The curtain falls on SXSW 2024, and well.. that was quite something. As always, my body and mind feel exhausted from the late nights, the running across town to catch shows and of course.. the various forms of tequila.
Over nine exhilarating days, creatives from near and far delved into a tapestry of experiences spanning tech, film, television, and music. Across 24 tracks of programming, luminaries and innovators convened to chart the course for the future.
Now we would of course be, entirely remiss not to mention the numerous artist cancellations and boycotts due to the sponsorship of the U.S army in the event. This then lead to hoards of artists cancelling their shows and even the entire withdrawal of all Irish artists at the festival. This was a constant conversation throughout the event and I would hold no ill feeling towards those who played, and also to those who were able to withdraw (Understand that, for some artists it’s financially crippling to perform withdraw from an event like this).
This meant that, a number of our key highlights in the schedule weren’t actually able to perform – Notably Sofia Kourtesis, which was top of that list.
Despite all this, it’s an outstanding and completely unique festival to attend and the experience of being there is unlike anything else you’ll find. We’ve rounded up a couple of music highlights from the week, though as i’m sure you can appreciate.. It’s a bit of a blur!
Fat Dog
So these guys have been mentioned a LOT after the festival. One of the hotly tipped artists to emerge from the week. One of the most, unadulterated fun artists to experience live and a welcome reprieve from some of the more “serious artists” that we came across. Multi-genre, impossible to define madness.
MINAS
Caught MINAS live at the Focus Wales showcase half-way through the week and it was a seriously potent experience. A blend of rap, electronica, punk and rave that started to resemble a scrap in a Swansea boozer by the end. Pints thrown, the lot. Well worth checking out.
O
I’ll tell you what, this was quite something. The ominously named O performed as part of the PIAS showcase and as a live performance, it was something to behold. The duo somehow manage to make raw, indie-punk from just a saxophone and a drum kit. Serious energy and completely unique.
Orbit
One of the more serene artists to check out when you’re nursing a mescal hangover. A lush live performance as part of the German music showcase, nice to see some pure electronica from an incredibly talented producer and sound designer
Nils Hoffman
German artists had a strong presence at this festival and Nils Hoffman was absolutely a highlight here. As much, to do with the venue as anything else – performing at a rooftop bar that overlooked the city was a serene and emotive experience
You can already grab a ticket for next year right here
