Scottish bands looking to follow in the footsteps of award-winning Franz Ferdinand are being invited to apply to perform at the world’s leading international music showcase in Austin, Texas.

Bands from across the world are currently applying for the 2005 South by SouthWest (SXSW) music, film and new media festival, considered to be the biggest music industry networking and showcasing event in the world.  

As an extra incentive for Scottish bands, the Scottish Arts Council has announced that successful applicants who are invited to attend will be eligible for funding to assist them in appearing at next year’s event, taking place in March 2005.

SXSW, which has been running for 18 years, is attended by more than 7,000 music industry delegates and highlights include live music performances by more than 1,000 artists, a conference on issues relating to the global music industry and a tradeshow in which artists can network, promote, and connect to the most influential professionals in today's music community.  Franz Ferdinand, who performed at the event in March this year, has gone on to receive critical acclaim in the US and has just appeared on the front cover of leading US music magazine, Spin.

SXSW selects the bands it will invite to perform at the showcase on the basis of their musical talent and proven readiness to sell themselves to an international market.

As well as funding for individual bands, the Scottish Arts Council, in partnership with representatives from the Scottish music industry, will co-ordinate a Scottish presence at the convention’s tradeshow and will undertake a collective PR and marketing campaign around the Scottish artists’ attendance at the event.

Nod Knowles, Head of Music at the Scottish Arts Council, said: ‘We are delighted to announce our continued support for Scottish bands performing at the South by SouthWest festival.  Not only does a Scottish presence at this event have an impact on the career paths of the artists involved but it also helps to re-affirm Scotland as a country whose artists, managers, record labels and promoters can comfortably perform at the highest international level while positioning Scottish music and artists as vital and exciting elements of a major global creative industry.‘

The Scottish Arts Council’s continued support for bands attending the event follows on from the phenomenal success of Scottish bands attending the festival in 2004.  Almost 50% of the Scottish bands who applied to the 2004 festival were invited to attend – the second highest proportion of all European countries behind Ireland.  

Thirteen bands from across Scotland eventually performed at this year’s festival including Franz Ferdinand, the Delgados, Sons and Daughters, The Grim Northern Social and The Magnificents. 

Nod Knowles, Head of Music at the Scottish Arts Council, adds: ‘Scottish artists outperformed most other European countries in terms of the ratio between applications to perform and actual invitations by SXSW.  Scottish acts are clearly producing music which is both highly regarded in artistic terms and succeeds in relation to the plethora of other international music that the selection panel hears.  Any band who are ready and commercially able to target an international market should seriously consider applying to SXSW for 2005.’

Ian Smith of the Musicians’ Union in Scotland says: ‘Attending the 2004 South by SouthWest Festival as part of the appropriately named ‘Scottish Invasion’ along with 13 Scottish bands, promoters, managers and agents was, for me, one of the true highlights of my career.  The Musicians Unions will continue to work in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council and other organisations to ensure that our musicians get the chance to appear on such an important world stage.’

Bands interested in performing at South By South West 2005 should check out the website and the online application form at www.sxsw.com by 29 October 2004.