I feel bad for Peter Bjorn and John, I really do. They performed their first SXSW show last night at Vice Bar and overall it was a pretty big disappointment. To be fair, there were a lot of equipment issues. The SXSW audience is a fickle lover and the general (and audible) consensus in the crowd was that the boys from Sweden were not winning any new fans.
The whole set kicked off on the wrong foot when the band stalled the start of their performance. Perhaps they realized that their equipment was not entirely working properly, but for whatever reason, they decided to risk it anyways. The packed crowd was clearly getting antsy. As soon as they began their set, it was clear that the band’s monitors weren’t working properly. They made a valiant attempt to power through their set, but halfway through their second song they stopped mid-chorus. Peter, Bjorn and John stood around somewhat awkwardly, unsure how to proceed.
SXSW can be rough. Bands are flying in from all over the country and in PB&J’s case, the world. Acts are scheduled back-to-back-to-back and the crowds are antsy, drunk and often suffering symptoms of heat stroke. Needless to say, the audience’s overall tolerance for failure was at an annual all-time low.
The band and tech crew tried valiantly to identify and remedy the equipment issues. The crowd (or perhaps just a few REALLY loud individuals) began the inevitable process of heckling. But not me: I’m not a hater and I certainly don’t root for people to fail. Peter Bjorn and John have two more shows this week. I sincerely hope they work out their kinks. Best of luck to the Swedes.
Full Story Via MTV.com
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