For too long Birmingham and the West Midlands have failed to celebrate what is rightfully theirs, to claim the city and the region as home of “heavy metal”.

Throughout late 2008 Capsule will be building a digital archive and carrying out a series of open days starting on the 25th October at Wolverhampton Art Gallery as part of “Helllo Digital” We want you to help us create a ‘people’s archive’ of memories, images and pictures to tell the story of this unique moment of Midlands’ musical heritage. This project is being delivered in partnership with, Black Country Arts Partnerships, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, New Art Gallery Walsall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

Capsule are looking for a small team of dedicated volunteers, with a passionate interest in either local history, music (specific or otherwise) or a desire to be part of a ground breaking project, which aims to bring a sense of civic pride to the region celebrating Birmingham and the Black Country as HOME OF METAL.

In return for your time commitment you will receive the following:
Training in recording oral histories / archiving digital data – including photography
Being part of a team delivering a unique project.
Travel cost will be covered.

For further info + to down load an application form:
http://www.capsule.org.uk/event/home-of-metal

Deadline for applicants: Friday 12th September

This project is led by Capsule in partnership with BCAP, WMAG, NAGW, BMAG as part of Hello Digital

Here is a slideshow of photos taken by members of the audience at Supersonic 08, gives you a real feel for the event, thanks to all those that joined the group

You can read all about how to use this new Flickr embedd tool here:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/flickr_releases_handy_embeddab.php

For those of you based in Birmingham or near by, tickets for ATP Halloween Party with performances by Lightning Bolt, Shellac, OM, Pissed Jeans and Wooden Shjips are on sale at Ideal Skate shop based at the Custard Factory.

Ideal
18 / 20 Gibb Square
The Custard Factory
Digbeth
Birmingham
B9 4AA
Opening Times
10.30 am – 6.00 pm Monday through to Saturday.
12 Noon – 4.00 pm Sundays.

Also selling tickets are
Polar Bear
10 York Rd
Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7RZ
0121 441 5202

Swordfish
Cheltenham House
14-16 Temple St, Birmingham, B2 5BG
0121 633 4859

We’re over joyed to announce that ATP in collaboration with Capsule will present probably the best line up of the year right here in Birmingham.

RELEASE THE BATS 2008 Halloween Party with:
SHELLAC
OM
WOODEN SHJIPS
PISSED JEANS
LIGHTNING BOLT
+ DJ ANDY WEATHERALL
@ Space 2 . Custard Factory . Birmingham
Sat 1st November

Fancy dress welcome: we’d love it if you could come dressed as something inspired by one of the bands (Perhaps you could simulate some Pissed Jeans? Or arrive in a…Shjip?) or as something spooky to help us with creating the Halloween mood.

We put on Lightning Bolt in 2004 in the theatre space at the Custard Factory and for many in the audience it was a night of musical revelation. If you don’t know much about the band check out this documentary ‘The Power of Salad’ and you too will become a convert to the power of the Bolt, easily one of the most exciting live bands of the last 10 years!

and then of course there is Shellac featuring Big Black guitarist Steve Albini, a band that Capsule have been wanting to bring to Birmingham since we started back in 1999. Probably one of the greatest songs ever written ‘`Prayer To God’

For further details on tickets/recommended hotels and band info check:
http://www.capsule.org.uk/event/release-the-batsatp-halloween-party
Let us know just how excited you are on scale of 1 to 10, we’re pretty much on 11!

for the following Capsule shows which include:

Wednesday 17th September 2008
Pelican + Torche
@ The Factory Club
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk

Florida’s TORCHE, who have risen from the ashes of beloved FLOOR + CAVITY, joined by heavy duty cinematic soundscapes by PELICAN.

and then for something a little more mellow…
Tuesday 23rd September 2008
APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE – A CARAVAN OF RAW SOUND MAGIC FROM FINLAND AND THE US
Kemialliset Ystavat & Axolotl + Es & Fursaxa + Islaja, Blevin Blectrum & Samara Lubelski + Dream Triangle
@ The Hare & Hounds . Kings Heath
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk

Each performance a unique and brand new collaboration, each of the acts features a combination of Finnish artists from FONAL, who have invited a US counterpart to collaborate on a composition, highlighting the parallels in strands of the recent evolving trend of ‘weird/avant folk’ between the US West coast and Finland’s northern communities.

Friday 24th October 2008
Oxes + Beestung Lips + Bilge Pump
@ The Hare & Hounds . Kings Heath
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk

“Eardrum-shattering, technically awesome math rock; listen and become the coolest outcast at your school.” A welcome return to Birmingham for this infamous trio, unleash the chaos as they wander amoungst the audience with their guitars!

Sunday 16th November 2008
Murcof with live strings
Oren Marshall
@ The Hare & Hounds . Kings Heath
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk

Esteemed Mexican electronic composer with live strings in a synchronised visual environment.

Feel free to spread the word, more info about each of the bands in the coming up section of the website.

Okey cokey people, its time to get purchasing. Just added to our Capsule online store are a selection of wonderful winter warmers, in other words we’ve got some Supersonic hoodies for sale.
Firstly there is the grey hoody with a turquoise back print of the Supersonic speaker heads designed by Matt at Beat13, as well as a navy hoody with a silver printed logo. These are on 100% cotton, heavy weight Fly 53 hooded sweaters. They have a pocket at the front, they are NOT zip up.

We also have a very limited amount of Gunsho designed hoodies, these are navy with a pink/black/white back print. Only a handful produced.

All available from our shop.

The very talented and at times extremely patient Heavy Object along with Ben Javens have over the past few years created and designed the Supersonic catalogue. Often they have recieved briefs which looking back on it seem slightly silly ie “must include mini goats” and “an industrial landscape”. Many a good designer would be put off but such a challenge but not these guys, they always come up trumps, creating not only an informative guide to the weekend but also producing a beautifully crafted item which we hope people will cherish as a momento of their time at Supersonic.

They have now digitised the last 3 years worth of catalogues and you can check them out here:
http://www.heavyobject.com/library.php?book=5&page=32