5 Things You Need To Know About SxSW: Day 2 & 3

1. FUCKED UP SHIT IS INESCAPABLE

One moment I was experiencing a lifelong dream come true, getting to see American punk band X play live, the next moment I stepped into carnage. Shit got surreal. X were still playing as a driver sped a car into the crowd outside Mohawk - the venue they were gigging at, I was cutting out early to get to the next gig (because that's what you do at SxSW no matter who is playing). As I went to exit Mohawk all I could see was panic. A bear of a man next to me fell to the ground sobbing uncontrollably, another man pushed past with a towel covered in blood. I immediately assumed a shooting had occurred, The reality was just as ugly. I don't want to write any more about it (that feels exploitative at this point), but I needed to acknowledge it. I also feel the need to mention something I am yet to see mentioned in the coverage of this tragedy. And that is how amazing the reaction of Mohawk staff was. Along with SxSW volunteers who were in the area, they acted as first responders. I saw them calling police and emergency services, they went out on the street to assist the injured, calmed and consoled witnesses who they brought back into the venue and also acting as crowd controllers. It was heartening to see such extraordinary fortitude in the face of such horror.

2. THE CURRENT LEADERS OF THE AUSSIE INVASION

Vance Joy pulls ahead as a local Austin news network names his as a highlight of the week and his Atlantic showcase set is impossible to get into. However, The Kite String Tangle pulled an impressively dedicated audience to his set at the IFC Fairgrounds (IFC being the TV network behind Portlandia) and his cover of Lorde's Tennis Court saw phones come out en masse for filming.

The Kite String Tangle

3. BEATLES GUITAR STRAPS - YEAH YEAH YEAH

Does seeing two being worn in one night constitute a fad at an event featuring hundreds of bands? It does now.

4. PHARRELL IS A FASHION ICON

It was expected that 'Pharrell' hats would be seen over the course of the week at SxSW (for our older audience, you may know 'Pharrell' hats as 'Malcolm McLaren' hats or 'Buffalo Gal' hats). However, what surely wasn't expected was seeing people replicate his tuxedo shorts faux pas from the Oscars. But that look has been seen here in the streets of Austin.

5. TV IS THE NEW ROCK

The influence of TV is everywhere to be seen. Showcase are a major sponsor. Jimmy Kimmel is in town shooting special SxSW editions of his late show hit. More bands seem to be talking TV syncs than radio play and streaming. Seth Meyer's face is everywhere. HBO's Martin Starr series Silicon Valley is everywhere. There's a Bates Motel installation giving away free hash browns (to explain would be a spoiler). THERE ARE 'IRON THRONE' PEDICABS.

Guess where we are NOT staying tonight?

Andrew Mast was flown to SxSW as a guest of Warner.