In a successful attempt to make ourselves exhausted, short-tempered and ill we decided to play three shows in one day. That day was today, Friday. It started off like a scene from a zombie horror movie as we zig zagged our way across Red River at the ungodly hour of 12 midday in order to reach Lambert's for our second House Of Songs showcase.

Awaiting us was the unflappable Troy and Leroy, who set us up immediately while coffee was poured down Johan's neck on-stage. Warming up for Kashmir, we went about waking the rest of Austin's walking dead out of their stupor, met with the DJBFA and various familiar faces before making the most of our only break in the day with a gargantuan mountain of chicken salad at Jo's on 2nd Street - recommended.

Next up was another trip over the river. The usual taxi shenanigans played out until a cuddly, upbeat smirk-monger of a man named Sheikh picked us up and regaled us with sordid but highly unlikely tales of girls getting undressed in his cab and how the local ladies call him 'Sheikh and Bake'.

We were dropped off way up South 1st street at Freddie's Place for an outside show at Chase Frank's Hot Whisky Mixer. Off the beaten track, we perused the vintage stores, stole someones bike for a photoshoot, looked for a missing dog called Barley, got a smile and a wave from a jovial lady in a pink velour tracksuit outside Austin Mortuary Service and waited at least 15 minutes to cross a road before being fantastically welcomed into the fold by Chase and Alberto.

The friendly crowd at Freddie's, including Glynn (an old friend of Manoj's), made us feel very at home, to the point where we didn't want to leave. But we had to, fast...

We finished up at 5pm and immediately had to rush straight back downtown to The Music Gym for our Danish Dynamite
showcase, ably hosted by Christian from Slaraffenland. (Big thanks to Alberto for weaving in amongst the Austin traffic to get us there on time)

So after three shows in five hours, two of us collapsed in a heap back at the apartment and the rest of us headed on out to the Jail Guitar Doors SXSW finale at The Ghosthouse. It was epic. Billy Bragg, Chris Shiflett, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Boots Reilly, Mike Mills from REM and Lisa Kekaula from the Bell-Rays joined Tom Morello and Wayne Kramer on stage as they locked axes in a guitar battle which had to be seen to be believed, pumping out MC5 classics such as Looking At You and Kick Out The Jams.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lo and behold, as if that wasn't enough for one day, word got around about an afterparty (courtesy of Tom) around the corner. Involving less than the average amount of cat-n-mouse chicanery usually associated with such bombastic scenarios, we got in, and were rewarded with pizza galore, blue lagoons, purple haze, red lights and a chance meeting with uber-producer Dangermouse, who went home happier than anyone else with a TGTB CD in his jacket pocket.

Wednesday and the SXSW Music festival had started good and proper. A quick glance over the balcony revealed the freshly installed road blocks attended by a beady-eyed cop who loves his job, rendering downtown Austin a pedestrianised gigging precinct. The sun was beating down, several soundchecks at various distances attacked and billowed through our patio window as neatly assembled lines of people wrapped around the block, queuing for an unofficial day party doubtlessly tanked up with free beer and brisket for those RSVP'd in good time. These were all the indications required to let us know it was time to get in amongst the monolithic musical theme-park that is SXSW.

Venturing outside and onto 6th Street we bumped into Doll And The Kicks again who were in the midst of a spontaneous street gig (in true SXSW spirit), promoting their evening showcase later that evening at Emo's. We were on our way to Jack White's pop-up record shop at Frank's Diner on 4th and Colorado St, where Jack had installed his nomadic Third Man Records for the duration of the festival. With vinyl in hand we delivered the latest TGTB album 'From 018 To 033' to Miles and Ben, Jack White's 'third men' who promised to pass it on to him, though judging by their ogling of the artwork, they probably kept it for themselves.

You have to hand it to Jack. He knows and celebrates the art of special edition releasing and merchandising. On offer were 'Texas-sized' 13" limited edition vinyl versions of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs albums, yellow and black Dead Weather vinyl singles as well as all manner of badges, cameras, t-shirts, posters and instruments. Upstairs was a hastily arranged stage where Karen Elson (Mrs Jack White) was due to perform an exclusive gig to 50 competition winners later in the week. Hats off to Third Man Records, they know there's more to distribution than clicking Buy Now on iTunes. An example to us all.

Gearing up for our own hastily arranged gig round the corner at Prague (the venue, not the capital city of the Czech Republic) we went to a rooftop bar next door where St Patrick's Day was in full swing. Green-clothed Americans pretended to be Irish, indulging in great Irish anthems presented by the house band such as The Proclaimers '500 miles'. We didn't have the heart to tell them it was Scottish.

Then we got the call from Strummerville back at Prague. They had made some room in their stage schedule to allow The Good The Bad to make a guest appearance, going on after the legendary Wayne Kramer from MC5 and before Chris Shiflett from Foo Fighters. No pressure then, just an average day at SXSW...

Wayne and Chris were in town to promote the launch of Jail Guitar Doors USA, an initiative which aims to rehabilitate prisoners through music, and were due to visit Travis County Correctional Complex on Friday to deliver six guitars and play some jailhouse rock n' roll alongside Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and Billy Bragg, founder of Jail Guitar Doors UK. We were also eagerly looking forward to their JGD gig later that Friday night downtown.

After our set, Wayne, Margaret and Kevin from Jail Guitar Doors amazingly sought us out backstage and shared a few kind words, whilst Chris also gave us a big shout on-stage. What a great way to kick off the greatest music festival in the world.

For those of you that missed MC5, and we know there's some of you, check out Kick Out The Jams and Let Me Try, two musical gems of theirs. And take note of Wayne Kramer, one of Rolling Stone's greatest 100 guitar players of all time. Here he is back in the day:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The CD soundtrack is being released to coincide with the London film launch on 1st October, with all proceeds going towards the Jail Guitar Doors fund. It also features performances by 'graduates' from Jail Guitar Doors as well as from many of the artists that have supported the programme including Mick Jones (The Clash), Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), Sam Duckworth (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) and Billy Bragg himself.

More info can be found here:

Breaking Rocks official site: www.breakingrocks.co.uk

Jail Guitar Doors: www.jailguitardoors.co.uk

Join the Breaking Rocks launch night on Facebook

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Full 'Official Bootleg Soundtrack' CD tracklisting:

1. INTRODUCTION
Billy Bragg - (Electric Radio Brixton)
2. GREY WALLS
Jonny Neesom feat. Sam Duckworth
3. KICK OUT THE JAMS
Wayne Kramer feat. Tom Morrello -
(Live at Sing Sing prison, New York State)
4. REDEMPTION SONG
Billy Bragg - (HMP Shepton Mallet)
5. BORROW ME A FIVER
Leon Walker - (HMP Dartmoor)
6. ASV
Leon Walker - (HMP Dartmoor)
7. 002
The Good The Bad - (Exclusive two-track demo)
8. SUPERFICIAL JAIL
Leon Walker feat. Ricky - (HMP Dartmoor)
9. LITTLE MISS GUCCI
Jonny Neesom - (Astoria, London)
10. EB9395
Jonny Neesom - (Hackney Round Chapel, London)
11. APRIL FOOLS DAY
Billy Bragg - (HMP Liverpool)
12. A STAND
The Yearning - (Bryanston School)
13. ANNABELLA
Leon Walker - (Live Strummercamp, Manchester)
14. I KEEP FAITH
Billy Bragg - (Live Sing Sing prison, New York State)
15. JAIL GUITAR DOORS
Billy Bragg, Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Kevin Hawkins, Jon Smillie, Leon Walker, Jonny Neesom.