BIGSOUND: Brad First

Business: SXSW

Position/Title: Festival Showcase Coordinator.

How did you first become involved in the music business? Went to university to be an audio engineer.

What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? I have, at one time or another, (a) owned live music clubs, (b) been production manager for shows and venues, (c) toured worldwide as FOH audio engineer, (d) toured the world as tour/road manager, (e) worked in a variety of capacities for SXSW since it was founded, and (f) managed (local) bands for a couple years.

Is this your first BIGSOUND? Yes.

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? SXSW, what it’s about, how to get there, and the state of music industry in general.

What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? How to prepare for the SXSW experience and gain benefit from that opportunity. What festival bookers in general and SXSW in particular 'look for' when evaluating band submissions for festival showcase.

What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to BIGSOUND? Face to face time with Australian music industry players and first hand exposure to as many 'ready for consideration' bands showcasing as possible. Staying an extra day or two to see more bands at night.

Check The Music App for all BIGSOUND 2014 Panel and Keynote details.