SXSW 2022
Harry & I at SXSW 2022
Words: MJB
Going to SXSW has been a lifelong dream for me as a fan. I’m finally here… but I’m not here to perform, to sell, or to network.
★ I’m here to learn, discover and be inspired by something new.
★ I’m here to support other artists, creatives, thinkers, doers, geniuses, and lunatics who wear their bleeding hearts on their sleeves every day trying to make the world a better place.
★ I’m here because, after years of looking into the horizon outside my window and seeing nothing but the end of my street, I so desperately needed to remember how it felt to dream big… to shoot for the moon and maybe land with the stars.
So many wild things have happened this week. I’ve met creatives that I never thought I would, seen performances I never thought I could, and stood right by some of my biggest idols (Paris Hilton, it’s always been you).
But honestly, meeting all of the emerging bands, creatives, students, volunteers, and fans has been better than meeting the big names. I’ve spoken to so many young people who aren’t jaded, who aren’t playing the game, who aren’t motivated by money and titles. They just want to create, to connect, to be part of something, to belong… just like me.
So much of my career has been spent paying it forward to young people because I was them once and I wouldn’t be anywhere if people hadn’t put me on. The worst thing I could ever do is to stop trying to make things more accessible for future generations, however big or small my impact is. The point is that you keep fighting, you keep supporting, you keep being a friend & you keep being a fan.
My favourite moment of SXSW was watching Phoebe Bridgers geeking out at the side of stage to Muna and then hopping on stage to sing ‘The Black Parade’. My inner emo & lifetime MCR fan was unlocked, sending me into a frenzy along with many other ~industry folk~ in the audience. It felt so humbling to know that even with all of Phoebe’s success, she is still a fan too.
The moral of the story is…
★ I am professional but I am a fan first.
★ I met my true love, my best friends and my e-community through fandoms.
★ In my darkest times, fandoms have been my life support. Fans don’t run the world. We create better ones, together.
