The Aussie BBQ has become an institution of the annual SXSW calendar.
Organised by Stage Mothers, the event is now put on in four North American cities around the time of SXSW: Toronto (during CMW), New York City, Los Angeles and of course, here in Austin. The event showcases the best in Australian music – some who haven’t performed back in Australia for quite a while, now basing themselves in the US, and the rest in the midst of SXSW-timed North American tours.
Though supported by Sounds Australia in recent years, Stage Mothers are not a government initiative, just a couple of industry types (and their friends) who love supporting Australian music – and in this instance, specifically love showing it off to the world.
Now in its eighth year, The Aussie BBQ at SXSW grows and grows in every installment – this year the lineup features 36 artists, reading as a who’s who of Australian talent:
Cloud Control, The Jezabels, Washington, Wolf & Cub, An Horse, Bliss N Eso, Snob Scrilla, The Boat People, Wagons, The Chevelles, Dan Brodie & The Grieving Widows, Matt Corby, Dash & Will, Blue King Brown, Art Vs Science, DZ Deathrays, Operator Please, Andy Clockwise, Lenka, Boy & Bear, The Holidays, The Snowdroppers, The Novocaines and many many more.
Spread over 3 stages and 14 hours, these artists graced the intimate setting of Maggie Maes, as we enjoyed a glass or two of wine, some pies and burgers – and of course a nice cold beer. Thankfully, unlike last year, it was a beautifully warm day outside, as was the case for the entirety of SXSW.
Spending most of my day backstage doing interviews, I unfortunately didn’t get to catch too much of the music on offer, however a few performances did catch my eye in between chats with the artists (you can view these interviews, photos and more from Aussie BBQ's around the world here).
Natalie Pa’apa’a and her group Blue King Brown sounded particularly wonderful on the outdoor stage, jamming through a set which featured tracks off their latest record Worldwize, easily gaining one of the more enthusiastic responses from the crowd. Boy & Bear also received a warm ovation on the main stage, having been one of the more buzzed about Australian artists of the festival. It would be fair to expect that the Sydney band have a bit of a future abroad… The same could be said for The Holidays and Little Red who got tails wagging.
Over in the Gibson Room, I experienced The Cambodian Space Project for the first time. Led by singer Srey Thy, the Hobart band were unlike anything else on the Aussie BBQ lineup – bringing in a mix of a wide variety of genres to pay homage to music from ‘Cambodia’s Golden Age’ (1960s & 70s). It’s a fascinating take on concept of musical adaptation: keeping tracks alive with a modern tongue, “mixing 60’s Cambodian Rock with Khmer Surin dance grooves, hints of the blues with French gypsy accordion music, acid rock with reggae” (taken from their Unearthed page). Learn more about the band here: www.myspace.com/thecambodianspaceproject. Wagons, Matt Corby and The Snowdroppers were among the other highlights on the Gibson stage.
Down in the Club Room, Perth’s Injured Ninja were a joy to experience again. Having first caught them at the WAMi Festival a least year, it’s great to see them taking their experimental rock show on the road. It’s nothing short of hypnotic. Perth group The Chevelles were sounding great in the Club Room as well – having been in the game for over 20 years, these pop rockers know how to get it done. Brisbane was well represented on the stage as well, with DZ Deathrays and Hungry Kids of Hungary giving it their all, while The Boat People - or ‘The Boaties’, as they have affectionately come to be known - continue to show crowds what all the fuss is about.
Bliss N Eso closed up the day show on the main stage, getting back to their roots on the smaller stage. They seemed newly energized by the experience, and while it would have been far different than playing to a sold out crowd at the Hordern Pavilion, they certainly had some fans in that crowd, getting quite the rise out of quite a few in attendance.
For Aussies, the Aussie BBQ is an amazing opportunity to network with fellow Australians, and show off our own contributions to the Australian music community. It’s also a rare chance to see some of Australia’s largest bands perform in truly intimate surrounds – as international guests get to experience them for the first time. Indeed, it’s a first hand experience of a band going back to the basics, trying to win over a crowd without a radio hit. As always, we can’t wait to see who made their mark well enough to solidify a position on the international touring circuit…