill and - at United Record Pressing in Nashville which Jack White had hipped me to, they do all the Third Man Records pressings - make the LPs. When I had this 12" vinyl in my hands, that's when it hit home, 'Good Lord, we've made an album!' So, yes, Pledge is fabulous. 

What/ how was your first live gig? Was it something you were nervous for or did you just feel that it was destined to be?

It felt amazing and equally it felt normal, same as when I cut 'I Believe In Elvis Presley' with Jack White. In other words, it didn't feel weird. Incredible buzz but very natural. And at our first gig it was a gas to look out and see Bob Gruen and Lenny Kaye grooving at the front. Lenny's since played with us a bunch of times, a great honor for me. Once we were playing at the post-SXSW party at Red Horse Ranch - we're playing there again this year - and I'm singing 'Van And Gloria' which namechecks Eric Burdon and The Animals playing at The Club A Go Go in Newcastle yonks ago and I look out and there's Eric Burdon bopping away. You do go 'This is far-out', which it is. Or I was doing a gig with The Ghost Wolves backing me - they're fantastic, cool to the max - and you see Jerry Hall grooving and later she tells you how she'd called her ex-husband to rave about the gig and he'd said 'Oh, I know him'. So you get into this zone where reality and unreality embrace and it's beautiful, very high. It's a gas to be making music and I give thanks. 

You once described Johnny Thunders as 'self-obsessed like any artist'. In working on this album, with your band, have you noticed any of those traits emerging in yourself? How have you found songwriting? Had you ever tried it before? What became your process?

Ah, Johnny, God bless him. I love him, you know. No, not sexually (laughs) but because he was a lovely man - as well as being so talented as a guitar-player, as a songwriter, as a singer. Just brilliant. But... (long pause)... smack doesn't work and for Johnny it became a nightmare. Just Say Know. 

Songwriting? It's magic, a form of divining. You go into a room with nothing and angels willing you came out with something you can share with the world. I always carry with me a little policeman's notebook and a pen and for years I'd be writing down these lines, ideas, what someone said. And I never knew why I was doing this. Now I know. 

Following my first listen to 'Still Legal', I came away from it with a very cosmic vibe- a more large-scale commentary on 'flow' if you will… a message of personal metamorphosis and growth, not letting time sit idle because it’s fleeting, etc. Although the album and its contents obviously have other themes as well, I have to say this one that has stuck with me the most. Has this always been an important concept to you or is it one that you’ve awakened to more recently?

I've always been conscious that every moment that's a good vibe is to be treasured. The bad stuff... well, it's better to have it behind you than in front so in order for that to happen sometimes the crap has to be in the now. Healing hurts but it redeems too. 

Along the same lines, from some of your material I read that it is important to you to 'be here now'. I think that's a struggle many people face on a daily basis. Do you struggle with that or do you find it's something that comes easily to you?

Well, there's nowhere else to be than the now. The past is gone and the future is hypothetical. Yes, the past shapes the now and the now shapes the future, the same way that the manner in which you flick the paint brush determines how it'll look on the canvas. So it's often a matter of sync or sink. 

Your Green Series release (‘Fame #9/ I Believe in Elvis Presley) through Third Man Records is actually one of my favorites (next to Edgar Oliver’s ‘In the Park/ Light and Hunger’). Did you have notes going into it or did it all evolve in the studio?

Like I say, I'd been scribbling down things in my notebook without knowing why. So when Jack White invited me to collaborate on making a record, I already had 'I Believe In Elvis Presley', the lyrics and the tune - and Aaron Lee Tasjan came up with that catchy guitar riff which makes it truly special. The spoken word piece 'Fame #9' I wrote on the plane from New York to Nashville but by mistake I left it on the plane  in Nashville so in Jack's studio I recited it as I remembered it in my head.

In it, especially ‘Fame #9’, you make some very accurate and honest observations of Fame. You’ve also seen a lot of Fame play out from more of a ‘working’ capacity. How did those experiences and observations prepare you for your own personal ‘15 minutes, especially following that release?

When I was still a schoolboy in Ireland, every Saturday I was on television talking about the new record releases, the show 'Pickin' The Pops', would the record be a hit or a miss, y'know? Television - black and white television - was in its infancy in Ireland and when I walked around people, um, noticed me. 'Ireland's most controversial television personality' was one newspaper headline - this is 1964 - because I had what people considered long hair and because I said what I thought. Then when I was working with Marc Bolan and with Led Zeppelin in England, the papers would write about me because they thought I was wild, that I was a colorful fellow. So folk noticing me... I'm used to it. It comes with the gig of being me. 

Your life history and experiences are simply amazing. As far as writing goes, will we ever see a written account of some of your tales?

We'll see.

If you had one piece of advice to give your younger self, what would it be?

Very good question. I've never really panicked much but if I did it'd be "Don't Panic'.

I see that you’re on the 2014 SXSW schedule again, along with the Bandits. Can we expect to see any new material? Any chance you’ll sit in with The Ghost Wolves again?
Maximum namedrop moment: John Lennon, bless him, told me "The Plastic Ono Band is Everyone" and thus I too became a member, appearing in John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band twice on television, once banging a tambourine and another time pretending to play bass guitar. Now I wouldn't dream of comparing our combo to him but yes, everyone is in BP Fallon & The Bandits and also we don't believe in segregation between ourselves and the audience, we're all in this together. Like I mentioned, Lenny Kaye has been a Bandit in Austin and in New York and in Ireland. Sean Lennon has drummed with us, Cara Delevingne has sung backing vocals. And last year at SXSW, Clem and Nigel and Aaron and I, us Bandits, at our live gigs we were joined on stage by Scott Asheton the drummer from The Stooges and Barrie Cadogan who plays guitar in Primal Scream. This year at SXSW Clem will be playing with Blondie and their schedule is very tight - so BP Fallon & The Bandits will be BP Fallon & The Ghost Wolves who are Carley on guitar and Jonny on drums and they're incredible. Carley, well... she's incredibly sexy, almost feral, and Jonny's the coolest. Plus you never know who'll join us! I'm very very excited. 

Photo by Brian Birzer, courtesy of KUTX

So much thanks & appreciation to BP for participating in this Q&A!

BP can be found this coming week in Austin, TX performing with the #SXSW14 version of the Bandits, otherwise known as The Ghost Wolves! (a sincerely rocking band in their own right)

Showcases are as follows: Wed March 12th @ 10.15pm - Official SXSW Showcase at Red 7 

Thurs March 13th @ 2:00pm - Official SXSW Panel: 'The Band Portrait - Marketing'Perception'

Fri March 14th @ 2:50pm - Dog & Duck 

Fri March 14th 7.30pm- BP Fallon added to Richard Barone's SXSW Tribute Concert For Lou Reed at The Paramount Theater in Austin

Sat March 15th @ 5pm - Casinos South

Sat March 15th @ 6pm - Maria's Taco Xpress  

Sun March 16th @ afternoon - Red Horse Ranch 

Sun March 16th @ 6:30pm - The Continental (Alejandra Escovedo's show :)

Also, be sure to check out this co-shared post over on our WaxOHolics page for exclusive info where BP answers the Top Five WaxO's Gotta Know questions!