We are delighted to say that after 4 years of research, fund raising and general blood sweat & tears Home Of Metal has finally opened. Here are some photos and we would encourage you to go and check out the exhibitions for yourself. Both the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery show (18th June – 25th Sept) and Wolverhampton Art Gallery exhibition (18th June – 17th Sept) opened this weekend in perfect time for Fathers Day. I was honoured to have spent the afternoon on Wednesday with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath doing a number of interviews, you can catch them on BBC Front Row and on 6 Music, there is a BBC Radio 2 dedicated programme being made too, I’ll post up details when aired.

The exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery explores the industrial backdrop of the region and how that impacted on bands like Black Sabbath & Judas Priest.

There are a selection of Judas Priest stage costumes as well as some examples of Tony Iommi of Black Sabbaths jackets on display – looking at the theatrics of Heavy Metal.

In our resource section you can have a go yourselves playing a selection of Gibson guitars – including Flying V’s

In this section see early Napalm Death flyers, fanzines, hand written lyrics and set lists

The exhibition is on till the 25th September – Tickets: Book online or ring 0121 303 1966, for further information and access details see HERE

Photos by Katja Ogrin

At Wolverhampton Art Gallery we have an exhibition entitled ‘You Should be Living’. Featured artists, include Matius Faldbakken, Ben Venom, Harminder Judge, Banks Violette, Amy Sarkisian, Seldon Hunt and Mark Titchner who use typography, vintage t-shirts, sculpture and sound to explore the varying aesthetics of Heavy Metal and its relationship to contemporary art. The artists, both national and international, take inspiration from the genre, whilst exploring notions of fantasy, chaos, performance and musical devotion.

Pictured the work of Amy Sarkisian + Jim Faure

In the Focus gallery there are a selection of images depicting the Black Country and it’s industry backdrop.

With a new commission by Damien Deroubaix & Nic Bullen referencing 30 years of Napalm Death.

The show at Wolverhampton is free – more information HERE

For the full Home Of Metal season of events & exhibitions see www.homeofmetal.com

Further line up announcements for this year’s Supersonic Festival include exciting appearances from Circle and Pharaoh Overlord. Fresh from their artist residency at Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands , Circle and Pharaoh Overlord will both perform at this year’s festival. Circle bring together krautrock beat, heavy riffs and showmanship to induce a trance like state, while Pharaoh Overlord (featuring members of Circle) lets out their stoner/space rock side. To celebrate the appearance of these Finnish legends we will be screening a new documentary ‘Man with a Video Camera’. The film follows a Swedish Circle fan who decides to make a documentary of the band, and finds them to be kindred spirits despite their lack of interest in his film…

Here are Circle performing at Supersonic Festival 2006

Other acts confirmed to play are Silver Apples, enormously influential pioneers of electronic music, their odd breed of psychedelia has inspired scores of other bands. Nathan Bell, formerly of Lungfish will perform his cyclic banjo music. Avant -garde violinist and sound artist Tony Conrad will also be appearing – an experimental musician, film maker and writer, every performance of his is a unique event.

Early bird tickets went flying out the door and are now sold out. Weekend tickets are available here for £75, giving you three days of music, art, film and cake.

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Supersonic Festival 2011

21-23 October

feat: Bardo Pond, Circle, Cloaks, Electric Wizard, Fire! feat. Oren Ambarchi, Secret Chiefs 3, Zombi, ZU93, a.P.a.t.T, Agathe Max, Antilles, Astro, Blarke Bayer//Black Widow, Eternal Tapestry, Lucky Dragons, Monarch, Pekko Kappi, Scorn, The Skull Defekts, White Hills, Wolves in the Throne Room, Nathan Bell, Tony Conrad, Silver Apples, Pharaoh Overlord and many more to be announced.

A 10 artist show at Umbrella Arts in New York opens on 23 June 2011, one of the featured photographers is Jamie Robinson. Jamie will be displaying artist portraits from Supersonic 2010.

Swans

Lichens

http://www.jwrobinson.co.uk/

Early Bird tickets for this year’s festival have been snapped up. Weekend tickets are still available though at just £75 for 3 days of music, art, film and of course cake.
Keep your eye on Supersonic Festival for more line up updates and news.

This year’s Supersonic Festival runs 21-23 October 2011 and there are two excellent opportunities to get involved as an intern. The festival is small enough for you to gain not just an overview of how the festival works, but to give real input and value.

I would definitely recommend the internship to any individuals seeking a fast paced, hands on internship which is hard work but also lots of fun

Laura Coult, Production intern 2009

Capsule have two internship opportunities:
1. Marketing/Communications
2. Artist Liaison/Production

As an intern you will be required to contribute at least 10 days between July to October, and then follow up report based work in November/December. You will receive valuable work experience and be credited as part of the core team that delivers Supersonic Festival.

To register your interest please send an email to: admin[at]capsule.org.uk and mark in the SUBJECT of the email either ‘Marketing/Communications internship’, or ‘Artist Liaison/Production internship’. On receipt we will send you an application form and further information on the role.

Deadline for completed applications is 3 June 2011
Interviews will be held Thursday 9 June 2011

Good luck!

Another excellent Sunday night gig! Thank you to all who came out to the Emeralds gig last night, a great atmosphere, superb performances and some slick and fresh between band DJing from Emeralds themselves – 90s tastic!

Thanks to Kate Fitzgeorge for the photos:

Mr Underwood opened the show and was joined on stage by local historian (and one of last year’s Supersonic illustrators) Ben Waddington, who delivered a spoken word piece.

Iron Fist of the Sun followed with cold electronics and Princess Diana visuals

Rousing kraut electronics from Emeralds – an amazing show.

Next up we’ve got Battles + Young Montana? @ HMV Institute on Monday 27th June. Be warned, tickets are selling fast for this one so get yours here

A great show has been organised in London for you to blow away those bank holiday cobwebs, thoroughly recommended if you’re down that way.

New Lexicons of Dark: Exploring Darkness in Sound and Art will take place Monday 30th May at Red Gallery, 3 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DT and features a great line up of Black Abba (a new project from Alexander Tucker), Necro Deathmort (check out their Supersonic 2010 set) and The Haxan Cloak who will be joined on stage by Liam Sparkes of Trencher.

“I’m really proud to be a Brummie and to call Birmingham my home, that’s why I’m supporting the Home of Metal events and message. Your surroundings and experiences influence your music so it’s important for people to know where that music came from!”  – Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath

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/