South by South West report
It was pointed out to me that I’ve been neglecting my blog. This is not because of a lack of interest. In fact, the last few days have been crazy, hectic, rewarding, and a lot of fun.
When I quit the music business in 1993, SxSW didn’t really exist. I went to speak a few years ago on a panel in the interactive portion of the show, but I didn’t check out the music part. People tried to prepare me for what it has become, but I had no idea how massive it’s become. There are over a thousand bands playing there, and as you walk around central Austin, about half those bands seem to be on the street corners trying to flag down a taxi with guitars and drum heads under their arms.
I did three separate performances at SxSW. The first was at the Elysium, a goth/punk club that I played back in December with BT. The owner had missed that show, heard good things about it, so he requested that I play my SxSW showcase at his club. The support was Kid Beyond, a brilliant Bay Area beatboxer/singer that builds his beats by layering them in Ableton Live with the help of a bank of footswitches; then he sings cool songs over the top. My daughter Lily (aka Harper) told me about him, as she’d seen him supporting Imogen Heap at her last show in San Francisco. He did a great job warming up the crowd and by the time I came on the place was at capacity and the fire marshalls weren’t letting anyone else in. They gave me a warm reception and I tore through a 40-minute set, joined for the second half by The Jazz Mafia Horns.
The next day I had to get up early and take a cab 12 miles into Austin to do an interview with Spin. I walked into their hotel suite which looked like a bomb had gone off in it. It smelled like an old ashtray. The Spin staff looked at me like I was from another planet–my press agent set up the interview time, but I guess their schedule had gone out the window the days before. The guy that interviewed me knew zero about me, and even asked if I was playing at SxSW. I then had to kill 3 hours until my ‘day show’ in the Austin Convention Center that is the HQ for SxSW. I had to use my ‘B rig’ that I usually take to radio shows, which basically consists of my laptop, a small keyboard and a TriggerFinger for samples. We had only 10 minutes to get set up on stage in a cafeteria that seats maybe 75 people. Problem is, I’ve never really used this rig to perform several songs back to back. Nothing came up quite right, and instead of the 5 songs I’d planned to play in my 20 minute slot, I only got through three. It was pretty humiliating, and put me in foul mood.
I had a couple more interviews at the Convention Center and left to walk back to our tour bus, which was parked next to the venue for my evening gig, a street fair on 4th St. But I was completely disoriented and wandered around for 3/4 hr in the heat of the day before I finally stumbled on our bus; which was now full of Zune staff, as they were using it as a base for their day’s activities (Zune helped sponsor my tour.) I was happy to let them use it, but really all I wanted was a nap. This I just about managed to grab, on the leather bench in the back lounge.
I woke up in a much better frame of mind. I was determined that the evening show would be a smash and would wipe the slate clean from my horrible day. And sure enough, rock’n'roll came to my rescue. We had a great show in the large tent, and got the crowd rocking.
We’re now in Dallas about to go on stage. The Jazz Mafia are getting tight and tuneful. On the bus today we added a new (old) song which shows their skills off to great effect, and which we will debut at tonight’s gig.
Johnny Dekam’s girlfriend Bree gave me these neat pics from Austin for my blog!
Thanks for your update – it’s been a hectic month for you!
I saw Kid Beyond with Ms Heap last December – he is something to behold. He gets the crowd going too. I found him to be fun live but I don’t think he has yet captured any of his ‘energetic renditions’ on his recordings: they fall flat for me. Best to experience him live.
Thank you for sharing these updates while you’re on the road. Yes, travel/touring can be hectic indeed. Sorry to hear things didn’t go so well, but glad to hear they are ending on a good note, Thomas.
Thanks so much for taking the time to keep a blog – it’s always interesting to see what you write here. Anyways, just got back from the Dallas show, and have to say, it’s such a pleasure and honor to get to make it to your shows. I’ve got your CD in my car and listen to it all the time, but to get to watch you play, hear your music live, it’s just such a wonderful experience. In December I went to my first concert, seeing you play in Dallas, and it was freaking amazing. Tonight, getting to hear you with the Jazz Mafia and therefore getting to do some new songs, was so much fun. You guys did great. Thank you so much for all that you do, and putting up with some of the hectic things that come with touring and putting yourself out there like that. I know I’m not alone when I say I appreciate it so much, and that your work is so inspring.
Thanks,
Amanda/JagerOfDarkness
Hiya, Sir TMDR. Great report. Each leg of the tour adds new adventures, and the cumulative effect is truly wonderful to read.
Regarding Web-logging and gaps: It seems to me quite healthy to “disappear” for small stretches. Your fans are quite patient. I never ever put away my Thomas Dolby cassettes (and those sensational singles also held your space for several years).
Regarding Austin: Went once. Accidentally overheard Russell Crowe’s…um…”band”…at Stubbs’ BBQ or whatever it’s called. It helps smooth over that experience to know now that you have played in the region.
Regarding Glitches: I am a proud owner and operator of “C Rig,” which consists of one tiny, antiquated, battery-operated Casio consumer keyboard featuring four adjustable samples. Not bad for a hobbyist: On days when my deadpan falsetto is revved, I can put forth a remarkably convincing “Don’t You Want Me” (with optional percusso-belches). Recommended! And the whole rig fits under your coat (particularly your coat).
Regarding Henry: Is an early screenwriting effort by your chum, JJ.
Regarding Police Tour: Your absence from the entertainment world seemed quite well-timed and respectable. Andy, Stewart and especially Gordon, however, pulled a very annoying combo-vanishing act that lasted much longer. But here’s my tuppence: If you open their shows and cover keyboards, I’ll go. (You can tell them that.)
May the wind be at your enormous cranial likeness!
For those of us who aren’t going to see the rest of the tour, do tell what song you’d added to the show!
You can hear Thomas in background, really funny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbd2xf1DGTg
For insider:
Thomas was a huge fan of XTC and obsessed with an idea of replacing Barry Andrews on keyboards. Barry left the band but they didn’t want to have Barry Nr. 2.
Well, it’s pretty funny that they put Thomas music playing in the background in this video.
Sorry, my writings have no linear structure any more and my english is a bit funny…
p.s. By the way, Thomas and Andy worked together…
I believe that SxSw started in 1987 or so. I have my badge from the second SXSW when things were far more “intimate.” We played at 3 am in the continental Club to an audience of about 10 people. Times have changed indeed…
http://www.scsug.org/test/sxswfn.jpg
Nah, it’s not blog-neglect, Thomas–you’re a busy man! We
And those teeny-tiny, snack-size bloglets are
know that.
fun–the sort of “I made the flight! Yay!” ones. You lead an interesting life, I think, and so many of us blogsters don’t, so
some of us sort of live vicariously through you. Yeah, we have
lives, all right, but they’re boring as heck.
Seems kind of unjust about the “Tour-Bus
Takeover”, though…seems unfair that you, the Artist, got
relegated to some sofa in a back lounge somewhere…it’s
your big ol’ visage on the back of the bus, after all! And it’s
really dumb that the Spin guys didn’t do their research–I do
think you deserve better treatment all around. I think everybody
reading this thinks that.
{whoever came up with that fake-coding-tag thing, thank you!
I borrow it with gratitude.}
Well, that’s enough out of me–may the ground rise up to meet
you, and the wind be always at your back. {In belated honour of
St. Patrick’s Day–I’m not Irish, but I do appreciate lovely lyrical
sentiments like that one.}
Peace and oh my Guinness, look at the time!
Kara, half-frozen in Winnipeg…eep! I seem to be hallucinating
the smell of popcorn for some reason…
Whoops–fake-coding-tags vanished! Strange, that…also, forgot
Neat photos! Thank you Thomas
to say, about the photos. “Ohhhhh, the colllllours….” Lookit all a
them snap-together block-toys.
and Johnny for sharing!!
Kara, always compelled to check submitted replies in case some-
thing gets lost in transmission…misunderstandings make me itch.
personally I think considering your schedule you have done quite well…you know what they say.. “leave em wanting more”. Of course after such a hectic month you will need a holiday…how about coming to Australia, specifically the Whitsunday Islands in the Great Barrier Reef…I live on Hamilton Island (www.hamiltonisland.com) seems like a great place to write a few new songs…might even be able to get you a few gigs;-) (tongue firmly in cheek)
Whoops thats………….. http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au…….any dolby fans are welcome to get in touch if you are in the area.
Regards Paul
The Dallas show was amazing and Sieve sounded fantastic. A blast was had by everyone. Thanks again for everything!
Brian
After the Dallas gig, my brain was like a sieve…
Truly fun. A great treat to meet other Flat Earth-types. It was very kind of Mr. Dolby to acknowledge Forum members, as well.
Got some photos posted in the Paparazzi thread, for anyone interested.
cheers!
Dr. W
.
Again, congrats to TMDR on his tour, and we can all
groove on his CD’s till the next one…..I have one aside,
however, that perhaps some of you may find of interest.
I recently took a trip back to Chicago to see the folks
with my fiancee, and brought back home my huge crate
of cassettes untouched in the attic since ’94. As we sat
digging the aural scrapbook back in Austin, my fiancee mentioned how exceptionally happy the early to mid 80′s
songs were. I had to concur. Never since the mid-60′s
British Invasion/Motown had such a downright joyous
vibe hit the airwaves. Along with TMDR’s own wonderfully
silly “Blinded me with Science”, we had a virtual onslaught of fun stuff(Men at Work, Dexy’s Midnight
Runners, Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Oingo Boingo,
ETC.). Why then, seemingly out of nowhere? We finally
pegged it down to the birth of MTV. After so many years
(26, yipes!), we forget how exciting the 24/7 video
medium was. A critical mass of young cable viewers,
the first stirrings of synth-pop and sampling, and a
vast relief at the death of disco dovetailed together to
give us probably the most joyous 4 years of popular
music we’ll ever see. What fun it truly was!