Follow-Up Regarding SXSW's Revoking Press Passes

Wow, what a mess. In my earlier story, SXSW Revoking Press Passes of People Holding Day Parties During Festival, I did not detail what happened to The EDGE magazine. This letter was found from Steve Freeman, publisher of The EDGE magazine. In it, he details allegations of SXSW publicity director Elizabeth Derzco waging a campaign against him in particular, sending emails and making calls "threatening sponsors" of his event, an event unrelated to SXSW. Please read this whole letter.

At this time, neither SXSW nor Elizabeth Derzco has been available or made comment.

It’s official, The EDGE Magazine has been banned from attending any and all functions associated with the SXSW conference.

For the last seven years The EDGE Magazine has supported unsigned groups from San Antonio, San Marcos, Austin and surrounding cities. Every year the EDGE has donated over four to six pages of it’s March issue’s to covering the events and performances of the SXSW conference and asked nothing in return, not even for passes or wristbands. These were donated pages to help support the event and the groups that were performing.

For the last three years The EDGE has sponsored The Quadruple Heart Bypass Rockfest that goes on during the same time as SXSW. Since this show usually had Texas local and Indie band who didn’t have the honor of getting picked for a showcase from SXSW, the EDGE was honored to help support these groups when they need it most. Since the groups were not chosen to play any showcases we figured that it would in no way conflict with any of the other events going on during SXSW. And since we’ve been doing this for the last couple of years and had never had any problems with the SXSW committee that there would be no problem especially seeing that SXSW is supposed to be about supporting unsigned music and all. And let’s not forget to mention that our SXSW press credentials were not pulled the last 2 years we sponsored the QH Bypass, nor were we ever notified about SXSW concerns about what we endorse.

With out any phone calls or warnings to our office, Publicity director for SXSW Elizabeth Derzco, systematically contacted staff writers for The EDGE and revoked all their press credentials that had already been granted days prior, and forbid them from attending any SXSW conferences and all its events. We have even been forwarded emails from SXSW members threatening bands who are playing the “QH Bypass” that they would black ball their bands from the SXSW events, and they would never be able to play the event again. We were even informed that someone from the SXSW committee went so far as to contact music industry people that we have relationships with and tell them that we were banned from the event.

Our writers contacted our main office and forwarded us the emails from Elizabeth and the other SXSW members. Other sponsors of the Bypass were also threatened and have forwarded us their emails. We even received phone calls from our friends at some of the Record Labels who laughed along with us about the whole thing. We immediately contacted Mrs. Derzco asking if it was true about The EDGE being banned from the event. With a one line return email she confirmed that The EDGE was banned from SXSW do to us sponsoring a conflicting event. Over the phone a SXSW member had the nerve to ask the names of people who we might have had “PAID” for their passes separately. I guess this was so they could revoke their paid passes to.

In all my many years of working in the music business I have never seen such a political noose from such a power hungry, money hungry, group of individuals. It is quite sad and pathetic for SXSW to deny any sort of media support for bands that they undeniably rejected from their event.

I want to apologize to any of the groups that were threatened for their participation in The Bypass Rockfest. I also want to apologize to all of our contributing writers who were looking forward to covering the SXSW event. I don’t know why The EDGE Sponsorship was singled out this year. There are numerous performances going on during SXSW that are much larger and draw a lot of people away from some of the SXSW shows.

I personally don’t care about attending any of the SXSW conference events, and I don’t need anyone’s permission on what The EDGE can cover or can’t cover, and I certainly don’t need their permission to attend any of the shows that we have been personally invited to by labels. What I do care about is the way that this was handled. I think the reason we weren’t told about the banning sooner was because they probably knew I would print the whole thing out for people to read. I’m not writing this for people to rise against the establishment as I think it is just counterproductive to do so. I just want the supporters of The EDGE to understand that there is a much larger political structure that has nothing to do with supporting music that we face day in and day out. It all comes down to power and money. I regret not being able to let our writers cover the SXSW event. But in my opinion the true event is the “Bypass Rockfest” now. Where unsigned and Indie groups from Texas can come together and support one another. Isn’t that what SXSW was supposed to be about in the first place.

Don’t be surprised if the SXSW committee pulls extra strings closer to the event to make sure that the Fire Marshals, TABC, and any other entity that they have pull over to show up and cause extra headaches.

From this experience I want to let people know that from this date forward The EDGE will no longer support or sponsor anything from the SXSW conference itself.

We will continue to support our national and independent record label interests and there shows and performances during SXSW, and we will always continue to support unsigned South Texas Rock Artists.


The EDGE was created to open the doors for unsigned rock groups in South Texas and to let them have a voice. This just means that the EDGE will have to work harder to keep the music scene strong and thriving. We ask for your support in all of our events and efforts.

Support Your Scene….!!!


Thank you
Steve Freeman
Publisher of The EDGE Magazine
“Your True Texas Rock Connection”