Here’s what went down at Rolling Stone’s first ever SXSW London showcase
SXSW London has arrived and Rolling Stone was on the ground for our first ever showcase.
By Nick Reilly & Will Richards
SXSW hit London for the first time ever this week and Rolling Stone came along for the ride to host an exciting showcase of new music in Shoreditch.
The area’s Hoxton Hall was taken over for two days to allow attendees to view some up close and personal sets from a mixture of rising stars and bonafide big timers who have already sold out their own shows at far bigger rooms in the capital.
Kicking things off on Wednesday was Nottingham noisemakers Cucamaras, who delivered their own chugging indie/post-punk hybrid which set the perfect energy by the time they concluded with the swaggering groove of ‘Spoken Word’.
Sister duo Baby Said, meanwhile, deal in whip-smart lyrics and guitar rock that gives an unrepentant two fingers to the people that need one the most. This was displayed on the spiky ‘Hate Me’, while ‘Mean Girlz’ – which contains lyrics from that eponymous song – saw Veronica & Jess Pal offer a powerful message about the need to be yourself.
There was also some RS UK favourites in the form of Nottingham rockers GIRLBAND! who wryly noted an unappreciated advantage of SXSW London: the absence of a £3000 flight to play its US counterpart in Austin. Led by singer Georgie, the trio ignited one of the biggest reactions of the night as they stormed through stadium-rock stormers like ‘Not The Rest’ – which has been hailed by Georgie as her coming out story.
And all this before Merseyside The K’s brought the swagger with an infectious and commanding headline set, just months after selling out the Roundhouse a short hop across town.
Day two then began with a one-two punch of Stay In Nothing and Salvana, two bands taking shoegaze to new and vibrant places. The music of London’s Stay In Nothing is most exciting when the wash of dreamy guitars are cut through with blast beats and black metal signifiers, adding bite and crunch. Barcelona’s Salvana, meanwhile, kept things more controlled and prioritised sugary vocal hooks.
From there, the musical styles for the rest of the night swung back and forth wildly. Up next was New York-based pop star Bentley Robles, whose pulsating queer pop was brought to life with impeccable backing dancers. “I want to be famous!” he shouted as he exited the stage, and has the star power to make it happen.
Wigan’s The Lilacs then took things back to the mid-00s with an impassioned set of throwback indie, before Charlotte OC played a set of bewitching alt-pop. The night – and Rolling Stone’s first SXSW London showcase – was then closed by Macclesfield’s Cassia, who brought the vibrant, tropical pop sounds of new album everyone, outside to Hoxton Hall.