I don’t have a lot of specific details to share but you have to understand that by Friday I was running on about 12 hours sleep in total since Tuesday, had survived on chunks of fruit, alcohol and a blueberry muffin Martin Atkins beaned me with during his seminar, and was suffering heat stroke from the Aussie barbecue which took place on the only hot day during the festival. But the important thing is the Vines put on great shows at the barbecue and during their showcase that night.
At the barbecue they played a shorter set, including Get Free, Ride, Ms. Jackson, and a couple of new songs. Poor Craig and Hamish were sweating like crazy – so was I, but I didn’t see a drop on Brad or Ryan, who were wearing a hoodie and a thermal shirt. It’s a mystery. They had a really good crowd, the biggest of the afternoon, and they kicked ass. I met them and got some pictures – here are some from the show:
After the show:
The Pangaea had a very uncomfortable vibe, it was my least favorite venue. I’ll give you an idea of what it was like: pretentious reserved couches and lots of people who looked like they just deboarded from the OC. They also needed a larger venue like Antone’s because my friend who tried to get in later couldn’t, even though he had a badge. I got there early and sat through the act before them – basically a female Barry Manilow. Yes, I actually deigned to sit on the edge of one of the reserved couches, I asked them if I could because I had already been to five shows that night not to mention all of the stuff during the day and I was wiped out. But the female Manilow was incredibly painful to sit through and I nearly left to catch the Cribs instead. I stuck it out and I’m really glad because they put on another amazing show with a longer set. I was smooshed into a corner and tall men kept stepping in front of me so I couldn’t see very well, but I was right in front of Brad so I did get a couple of good shots of him.
Their set included more new songs, one was a beautiful ballad called Trust in the Night, I think Craig said. They had another big crowd and even though most of the people standing around me didn’t know them at all or only had a vague idea of who they were, they loved the show. Of all the shows I saw at SxSW – and there were more than I can remember – I can honestly say the Vines were right up at the top of the acts.
Afterward I was able to go back and get my Highly Evolved artwork signed. I didn’t take any pictures because it didn’t seem appropriate – they were hanging out with another band, the Redwalls, and I was the only other person there. Mostly I stood beside Craig and listened to him talking with one of the other band’s members. It was interesting because I had been to seminars all week that had mainly focused on things from an industry perspective so hearing the artists talk about their own perceptions made it more tangible.
My impressions of each of them:
Hamish – friendly, open, fun
Ryan – dualistic, enigmatic, kind
Brad – inexplicable but adorable
Craig – dedicated, intelligent, thoughtful
Btw, are those tattoos on Craig's hands or the badges?! 
I'm so happy for them. They're definitely coming back on the top...and Craig said something like this is their best album yet. I'm serious, I don't think I can wait any longer. Does anyone have footages of their new songs?
. Brad pics wohoo 