Dear Scotland

The biggest week of the year for Scottish music outside the UK starts here. Right now, there are 15 Scottish bands on their way to Austin, including Withered Hand*. The final list of all the Scottish gigs is below with a full preview from Uncle Vic.

Dear Scotland will also be teaming up with the brilliant Detour Scotland to bring you some of the best of the festival. Matthew from Song, by Toad will also be here. And Vic is making a documentary. There will be some interruptions to normal service.

For a handy pdf version of the Scottish List below click here (updated March 14).

For an overwhelming pdf version of the latest Ultimate Party List click here (updated March 10).

Vic Galloway at SXSW 2011

With all fingers and toes crossed, 15 Scottish bands (or at least bands with Scottish connections) will be making the mammoth trip to Austin, Texas for this year’s new-music marathon ‘South By South West’. There have been some US visa problems for some solo acts, but we can only hope we see their pasty, wee, Scottish faces in the Texan sunshine this week!

2011 will be my ninth visit to SXSW and that speaks volumes about how much I adore the festival. It is the central, focus-point of the World’s music industry at this time of year and officially has around 1800 artists playing over 4 days and nights. There’s indie, rock, punk, acoustic singer-songwriters, hip-hop crews, electronica producers and everything in between trying to get some well-deserved attention. Bands from all around the world congregate in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ for the booze and barbecue-fuelled knees-up, being watched by record companies, publishers, magazines, bloggers, radio and TV stations.

It’s primarily a showcase for new music, but some established names like to strut their stuff and deliver exclusive new material to the masses. It’s not just music-biz folks there either… punters from across the globe make the pilgrimage to see new and old faces play in far more intimate venues than they’re used to. In fact, I quite often meet neighbours from Leith supping margaritas and criss-crossing town to catch their favourites each year. Good on them!

15 bands from the homeland are making the trip this year, and that is some achievement considering the size of our nation. From unsigned noise-mongers, Bronto Skylift through to hotly-tipped Highland songwriter Rachel Sermanni via electro-post-rockers Errors and indie-royalty like Edwyn Collins, there’s a great array of different styles and genres on offer if you’re making the trip and want a taste of Scotland. The whole list of bands and gigs are below, but if you want to see stuff all collected on 2 bills, make sure you head along to:

Showcasing Scotland: Night - Maggie Mae’s - 8pm - 2am - Wednesday 16th March
Showcasing Scotland: Day - Latitude 30 - 2.45 - 6pm - Friday 18th March

I’ll be MC and host for both shows and I’m champing at the bit to get out to Austin once again. Not only that, but I’m presenting a 1 hour long BBC 2 TV documentary on the ‘Scottish Invasion’ that will air towards the end of June/start of July. So, if you can’t make the actual gigs, it’ll be all there for your delectation and enjoyment. Bring it on y’all… yeehaw!”

Scottish Gigs at SXSW 2011

* Withered Hand’s visa troubles now resolved. Full story here. Dam Mantle?

For a full list of all the Scottish artists who had planned to attend, including those that are no longer mentioned above, see this article.

The official SXSW list is here if you want to trawl through it.

Any other shows that we become aware of will be added in the comments below.

Vic

Also on tour this week: Mogwai, Fran Healy, Belle and Sebastian, Fish, Average White Band, Glasvegas, Rustie and KT Tunstall.

Check out Vic on BBC Radio every week:
Monday Night 8.05pm-10pm, BBC Radio Scotland
Vic has Sucioperro in Session

Follow Vic on Twitter and now on Facebook

Dear Scotland at South by Southwest 2010 (part 1)

Dear Scotland at South by Southwest 2010 (part 2)

Scotland on Tour this week

Artist	Date	City	Country
Mogwai in Europe 2011
Mogwai	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Cologne	Germany
Mogwai	15 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Amsterdam	Netherlands
Mogwai	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Paris	France
Mogwai	18 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Lille	France
Mogwai	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Strasbourg	France
Mogwai	20 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Villeurbanne	France
Fran Healy in Europe and Japan 2011
Fran Healy	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Osaka	Japan
Fran Healy	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Tokyo	Japan
Belle and Sebastian in Japan and Australia 2011
Belle and Sebastian	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Melbourne, VIC	Australia
Fish in Europe 2011
Fish	15 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Oslo	Norway
Average White Band in America 2011
Average White Band	18 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Alexandria, VA	United States
Average White Band	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Alexandria, VA	United States
Rustie in Europe 2011
Rustie	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Kortrijk	Belgium
KT Tunstall in Europe 2011
KT Tunstall	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Brussels	Belgium
KT Tunstall	15 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Amsterdam	Netherlands
KT Tunstall	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Paris	France
KT Tunstall	18 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Lausanne	Switzerland
KT Tunstall	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Zürich	Switzerland
KT Tunstall	20 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Luxembourg	Luxembourg
Dam Mantle at SXSW 2011
Dam Mantle	16 Mar 11 - 20 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW - Dates to be confirmed
Edwyn Collins in the US and Japan
Edwyn Collins	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY,	United States
Edwyn Collins	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Glasvegas in Europe 2011
Glasvegas	15 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Zürich	Switzerland
Glasvegas	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Paris	France
Glasvegas	18 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Amsterdam	Netherlands
Admiral Fallow in America 2011
Admiral Fallow	15 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Admiral Fallow	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Admiral Fallow	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Durham, NC	United States
Admiral Fallow	20 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
Bronto Skylift in America
Bronto Skylift	18 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Dam Mantle in North America
Dam Mantle	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Erland and the Carnival in America 2011
Erland and the Carnival	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Kid Canaveral in America
Kid Canaveral	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
	w/ Withered Hand and Rachel Sermanni
Kid Canaveral	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Kid Canaveral	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Popup at SXSW 2011
Popup	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Rachel Sermanni in America 2011
Rachel Sermanni	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
Rachel Sermanni	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Twilight Sad in America 2011
Twilight Sad	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Twin Atlantic	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Unicorn Kid in America 2011
Unicorn Kid	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Veronica Falls in America 2011
Veronica Falls	19 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Withered Hand in America in 2011
Withered Hand	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
Withered Hand	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
	w/ King Creosote
Withered Hand	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Withered Hand	20 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in San Francisco, CA	United States
King Creosote in America 2011
King Creosote	14 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in New York, NY	United States
	w/ King Creosote
King Creosote	17 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States
	SXSW
Errors in America 2011
Errors	16 Mar 11	IGNORE THIS FOR NOW in Austin, TX	United States

Photo Credit: splorp