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Just back from South by South West, Austin, in sunny Texas!  It was so fantastic to be there.  I've spent time in L. A. and Washington D. Feed c. but it was my first time there, it was very hot and sunny and literally thronging with people and music and buzz and energy.  So many people in one space, and all there for music - creating a really feed special atmosphere. I was there to sing with a friend of mine called Davey MacManus ( he's Irish too) and his band The Crimea ( if you have not heard of them you can read and hear more at their myspace).  They have just finished recording a new album called 'Listen to seashells, they know everything' and I contributed some vocals - hence me there. We filmed three songs for KEXP Radio Seattle and we are played a midnight show on Saturday in The Rio. I arrived a day after the Meteors, which were great fun, and jet lag was practically zero and so it was great to hang out a bit and soak up the atmosphere.  We stayed in a house a couple of miles out of the centre which was perfect.  There were lots of other Irish artists there too.  Lisa Hannigan who is on tour at the moment played the other night with my very dear friend Shane on bass!  Wallis Bird, who won the Hope for 2009 at the Meteors played too.  Other Irish acts included Relief, We Should Be Dead, Dirty Epics, Sickboy, The Brothers Movement, Fighting with Wire and Kieran McMullen.  There were such a mish mash of music there - new and old - The Proclaimers and Echo and The Bunnymen were there! The Convention Centre is a hive of music activity - panels such as crash courses in getting gigs, recording, promotions, publicity, press, management, merchandising, online resources,  'saying the unsayable with Jarvis Cocker', 'Neil Young' archives feed, the list goes on!  It was interesting to see fewer physical albums knocking around - [feed] the internet is having such an effect on how artists get there music out there.  We streamed one of our rehearsals live onto the band's myspace page. It was such an experience to be there.  To be reminded of how vast the music industry is - how tough it is, but how eclectic and exciting and inspirational too.  There was a hive of information - so much learning to be done.  And you're meeting people from all over the world, all united by the same thing!!  AND I saw a bakery FOR DOGS!!!!  I mean . . . come on!!  Does it get any better?!  Ok, it's nothing to do with SXSW but worth a mention I think!! So I few back to Dublin today, then to London in a few days to rehearse a play I'm going to be doing . . . in BARBADOS!!!  Pretty amazing, eh?!  It's called '7 Deadly Sins, 4 Sinners' and is being directed by Marc Sinden (Sir Donald Sinden's son).  Delighted to be doing the show and have seen pictures of where we are going to be staying . . . it looks really spectacular.  So, I really couldn't be happier at the moment. I'll be sure to keep you all posted on how I'm getting on, check back on the site soon! Tara