Ten discoveries from SXSW 2012 by Broken Biscuit Records – with links to official free listening

Alabama Shakes 

After this blinding rock, country, blues and roll set, we are now excited about the prospect of seeing Alabama Shakes again, No doubt that'll be in a much bigger venue or on a huge festival stage, so  a real treat to see them as the buzz around them built at SXSW. Review Myspace alabamashakes.com

Band of Skulls 

Their thundering blues rock provided a much needed wake-up to our jet-lagged bodies. They were part of a set of   trong female-fronted acts at SXSW this year, across a great variety of musical genres – go girls! They played a quality and loud rock set without the pomposity, silliness or machismo that often comes with hard rock shows. Though they were new to us, we probably didn't need to travel 5,000 miles to see them in Austin when they live 50 miles away. Review Soundcloud

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 

SXSW isn't all about rock and roll and it was about time to get some dancing in when we saw Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's.lively, up-tempo, Hot-Chip-ish pop, punk and roll. They had everyone up and dancing like ravers. The band were new to us, an over sight we well now rectify. Review Soundcloud

Crooked Fingers 

A great opportunity to put some sort of persceptive on a band we knew bits and pieces by. They stood out in a strong line-up at Frank's and Sleep All Summer was a stunning highlight Review Soundcloud

Kimya Dawson 

What a treat! The Daniel Johnston night was truly special and was a highlight. We were already fond of Kimya's songs and she is an engaging live performer. Her songs are witty, clever , honest, and unprententious. She ended the set with 'Same Shit/Complivated' which really captivated the audience in its long, winding stream of thought. Review  Soundcloud kimyadawson.com

The Dunwells 

A really enjoyable set - well-constructed and well-rounded, particularly for a new band (and for one of the British bands, who don't always have as polished sets as their US peers). Everyone in Latitude pricked their ears up and was won round by the band's on-stage charm - one to keep an eye on. Review Myspace  Soundcloud1 Soundcloud2

Howler 

The secret of many great bands is that they make you want to be part of thier gang. The infectious spirit of Howler's tunes was exciting and energetic, rather like seeing the View for the first time. Review Myspace Soundcloud

Michael Kiwanuka 

Michael had a tricky task playing to an audience mostly waiting to see the Alabama Shakes. He held the packed room to rapt attention with his beautiful soulful singing and easy charm. All around, people were asking who he was as the set unrolled. He definitely won a room of new fans that afternoon. Review
Soundcloud Myspace

Lost Lander

Our expectations, largely driven by the band's SXSW biography, were blown from the moment Lost Lander walked onto the stage. Whatever we were expecting, we got some beautiful and serene electro-pop. Review Soundcloud

 

We Were Promised Jetpacks 

They were so good that the girl in front of us fainted at the climax of their set. The band gave us their all - The singer and guitarist were bright red in the face by the end from all the exertion. It was well worth their efforts, though, as this was a cracking set. Review Soundcloud Myspace

Seemingly effortless talent

Frank Turner shares something a particular characteristic with a few really good acts, particularly Gaslight Anthem, the band that first led us to him when we saw him supporting them back in 2009. What he does seems to be so simple that you'd expect there would be hundreds of people doing it. After seeing Mr Turner play, you immediately think there should be hundreds of young-ish men knocking out catching punk-style songs on acoustic guitars. And then you realise that it really isn't that simple, and that he's simply making something rather tricky it look very easy.

That then brings to mind a long list of artists who seem to have missed out on their due widespread, and lasting, public recognition because the skill and beauty of their talent has gone under-appreciated as a result of the apparent ease with which they generate beautifully crafted pop songs (in huge contrast from artists who make the very most of their talents, such as Jon Bon Jovi). And this pool of artists who have gone under-appreciated because they made it look to easy contains some wonderful luminaries, Buffalo Tom and Teenage Fanclub to Smudge and Ryan Adams, and maybe even Glen Hansard. . 

The seeming effortless with which Mr Turner produces songs that really grab people's hearts certainly seems to be working for him at the moment, and I hope it stays that way. Hard craft at songwriting should not need to be showy and on-display to be appreciated.

SXSW 2012: six stunning sets from artists who'd already won our hearts

1. Glen Hansard, hungover from over-indulgence in his excitement at seeing Bruce Springsteen the night before, spun a web of wonderment to close the Paste party on Friday afternoon. His natural charm drew the whole room into rapt attention. His top-notch originals and long, winding covers, including both Springsteen's 'Drive All Night' and Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks' with superb support from Jake Clemons were spine-tingling. A truly magical set. Read the immediate Broken Biscuit Records reaction here.

2. Jesse Malin played a great acoustic set at Cedar Street Courtyard, blasting through his hits, either fired up or slightly rattled by the idea of playing a 'posh' show to badge-holders, rather than the festival-goers at large. Some of the acoustic arrangements worked better than others. A few songs felt as we were missing the electric guitars (in a similar way to Pearl Jam's Unplugged session feels a lot like the electric arrangements are being played out on acoustic instruments with little of the forethought shown at Pearl Jam's later Bridge School benefit shows). But others were really effective and it was great to see the closing 'Cigarettes and Violets' in such an intimate setting. Here is what we thought straight after the show.

3. Frank Turner really won over the audience with his show at Latitude. Although many of those nearer the front were clearly already fans, the crowd spilling into the street clearly contained many who were simply curious to see what the fuss was about. Either the set or Frank's newer material feels much more American than the songs he was playing back in 2009 when we first saw him. Either way it went down well with the US members of the audience. At the moment, he's certainly reaping the rewards, though. At the beginning of the show, and he may have been half joking, he said he'd planned to play a whole slab of new material in the set, but that after seeing Future of the Left, he'd decided to hammer through the hits, and it certainly worked very well. Read the immediate Broken Biscuit Records reaction here.

4. Bob Mould played a great set at Frank's. Knowing some of his Sugar tunes and a smattering of Husker Du material, it was great to hear him rattle off song after song from his back catalogue, as well as bits from his new album. The show was a great way to connect with a classic artist who we'd hadn't yet got to know properly. The Broken Biscuit Records post-show reaction is here.

5. The Wedding Present performance at the Paste party was another great way to learn about a classic band that had previously escaped our notice. The wry, romantic tales in their songs and great band interplay were a real revelation. Here is what we thought straight after the show

6. Last and very much not least, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band warrant the most prominent mention for a blistering performance at the ACL Moody Theatre. The new material from Wrecking Ball thundered with the addition of the augmented E Street Band. The horn section added huge brushes of colour and the rumble beneath Max Weinberg's drums gave a real depth to the sound, while the theatre's intimacy and acoustics allowed us to pick out each musician's contribution.

And then there were the guests... The mini Jimmy Cliff set (The Harder They Come, Time Will Tell and Many Rivers to Cross) was marvellous and a real celebration. Tom Morello hauled out impressive performances of his solos on the Wrecking Ball album (and may well leave fans wondering who will set into his shoes on later dates in the tour) and seeing his solo on the electrified The Ghost of Tom Joad in the flesh was truly magical.

For those who had been enthralled by Bruce's keynote speech in the morning in which he admitted his lifelong debt to the Animals, it was a special pleasure to see Bruce's genuine delight in telling how he'd been told Eric Burdon was in town and had hooked up to play with him. And then the huge finale with Arcade Fire, the Low Anthem, Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely really capped things off perfectly. Here is our immediate post-show reaction to the close-up Bruce experience

Jukebox the Ghost, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Great piano pop-rock in the mould of Ben Folds, Elton John, Keane, ELO or Scouting for Girls. They did a really fun set, including a cover of 'I wanna dance with somebody' as the penultimate track.

Typhoon, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

An impressive nine-piece band: two violins, two guitars, bass, two trumpets, ukelele and drums. A fun live band, with the trumpets and drums and vocals that were a bit Counting Crows.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Rhett Miller, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
D/R/U/G/S, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Joe 'King' Carrasco, Skinny's Ballroom
Howler, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Love Language, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Kimya Dawson, Belmont

Lost Lander, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

A lovely set. Icy keyboard parts and plucked guitar lines, with big thunderous, pounding, spacious drums created some great dynamics and some powerful driving rhythms. The male and female voices melded together well and they had solid songs.Some rocking guitar solos too. And a haunting cover of 'State Trooper', followed by two great, rocking songs. All quite a surprise having read the strange biog on the app.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Rhett Miller, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
D/R/U/G/S, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Joe 'King' Carrasco, Skinny's Ballroom
Howler, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Love Language, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Kimya Dawson, Belmont

Great Lake Swimmers, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Plucked arpeggios, soft harmonies, violin, acoustic guitar and double bass. They played songs off the new album and a lovely Gram Parsons cover.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Alberta Cross, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Savoire Adore, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Dutch Uncles, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Band of Skulls, 14 March 2012, Haven, Austin, SXSW 2012
Imperial Teen, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jeffrey Lewis, Belmont

Savoire Adore, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Moved from Gary Numan-style synth pop to Smashing Pumpkins-style rock. Closed with a great cover of 'I would die 4 U'.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Motion City Soundtrack, Latitude 30, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Glen Hansard, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Maps and Atlases, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Will Sheff (from Okkervil River), Belmont
Alejandro Escovedo, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jesse Malin, Cedar Street Courtyard, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Dutch Uncles, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Rhett Miller, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
D/R/U/G/S, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Joe 'King' Carrasco, Skinny's Ballroom
Howler, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Love Language, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Kimya Dawson, Belmont

The Dunwells, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Campfire acoustic rock, with five-part harmonies, like a more folky Gomez. They had some good upbeat tunes, with sing-along and footstomping bits. There were a few songs that sounded like singles, and they managed to play a lovely quiet number as they had some time after the last planned number. A good set with strong songs and the band were very personable.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Blondfire, 1100 Warehouse
Lost Lander, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jukebox the Ghost, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Frank Turner, Latitude
Caveman, Belmont
Planes, Speakeasy, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012

D/R/U/G/S, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Really enjoyable sunny uplifting instrumental techno. Good Spirograph videos behind.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Waters, Studio by HGTV, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Shearwater, Radio Day Stage, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Love Inks Trinity Hall
The Dunwells, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Polarsets, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Most of the set sounded quite chill-wave or Hot Chip-style electronica. The single, played second-to-last, was much more anthemic and a bit house-y. Ended with the tried-and-tested 'everyone drumming' finale.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Polarsets, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Blitzen Trapper, Paste party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Alabama Shakes, Radio Day Stage
Built to Spill, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Jesse Malin, Cedar Street Courtyard, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Jesse played a stripped-down set with just him and a pianist to a select but enthusiastic and devoted crowd in the courtyard. He was playing some small shows while he was in town to promote the Bad Brains movie he'd worked on.

He rattled through his classics and tracks off his latest albums: Almost Grown, Black Haired Girl, Brooklyn, Burning the Bowery, etc. He also had time to throw in his great Death or Glory cover.

The set closed with a lovely Cigarettes and Violets, which seems to have become his great 'lost' song. It can probably sit alongside Yellow Ledbetter and Acquiesce as great songs that deserved better than to be b-sides, but which then gain stature from being hidden gems that can be brought out for live shows.

Overall, it was a good energetic set, packed with audience, and our favourites.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

The Record Summer, Beale Street Tavern, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15March 2012, SXSW 2012
Crooked Fingers, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Bob Mould, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Imaginary Cities, Canada Blast, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Michael Kiwanuka, Radio Day Stage

Bob Mould, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

'Should we just start?' Bob asked. 'Yeah, go for it, Bob,' we all thought. Loud, heavy guitars over melodic tunes, some new, some old. Bob said he will have a new album out in Sept and just has the vocals left to do. The set didn't let up, with the briefest of pauses before they piled into the next song. The band were incredibly tight and seemed to make an amazing sound for just three of them, with melody lines weaving in and out and a real barrage of sound.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Alberta Cross, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
We Were Promised Jetpacks, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Low Anthem, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Typhoon, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Great Lake Swimmers, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Wedding Present, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Imperial Teen, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Rubblebucket, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Band of Skulls, Haven
dBs, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Tribes, 1100 Warehouse
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Crooked Fingers, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

A great set. The opener was a good fast-ish paced country-rock tune. The second song, which the band said was a slow jam, was really magical.

'Sleep All Summer' was fantastic. The line 'Why won't you fall back in love with me' matches The Cure's 'If only I'd thought of the right words', from Pictures of You for heart-breaking longingness, and male bafflement at the mysteries of love.

The last song was strident punk, reminiscent of 'London Calling'. The band described it as a rebel song, and I don't think Trade Descriptions would have any issue with that.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Alberta Cross, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Savoire Adore, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Dutch Uncles, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Band of Skulls, 14 March 2012, Haven, Austin, SXSW 2012
Imperial Teen, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jeffrey Lewis, Belmont

The Love Language, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Good driving melodic pop. The band brought to mind The Knack, The Vaccines and Suede at different points in the set. They went down really well with the audience, who were either fans or who got into it.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Glen Hansard, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Maps and Atlases, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Will Sheff (from Okkervil River), Belmont
Alejandro Escovedo, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jesse Malin, Cedar Street Courtyard, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Waters, Studio by HGTV, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

The first couple of tracks were hard to get a handle on, then the band asked people to come nearer the stage to give a more intimate feel and the next track after that really took off. The singer said they'd played nine shows already and had just one left after this one. They also thanked us for coming 'I know you have a thousand other options. It's cool.' 'Take me out to the coast' would be good on a summer compilation CD and the song before it was good too. The last song sounded a bit like Nirvana covering a lost southern soul classic and really fun.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Joe 'King' Carrasco, Skinny's Ballroom
Howler, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Love Language, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Kimya Dawson, Belmont
Motion City Soundtrack, Latitude 30, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012

The Record Summer, Beale Street Tavern, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Guitar pop, with programmed keyboards, giving a light, sunny and airy sound. The mid-set quiet song, 'Can't get you out of my mind', was lovely and created quite moment in the bar. Another quiet song, 'Put you out.' was pretty and sounded like it would fit well on a film soundtrack. The band if we were ready to rock before playing 'Television in America', then just finished, so they may need to work on their stagecraft a bit, as everyone looked a bit surprised that they'd not done the standard 'We are... Thank you... This is going to be our last song.'

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Frank Turner, Latitude
Caveman, Belmont
Planes, Speakeasy, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Rhett Miller, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
D/R/U/G/S, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Glen Hansard, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Excited to see our second Oscar winner in as many days - quite a different show to Springsteen's yesterday, but a fair bit of overlap with the Drive All Night cover and Jake Clemmons joining him.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Waters, Studio by HGTV, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Shearwater, Radio Day Stage, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Love Inks Trinity Hall
The Dunwells, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

The Wedding Present, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW2012

The Wedding Present were great. They played jangly confessional early-90s indie pop, with short, well structured story songs, interesting arrangements and great drumming.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Bob Mould, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Imaginary Cities, Canada Blast, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Michael Kiwanuka, Radio Day Stage
Polarsets, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Alberta Cross, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Blues rock with huge dollops of late-Britpop, Oasis or Seahorses and punchy bass and drums There seemed to be a lot of echo on the vocals, which sounded a bit The Music, Kasabian or even Rocks-era Primal Scream. There were good backing vocals from guitarist and bassist, but overall think we preferred the things we'd heard recorded to the live experience.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Great Lake Swimmers, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Wedding Present, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Record Summer, Beale Street Tavern, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15March 2012, SXSW 2012
Crooked Fingers, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Rhett Miller, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Punky country, rockabilly rock'n'roll played with foot-tapping fun. The band were much more enjoyable than the Old 97s were last year. It may be he just hit the mood better, or that we prefer his solo stuff.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Alberta Cross, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
We Were Promised Jetpacks, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Low Anthem, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Typhoon, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Imaginary Cities, Canada Blast, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Fun melodic guitar pop. Beatles-esque harmonies with keyboards and tastefully distorted guitars.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Rubblebucket, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Band of Skulls, Haven
dBs, Paste Party, Stage on Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Tribes, 1100 Warehouse

Shearwater, Radio Day Stage, Austin, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012

Shearwater played a good set. The livelier, shorter songs were stronger, than the slower, longer ones, which were more like what we'd been expecting. They played some really good driving atmospheric rock early in the set and the sound was good. The singer said they'd played a very strange set last night, and it seemed as if they were on Sunset Boulevard, with glow sticks and all.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Savoire Adore, Swan Dive, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Dutch Uncles, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Band of Skulls, 14 March 2012, Haven, Austin, SXSW 2012
Imperial Teen, Frank, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jeffrey Lewis, Belmont

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin,15March 2012, SXSW 2012

Jimmy Cliff! Eric Burdon! Arcade Fire! Tom Morello! And Bruce Springsteen, and the E Street Band!

An absolutely incredible set. It was amazing to see Bruce so up close and to have such a great sound system so that you could hear every individual part, which made the wall of sound of the augmented E Street Band all the more powerful.

Bruce opened with the whole E Street band, plus a horn section, additional singers and a percussionist singing a near-acapella 'I Ain't Go No Home', then he launched into a searing 'We Take Care of our Own', followed by 'Wrecking Ball' and 'Badlands'.

Tom Morello joined him for 'Death to my Hometown', followed in a great double-bill by 'My City of Ruins', which had the band introductions in it, during an extending opening section. Bruce asked at the end 'Are we missing anybody?' The crowded screamed 'Clarence!' back. Bruce replied that if he was here and we, the audience, were here, then he (Clarence) was there.

We had a rocking 'Seeds' and a fun 'E Street Shuffle', with Bruce falling into the crowd at the two ends of the stage Then he pulled back and, before playing it, talked about 'Jack of All Trades' being one of the first songs he wrote for the new album. Tom Morello again joined him for his solo, as on the album.

We had a hoe-down for 'Shackled and Drawn' and then the classic pop of 'Waiting on a Sunny Day', which was kept short and sweet, compared to the extended take on recent tours, though Bruce still had time to fall into the crowd, and a howling 'Promised Land', in which the quality of the sound really helped the individual parts stand out on the middle piano-guitar-saxophone-harmonica break down.

We then had the full-band arrangement of 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' with Tom Morello's jaw-dropping solo at the end – incredible in the videos I've seen, even more amazing seeing it in front of you as his hands dance around the fretboard. 'We Are Alive' then started quietly, as on the record, and built really effectively into a joyous celebration, and then a fantastic 'Thunder Road' closed the main set, with Clarence's nephew taking on the closing sax part to huge cheers.

The encore opened with a great 'Rocky Ground', Bruce being joined by Michelle Moore, as on the album, and her rap was greeted by cheers. Played live, with live drums, it had a different feel to on the album, and rocked out more at the end, but worked well. The newly re-arranged 'Land of Hope and Dreams' then followed and was stunning.

The guests then came: Jimmy Cliff joined the band on stage and sang 'The Harder They Come', 'Time Will Tell' and 'Many Rivers to Cross' (Jimmy sang on his own, not with Bruce). Bruce mentioned his speech in the morning and said that, following his fervent praise for Eric Burdon and the Animals, people on the 'twittersphere' had said he was in town, and so Eric Burdon joined them and he and Bruce tore through 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place'. Then we had a storming 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out'. When the 'Big Man' line came up, Bruce, in a really special moment, just froze and help his microphone in the air for what must have been a couple of minutes, as the crowd cheered louder and louder. Then on walked Arcade Fire and they all joined him, the band, Tom Morello, Alejandro Escovedo and others for a great closing 'This Land is Your Land'.

An absolutely Incredible set. Lots of fairweather fans in the audience became evangelistic converts, other people were speechless. The flow of incredible guests joining him was amazing, but to see the full new show with such clear sound, and so up close was a truly special moment and a real privilege. I am now very very excited about the summer shows...

Set list: I ain't got no home - We take care of our own - Wrecking Ball - Badlands - Death to my Hometown - My City of Ruins – Seeds - E Street Shuffle - Jack of All Trades – Shackled and Drawn – Waiting on A Sunny Day - Promised Land – The Ghost of Tom Joad – The Rising – We Are Alive - Thunder Road - Rocky Ground - Land of Hope and Dreams -
The Harder They Come - Time Will Tell - Many Rivers to Cross - Got to Get Our of This Place - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out - This Land is Your Land

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Maps and Atlases, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Will Sheff (from Okkervil River), Belmont
Alejandro Escovedo, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Jesse Malin, Cedar Street Courtyard, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Alberta Cross, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012