FiumeNights

I love South by Southwest (SXSW), for the extremity of it, for the insane noise, for the unstoppable crowd, for the 1000 concerts a day, for the fact that it’s simply so easy to hate that you should just embrace it. On one side, small or underground music celebrations (ATP, Blogotheque’s Soirees de Poche…), on the other side, SXSW, in between, a certain idea of hell in creation today.

I have to admit it, i went there (two times, 2008 and 2009) each time because i was paid (yes, money, ah) by some big websites to do some shootings there, over 5 days, with bands which are also playing 3 other gigs on the same day. Could have been a nightmare, was a nightmare when i was pressured to shoot an infamous band, but most of the time it was a real fun experience. Even if i have to admit i was far from doing the best work of my life.
But some souvenirs are strong and i wanted to post a serie of those videos for this month of august - when nobody is seriously online, i know, but sxsw tastes like summer.

To start, probably my favourite shoot in austin and one of my fav moment ever in a camera life, a 30 minute one shot/one take, in a house populated by 6 bands (Megafaun, Balmorhea, Murder, Stars Like Fleas, The Physics of Meaning, and Slaraffenland all stars). What we called the Hometapes family house, as most of those bands are very close to the label run by Sara and Adam.
No fake cuts, just one semi-impro shot, one hour to think about it, thirty minutes to shoot it. Thanks to Teresa, Natalie and Sara, who participated in the creation of this piece with the bands and i and a few other people. The best way we could film sxsw in a way. And a film which gave me a lot of new ideas on the social interaction/experiment that a camera could start, but more later.

My second favourite moment was in 2008, when we received (with my production team at the time, Rehab) at our house the fantastic Stars Like Fleas - shot them in 2006 in NY already. I love this band, for many reasons, and i feel guilty i never posted that video before. You can see also there some members of Slaraffenland, as well as the amazing people behind Hometapes, once more.
The Stars like Fleas have been having lots of amazing musicians participating in their adventures, under the captain Shannon Fields - amongst them, Thomas Doveman, Ryan Sawyer, Sam Amidon… All of them were present on that glorious day, in a house like a boat.

I discovered Merril ‘Tune Yards‘ in Montreal, during the Pop festival, and was amazed by her intensity with just a simple ukulele and some loops. I got her contact through Jessie Stein (thx, jessie) of the wonderful Luyas, but we kept missing each other for the whole week in Austin, until on the very last day, she called and told me to meet her at the cult Sam’s BBQ. We just met for 10 minutes, she then had to leave the town. Perfect timing, perfect improvisation in a piece of america.

Ah a little video with Herman Dune in Barton Springs. Would love to write about them but ah, i feel tired, writing isn’t much my stuff. Sorry guys, love you.

This man, David Thomas Broughton, just gave me one of the most amazing moments of my life, when he played at sxsw this year, a show at midnight on the last floor of a weird hotel, me totally high. One of the best shows i have ever seen, so i really think the video isn’t on the same level. At all. I think we should make together a one hour long shot, and it would be great. I should also write a poem for him, but i would fail miserably.

THE CHAP! one of my fav bands for 5 years now, at least ah! This year for their first tour in the US, they kicked the ass of all the little america. Wonderful people, funny morning moment at Low Lows‘ Parker’s house.

Joseph Arthur, hmmm, very interesting character… Loved him, he had such a purity in the way he was, sort of floating around, lost and followed by the worst manager thing ever possible, and the most beautiful musicians’ girlfriend i have ever seen. Intense, on that night got the feeling i convinced someone who was very sceptical at first about playing music in such a situation.

Ah, i think i talked already about them. Love the ending on that one. Yeah, improvised i swear ah!

Feel good those days, dont want to spend too much time writing ideas on a computer, prefer to exchange them around a drink without music in the background, just contemplating around.
Going to the Balkans tomorrow, with Francois Virot, for a film which might end earlier than expected, for some weird legal reasons…!

Yalla, tomorrow night, in Fiume - yes, Fiume/Rijeka, the one.