Saturday review

Light hearted frivolity is the general consensus of today’s gigs at Emo’s, and cheeky London boys The Holloways are part of the onslaught of British acts currently invading SXSW. They have a chirpy rhythmic base that holds their songs together brilliantly, and share plenty of similarities with another British group playing this year’s SXSW; The Fratellis. It’s the same punchy, happy-go-lucky chord driven music that made the Glaswegian group so popular, but with a fiddle thrown in for good measure, which is brought out half way through the set.

‘Dancefloor’, true to it’s name gets people shuffling their feet appreciatively, and a dedicated few at the front do a good job of keeping the atmosphere alive. It’s a task that The Holloways can amicably handle themselves, and the party atmosphere is in full swing. It’s a great rapturous set that ends with lead singer Alfie Jackson strolling down off the stage to unite the crowd by encouraging them to hold each others hands, before kissing each one in turn, treating guys and girls equally of course.


It seems like an age before The Young Knives are finally ready to open their set at Club DeVille with ‘The Decision’, just one of the group’s pop-rock gems. This is one of the few daily shows at SXSW that you actually have to pay for, but it didn’t seem to have stopped The Young Knives from gaining a significant turn out. On the way over I stopped off to watch one of those random bands you’ve never heard of (which you frequently find at SXSW). Ohio four piece Lab Partners, who looked like they really should have been reared in Manchester, were playing to a tiny crowd and had a handful of haunting indie classics at their disposal. It all sounds pretty familiar, and the band certainly doesn’t have anything new to offer, but are an enjoyable listen nevertheless.

The Automatic’s set was lifted by keyboardist / vocalist Alex Pennie, whose irritating screech is the one thing slightly unique about the band. Pennie’s showmanship is also on a different level to the rest of the group, and at one stage he’s on his knees on the stage, the next he’s climbing up onto a balcony, and then he’s on his back amongst the crowd. Tiring to watch such an entertaining performer. Unfortunately there's not much substance to their songs, and even ‘Raul’ limps along rather pathetically as an opener. However ‘Monster’, the groups’ huge summer hit, still has plenty of life in it, and as soon as it gets played Emo’s becomes just one big party capital.


Across the road The Horrors were putting on the performance of the day. Ok, a large part of what they’re playing is just simply noise, and ear-infecting putrid noise at that, but the show in itself was out of this world. They do look a scary bunch, and I had to share a hotel with them too, god knows how I managed to sleep at nights. Those down the front bore the full brunt of the band’s performance, having amps kicked in their face, getting slapped by the lead singer, and finding the noise so unbearable they all had their fingers in their ears.


Half way through the set a girl got up on stage to dance, and was promptly flung into the crowd by Farris Rotter, in what’s got to be one of the most violent stage dives I’ve seen in my life. Shortly after Rotter jumped into the crowd, only to be humorously garrotted by a wire slung across infront of the stage. Serves him right for slapping all the crowd members.

The set was crazy from start to finish, and I didn’t want to leave half way through in case I missed something. Shame about the music though, which is mainly an undecipherable mess.

...continues on page two >>

Latest Updates