Sadly, however, you can count the number of Hong Kong bands that have played at SXSW on one finger. Drummer and bass guitarist duo DP - Paul MacLean and Dave Wong - went to the festival last year and played a showcase in an Irish pub. (Another Hong Kong act, Snoblind, were accepted to play at the 2009 festival but ultimately decided against it because of visa complications.)

'We basically wanted to see what all the hype was about,' says MacLean, looking back on the experience. 'We've been hearing about the good times the festival had to offer for years - as well as the amazing BBQ that could be found in Texas - and when a friend passed us an application, we thought, 'Hell, why not give it a try?'' The experience was an eye-opener. 'To play at a festival with about 20 other bands is one thing, but to be part of one that hosts over 2,000 acts - well, that's just a touch mind-blowing.'

MacLean and Wong left Austin with heartburn, hangovers, jet-lag, and great memories - but, in the music sense, not much else.

Mainland China has been better represented at SXSW, with the much-hyped - but still under-delivering - Beijing scene sending indie rock groups Carsick Cars, Re-TROS, and P.K. 14 in recent years. But those bands, too, seem to have failed to capitalise on the opportunity. This year, Carsick Cars and Queen Sea Big Shark will be the only bands from the mainland anywhere near the festival.

Part of the lack of Hong Kong and mainland bands at the festival can be explained by the cost. SXSW, unlike some other festivals, doesn't help bands with expenses. DP, for instance, spent HK$60,000 of their own money on the trip, mostly on flights and accommodation. And even if a band can afford it, it's certainly not a sure bet.

'There are no guarantees with something like SXSW, and the reality is that it's immensely difficult to make an impact there in among all that is going on,' says Justin Sweeting, who was DP's manager until last year and accompanied the band to Austin. 'SXSW is very focused on acts from the West, and so I think that not many bands from Hong Kong see either the value of going, or are in a position to get a slot on the bill.'

Sweeting, with MacLean, heads up The People's Party, which for the past two years has been bringing big indie acts to Hong Kong. He has played in Hong Kong bands, most prominently with The Academy, and, partly because he once worked with Channel V's music network AMP, his industry connections run deep. 'Unless you're a really bigged-up, buzzy band, it's difficult to ... stand out at something like SXSW. On the flip side, the experience of playing events like SXSW and having the exposure to other bands and music cultures is immense so there's always value there,' he says.

Music industry people in Asia say SXSW puts Asian bands on the bill as a lip service to the region. However, SXSW's press people say the number of Asian bands in 2011 has increased since last year, and that a representative travels to Singapore and South Korea to promote the festival.

Sweeting says playing at the festival can be a positive move, but bands shouldn't consider it in isolation. 'If an artist has designs to have a presence in the West, and can back that up with strategies towards further releases there and touring, then it can be a valid stepping stone for sure. South By Southwest can't be seen as a one-off, basically.'

For Singapore duo Zsa+Claire, who play guitar-and-violin pop, this year's SXSW is a chance for them to reach an international audience. 'We hear people talk about it in the bars that we play at, and performing at a big festival like that would be very different from what we usually do,' says Zsa Zsa Scorpion. 'We told ourselves we'd give it a shot as soon as we had enough of our own material. We hope South By Southwest will inspire us to want to do more with our music and our band. There are always boundaries that can be pushed and we hope it'll opens our eyes a little bit more.'

Philipp Grefer, co-founder of Beijing-based artist services company FakeMusicMedia, thinks it is worthwhile for mainland bands to play at SXSW. 'To play in the US and especially at South By Southwest still has a near mythical sound to it,' says Grefer. 'Like, 'Wow, those guys went to South By Southwest - they must be big'. Whether it is a successful showcase or not doesn't matter, and it's also very hard to find out if you look from China ... The mere fact that they played there is enough and gets a lot of mention in the local music press.'

Grefer also acts as a manager for his girlfriend Helen Feng's solo project, Ziyo, and her band Free the Birds. He says Chinese bands can also benefit from SXSW because it exposes them to the hard realities of the music business outside of their small home-scene bubbles.

'It lets them realise that even if they are hyped up in China ... it doesn't mean anything in the outside world. Competition is very hard out there and I think some Chinese bands, especially ones that toured the US, came back humbled when they played in front of just 10 people or so. Which is a good thing. Especially if they survive this experience and work to get better.'

Grefer, who bemoans the lack of a critical music press on the mainland, feels most of the bands in the country aren't ready yet for SXSW - 'but everything goes so fast here so they might be soon'.

The story is similar in Hong Kong - there are plenty of bands, but how many are willing to take those first steps towards a serious music career?

As Sweeting points out, those steps needn't mean travelling to the US. 'Hong Kong is under-represented in showcase events even in Asia and Australasia,' says Sweeting, 'so it isn't too surprising that numbers all the way to Austin have been limited.'

That's a shame. Our bands could benefit from testing their material in front of new crowds, and playing outside their comfort zones. And DP's MacLean is right - the BBQ is so good in Texas.