SXSW gossip: Lou Reed reveals favourite band, REM watch newcomers

The SXSW festival in Austin, Texas came to a close last night, but there was plenty of ligging action to be had on the final day of muscal action.

First up, Lou Reed was overhead telling various people that by far the best band he had seen all week was puzzlepop heads Holy Fuck.

REM’s Michael Stipe went to check out Manchester dance-rockers The Whip, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself.

MGMT, meanwhile, braved the sweltering heat at the Wave venue to see Cage The Elephant play a raucous afternoon show at the NME showcase gig.

Joe Lean of Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong stopped bothering to put a shirt on for the last day of the festival, walking around 6th Street with a bare chest, but still donning a jacket and tie and some fetching gold skinny trousers.

I Was A Cub Scout drowned their sorrows at the Wave bar after a load of their equipment was nicked from the van, meaning they couldn’t play at the NME bash. To make things worse, a punter at the bar squirted lime juice in their eyes by mistake while trying to squish a lime slice into a bottle of beer.

British Sea Power sipped beers at Emo’s while watching Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong play on stage – although Joe Lean had found a shirt by this point in the evening.

And finally, Larry David ambled down 6th Street reading a map. Well, it wasn’t Larry David, but the gentleman looked so much like the American comedy hero that five people did a double take when he paused for breath, one man mouthing “Is that Larry David? It is!” to his friends while trying not to be heard. But it definitely wasn’t him…