2011 has been an incredible year for Capsule with tons of wonderful events and unforgettable moments. Feel free to let us know what your highlights were from our 2011 program and let us know what you’re keen to see more of in 2012.

Capsule’s Home Of Metal project got a great mention in yesterdays FT newspaper in reference to the very exciting announcement by Black Sabbath about their reformation next year and embarking on a world tour.

Yet Brummies have rarely boasted of their music, unlike chirpy Scousers and cocky Mancunians – a result of Birmingham’s modesty as well as wariness of mainstream indifference to the subculture.
That is changing. Home of Metal, a series of exhibitions and events in the region, has been held over the past few months. An international conference on heavy metal has just taken place at the University of Wolverhampton. It discussed academic studies from the use of “grotesque realism in grindcore politics” to the role of women in “death metal”.
All this comes amid society’s yearning to return to its industrial roots in what George Osbourne calls a ‘march of the makers’. Yet manufacturing’s recovery is stalling amid turmoil in European markets. With the desired rebalancing so hard to achieve, heavy metal looks a more assured export.

Brian Groom

Read full article HERE

We also appeared on Sky News alongside the guys from Polar Bear Records & Alex of former Brummie band Beestung Lips who declared he was “Frankly power-chuffed” by the announcement. No doubt this statement will in itself go down in history.

For all the latest news & further details about the line up relating to SUPERSONIC see our website http://www.supersonicfestival.com

SUPERSONIC KIDS GIGS

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There are still spaces available for families to join in with the Supersonic Kids Gigs, big sounds for little people. Two special performances will be taking place at the mac, introducing little ones to experimental sounds. On Saturday 22nd families can catch Lucky Dragons and on Sunday 23rd, The Berg Sans Nipple will bring their nimble fingered electronica wizardry. Tickets can be bought directly from mac.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/special-events/supersonic-kids-gigs-2

WORKSHOPS

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There are still limited places available for our various workshops, which include building the Mute Synth and a large group performance with DIRTY ELECTRONICS

GET A GRIP screen printing workshop and make a unique festival T-shirt

IMPERCT CINEMA – a workshop to contribute to an alternative documentation of the festival using endangered media technologies!

* you must sign up in advance of the festival.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/workshops

SONIC GRAFFITI

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Sound artist Sam Underwood has become quite a favourite at Supersonic, last year playing in the fantastic Lash Frenzy vs KK Null, delivering a Noisebox workshop and playing as Glatze in 2009. This year, as well as performing the tuba doom group ORE which promises to be very special indeed. Sam will be giving tours of his recent work ‘SONIC GRAFFITI’. Throughout industrial Digbeth, Sam has installed sound pieces for you to tap into the dark, decayed world around you. Meet Sam for a pre festival tour on Friday 21st October at 8pm outside VIVID, or if you can’t make that, there is another opportunity on Sunday 23rd October, same time and place.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/special-events/sonic-graffiti-2

SUPERSONIC QUIZ

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Think you know your Electric Funeral from your Electric Wizard? Well put your music trivia knowledge to the test with Club Unlikely infamous QUIZ. It’s free to enter, just come on down to bar 70eights on Sunday 23rd and register your team by 2.15pm.
http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/special-events/club-unlikely

EXHIBITIONS/INSTALLATIONS

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Home of Metal has been a huge focus for Capsule of the past couple of years, and we were thrilled with the reception of our exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, celebrating 40 years of Heavy Metal and its unique birthplace. We’ll be bringing an element of this exhibition to Supersonic this year, to celebrate Birmingham and the Black Country as the birthplace of Heavy Metal. Grindcore CUT N PASTE is an exhibition that will explore the formation of Grindcore, Napalm Death’s early years and the cut n paste aesthetic and DIY approach at the heart of the music.

After the success of the Gods White Noise event last year, VELZUVIAL will extend the concept to see a 24 hour improvised performance. This new performance is commissioned by Supersonic and Eastside Projects and is a collaboration between artists Christian Jendreiko and Andrew Moscardo-Parker (aka Lash Frenzy). It will take place at Eastside Projects from Sat 22nd 9pm til Sun 23rd 9pm. The performance will feature a core team of players as well as a number of special guests.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/exhibitions

MARKET PLACE

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We’ve now announced the numerous stallholders you can meet at this year’s MARKET PLACE. Go along and check out their wares, and put a face to that awesome label/distributor. Stallholders include Southern Records, Burning World, Cold Spring, Bad Egg, Future Noise and many more.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/info/market-place/

PODCAST

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The third installment of Brumcast’s Supersonic podcast is now online where you can check out Nathan Bell, Barn Owl, Drunk in Hell and many more.

http://www.supersonicfestival.com/news/supersonic-podcast-no-3-2/2011/

LINE UP & TICKETS

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Weekend Tickets £75 + booking fee BUY NOW

Friday tickets are £20 + booking fee BUY NOW

FRIDAY Doors 9pm  – 2.30am (Box office closes at midnight)
APPAT/CLOAKS/DRUMCUNT/MIKE WATT + THE MISSINGMEN/PART CHIMP/SCORN/SCOTCH EGG/SECRET CHIEFS 3/SLABDRAGGER/

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Saturday tickets are £35 + booking fee BUY NOW

SATURDAY Doors 4pm – 1.30am (Box Office closes at 11pm)

– AGATHE MAX/ALEXANDER TUCKER/ANTILLES/BACKWARDS/BARDO POND/BERG SANS NIPPLE/ELECTRIC WIZARD/KLAUS KINSKI/KOGUMAZA/LUCKY DRAGONS/MONARCH/MUTE SYNTH/NATHAN BELL/ORTHODOX/PHAROAH OVERLORD/SKULL DEFEKTS/TEETH OF THE SEA/WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM/ZOMBI/

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Sunday tickets are £35 + booking fee BUY NOW

SUNDAY Doors 2pm  – 1.30am (box office closes at 10.30pm)

– ALVA NOTO/ASTRO/BARN OWL/BYETONE/CIRCLE/CUT HANDS/DRUNK IN HELL/DRUM EYES/ENVY/ETERNAL TAPESTRY/FIRE!/ICONACLASS/MODULATE/ORE/PEKKO KAPPI/SELFLESS/SILVER APPLES/TONY CONRAD/TURBONEGRO/WHITE HILLS/

“I volunteered at Supersonic as it seemed a great way to meet people & see plenty of the bands on the roster.

I had a cracking time working with the other volunteers, and meeting some lovely people (Michael Rother was a treat). Plus, Capsule really deserves our help as they consistently puts on some of the best live shows around.”
Ben Martin – volunteer 2010

SUPERSONIC NEEDS YOU!

Capsule’s internationally renowned festival runs 21-23 October 2011 and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer.

We need a dedicated team of volunteers to help deliver Supersonic over the festival weekend (21-23 October) and also in the run up to the festival (early October onwards).

The festival is small enough for everyone involved as a volunteer to gain an overview of how the festival works, and to give real input and value. We expect a minimum of 12 hours over the festival period in exchange for a weekend wristband.

In addition to festival volunteers, we are also seeking a small team of professional quality photographers to help us document the festival.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you are interested in volunteering for Supersonic Festival, please click here to download the application form.

Completed application forms should be emailed to volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk before Friday 23 September 2011. Please mark in the subject line of the email VOLUNTEER or PHOTOGRAPHER.

The first volunteer meeting will take place on Monday 26 September, 7pm where you will be able to find out more about the festival and meet the team.

NB/ unfortunately we can only consider applicants who are 18 years old and over.

Supersonic Festival info - www.supersonicfestival.com

Playlist

Hello Bastards -Part Chimp
Whirly-Bird – Silver Apples
Matter – Alexander Tucker
Four Violins (1964) (Edit #1) - Tony Conrad
Vinum Sabbathi – Electric Wizard
A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. - Teeth Of The Sea
If I Took Your Hand – Fire
Balance Of The 19 – Secret Chiefs 3
Splice The Mainbrace - Slabdragger
Dreams Coming To An End – Envy
Maatunut - Circle
Xerrox Sora – Alva Noto
Erinys - Zu
Oli Mulla Aarre Kallis – Pekko Käppi
The Echo From The Purple Dawn 2 – Astro

Weekend Tickets can be purchased from HERE
For more info on our line up see HERE

Part of the Home of Metal Black Country Weekender, we’ll be screening the legendary ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot’ It’s 25 years since Jeff Krulik and John Heyn walked around the Capital Center’s parking lot in Maryland, interviewing boozed up rockers before a Judas Priest gig. The resulting document has become required viewing on tour buses across the globe, and now you can enjoy the clothes, the hair and the language in all their glory – in the Light House’s courtyard.

There will also be film shorts courtesy of Flatpack festival and DJs, plus live music from Selfless
“4 piece, insane politically/socially charged hardcore hardcore punk/crust/grind band.Lying somewhere between Black Flag/Heresy/Discharge…”
+ Stinky Wizzleteat
“Formed some time in 2008, Stinky Wizzleteat have garnered some sort of a reputation, leaving a trail of blood, sweat and broken amplifiers behind them. United by a mutual love of the Bad Brains, Wizzleteat carve out a sound informed by groove from across the musical spectrum, whilst staying fully committed to heaviness, good times and volume.”

This event is sponsored by The Kraken Rum and free rum cocktails will be available and best of all the event is FREE too from 8 – 11pm.

Metal on Film is part of Home Of Metal for the full program of screenings see HERE
and for the full Home of Metal season see HERE.

Be warned last time we showed Heavy Metal Parking at Capsule & cake way back in 2002 we had the most legendary & messy party, prepare for one mighty hangover.

Big news came our way recently when the self-proclaimed “Third-biggest Formula Rock Band in the World” Turbonegro returned with news of a brand new front-man, Tony Sylvester. It has been a whirlwind few weeks ever since, having returned to the stage at the annual Turbojugend Fan Club Convention in Hamburg on Friday July 15, after a two year hiatus to the roaring approval of their denim-clad fans.

Now, Supersonic have ensnared the almighty Kings Of Deathpunk for a UK exclusive headline performance at the festival. Bringing all the glam, good tunes and great vibes (and hopefully hordes of denim-clad followers) we couldn’t be more excited!

The line up includes, Tony Sylvester (Vocals), Happy Tom (Bass), Euroboy (Guitar), Pål Pot Pamparius (Keys/Guitar), Tommy Manboy (Drums/Percussion) and Rune Rebellion (Guitar). Tony Sylvester comments on playing the festival:

“I was so chuffed that Lisa and Jenny asked Turbonegro to headline Supersonic and that the first show with the new line up in the UK will be there. Not only are they the best promoters in the UK, but I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved with the festival itself since its second year: announcing bomb threats, swimming in the fountains, playing Northern Soul, arguing on panels, you name it. This will be the first time I’ve actually played there however!”

ARE YOU READY?

They join the current line up of: ALVA NOTO / a.P.A.t.T. /AGATHE MAX /ANTILLES /ASTRO /BARDO POND / BARN OWL / BYETONE/ CIRCLE/ CLOAKS /CUT HANDS /ELECTRIC WIZARD / ENVY / ETERNAL TAPESTRY/ FIRE!/ KOGUMAZA/ LUCKY DRAGONS/ MONARCH/ NATHAN BELL/ PART CHIMP/ PHARAOH OVERLORD/ PEKKO KAPPI/ SCORN/ SECRET CHIEFS / SILVER APPLES / SKULL DEFEKTS / SLABDRAGGER/ TEETH OF THE SEA / THE BERG SANS NIPPLE/ TONY CONRAD/ WHITE HILLS / WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM / ZOMBI / ZU93

Tickets for the festival are only £75 for three days of music, film, art and cake and are available www.supersonicfestival.com

Four decades since heavy metal was unleashed onto the world, Home of Metal arrives this summer, presenting a series of ambitious exhibitions and associated cultural programme which explore the foundations, social context and heritage of heavy metal culture, which has gone on to be a global phenomenon.

Tickets for our huge Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery exhibition are now on sale! Book them here.

18th June – 25 September 2011
Home of Metal: 40 years of Heavy Metal and its unique birthplace
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
http://www.homeofmetal.com
http://www.bmag.org.uk/

Line up includes special guests Zu93, Electric Wizard and Secret Chiefs 3
joined by
a.P.A.t.T., Agathe Max, Antilles, Astro, Bardo Pond, Blarke Bayer/Black Widow, Cloaks, Eternal Tapestry, Fire! w/ Oren Ambarchi, Lucky Dragons, Monarch, Pekko Käppi, Scorn, The Skull Defekts, White Hills, Wolves In The Throne Room, Zombi

Limited early bird tickets available from www.theticketsellers.co.uk

“Capsule’s Supersonic festival has evolved…to consistently provide one of UK’s most anticipated Festival line-ups. Fans of dubstep, krautrock, free-jazz and doom metal were all catered for on a bill which promised to both rupture the ears while stimulating the mind through its diverse selection of music, film and specialist talks.” – CLASH

Go to http://www.supersonicfestival.com for info on the line up, hotel deals, volunteering etc

And if you need any more convincing – look at how much fun we had last year…

Matmos – the electronic duo comprised of Drew Daniel and Martin Schmidt – have been creating, constructing and collaging sonic ephemera since the mid 90s. With each album they release, Daniel and Schmidt seem to have thrown each other a gauntlet, between them creating compositions based around the collection and processing of particularly unorthodox sounds. Sometimes compared to artists like Steve Reich, and certainly to Pierre Henry (the ‘father’ of Musique Concrete), Matmos have created albums entirely from the sounds of surgery (A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure), used the sound of a bovine uterus (on their venerative album The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of A Beast which pays tribute to notable queers), and on their first self-titled effort sampled the nerve signals of a crayfish.

Read the full interview by Nix Lowrey HERE
Matmos perform with J Lesser at the mac in Birmingham this Sunday tickets are available HERE
We’re intrigued and so should you be – see you there.