Monday 15th August is the application deadline for volunteers for our Home of Metal Black Country Weekender. Get in touch if you fancy getting involved and helping to deliver an exciting weekend of events, all in the name of Heavy Metal!

Here’s the call out:

Capsule are looking for a small team of dedicated volunteers to assist with the delivery of our Home of Metal Black Country Weekender. Bursting with events relating to Heavy Metal and its unique birthplace, there really is something for everyone.

The events will take place at various venues across the Black Country from Thursday 1^st September – Sunday 4^th September, comprising film screenings, panel discussions, family friendly activities and more.

Duties include meeting and greeting, distributing information, event set up/break down and acting as an advocate for Home of Metal. Some events may require some photography skills and technical experience.

To apply please, email [email protected] with ‘Home of Metal Volunteer’ as the subject title, and we will send you an application form. The deadline for completed application forms is Monday 15^th August.

Previous Capsule zine cover by Matt Snowden

Capsule are currently putting together a zine about all things Supersonic and we’re looking for illustrators to contribute. If you’re interested, please contact [email protected] by 16th August and we can send you more details.

There is a great piece in the Guardian today with an interview with yours truly entitled ‘Pop music’s mavericks: In the conformist age of Simon Cowell and the overhyped indie band, is there still room for the maverick in music?’

I encounter Supersonic organiser Lisa Meyer at Euston station on the way to a meeting. With her black hair and piercings, she doesn’t look like a typical festival mogul, and indeed Supersonic – which runs every October at Birmingham’s Custard Factory – is far from Reading or Glastonbury.

Last year’s bill included heavy dub and extreme metal bands, noise pioneers Swans, and local grindcore outfit Fukpig, who “terrified everybody in their wake”. Somehow, the revelation that Meyer was an art student whose degree project was a sculpture of her head made from blue cheese – “It looked like marble, from a distance” – is not surprising. She transferred this worldview into music, putting together a festival dedicated to celebrating extreme noise.

Like many great events, Supersonic came about by not so much ignoring the rules as not knowing them. Meyer and a friend had enjoyed small-scale all-dayers in Leeds and Nottingham, and wondered if they could host a much bigger version. So they started emailing their favourite bands, using the computer at an arts centre. “We didn’t know what we were doing,” Meyer says. “We’d get really excited if we went back the following week and someone had actually replied.” Perhaps intrigued by how innocent enthusiasm bypassed accepted channels, people did reply.

For the first Supersonic, in 2003, a barely known LCD Soundsystem played their first show outside London for £600, alongside Sleazy Christopherson’s influential Coil. It wasn’t plain sailing: after someone dived into the venue’s water feature and then ran on stage, dripping on the electronics, they were told they could be sued; another year brought a bomb scare. But gradually Supersonic has grown to attract a global audience.

“We’re not approaching bands who want to play V festival,” Meyer says, with huge understatement. The music at Supersonic is a mix of the popular but culty – Psychic TV, Mogwai – and challenging unknowns. The idea is that by appealing to minority tastes that aren’t catered for elsewhere, Supersonic can assemble a huge community for which like-minded bands will want to play. Battles are just one band who performed there when they were (fairly) unknown and returned when they were (fairly) famous. Meyer’s matter-of-fact enthusiasm lures – and pacifies – notoriously difficult artists. Psychic TV’s Genesis P-Orridge may have been called a “wrecker of civilisation” in the House of Commons and undergone feminising surgery in the name of art, but Meyer found him “lovely – like your favourite auntie”.

Read the full article written by Dave Simpson HERE
For more information and tickets for this years festival see HERE

Some top Home of Metal clobber is available on our website now, including the essential Heavy Metal Family Tree tea towel by artist Bunny Bissoux, already selling fast! There’s also a t-shirt, tote bag, badge and many more lovely things to come. Go to the ONLINE SHOP to see more.

Two exciting discussion panels have been announced as part of the ongoing Home of Metal season of events. Both panels cost only £5 each and will take place at Lighthouse in Wolverhampton.

Friday 2nd September. Exploring Heavy Metal: An insight into music journalism.

Budding writers will find invaluable insights into the world of music journalism. The panel will explore ways in which journalism has been informed by the ongoing evolution of Heavy Metal as well as the move from print to the use of digital media. Featuring Alex Milas (editor of Metal Hammer), Frances Morgan (Plan B, Terrorizer, New Statesman), John Doran (The Quietus) and Malcolm Dome (TotalRock).

Saturday 3rd September. In conversation with Nicholas Bullen, Mark Titchner and Damien Deroubaix.

The relationship between fans and music has been explored throughout the Home of Metal project; this panel of artists will investigate that dynamic further. Nicholas Bullen is a Birmingham based sound and visual artist, he founded the band Napalm Death, creating the Grindcore genre and taking Heavy Metal in a unique direction. This panel will invite discussion between Bullen and visual artists who draw upon the genre in their work.

Tickets are now on sale for only £5

Both panels are part of the Home of Metal Conference 1 – 4 September 2011
Exploring Heavy Metal; the music, its heritage and global influence
www.homeofmetalconference.com

Nicholas Bullen and Damien Deroubaix current installation

We’re very excited to announce that electronica pioneers Alva Noto and Byetone will be playing at this year’s Supersonic Festival. Two wizards of  experimental audio visual performance, the German artists will be play at the festival as part of their 15 year anniversary tour. Alva Noto makes rhythms and harmonies using clicks and glitches and is also known for his work with Ryoji Ikeda. Byetone, aka Olaf Benders is the label boss of Raster Noto record label and as Byetone manipulates abstract animations in realtime to support abstract, complex pieces of music that mange to be  danceable at the same time.

Also joining the bill this year is Cut Hands, aka William Bennett of Whitehouse, and his afro noise project. Alexander Tucker will be presenting an intimate performance of his new record of minimalist string arrangements and electronic manipulations and The Berg Sans Nipple will bring their incredible live show to the festival.  Part Chimp, legendary for the volume of their live hows will bring their noise rock to the stage, along with psych sleazers Teeth of the Sea, Sabbath worshippers Slabdragger and Nottingham’s finest, Kogumaza.

As ever, we like you to get you involved in the festival too, a bit of audience participation never goes amiss and we’re pleased to announce an exciting workshop from Supersonic friend John Richards. After the success of his Dirty Electronics Ensemble in 2009, he’ll back with a new noise making workshop, Mute Synth,  where participants can also show off their hard work at the live performance at the festival.

We’re also very pleased to announce the return of Supersonic Kids Gigs – big sounds for little people. Lucky Dragons, as well as performing at the main festival site for us grown ups, will be doing a special performance for children and their families.

For up to date festival news go to www.supersonicfestival.com

Tickets for the festival are only £75 for three days of music, film, art and cake and are available from:

www.theticketsellers.co.uk

www.seetickets.com

Plugs Records, Cork

Polar Bear Records, Birmingham

Swordfish Records, Birmingham

Home of Metal Launch In Pictures

Last Thursday Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s Gas Hall hosted the launch of the Home of Metal Exhibition. In attendence were notable members of both the music and art communities. Slade singer Noddy Holder, former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing and Brian Tatler from Diamond Head were among the guests at the official opening which was launched by Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.

The great Tony Iommi speaking at the launch

MoragLukeRob (L-R) Exhibition designers Luke Morgan and Morag Myerscough with Home of Metal Researcher Rob Horrocks

Photographer Steve Gerrard infront of fan portraits

Kerrang! DJ Johnny Doom relaxing in a mock-up of Ozzy's living room

Collector Bill Sneyd with his Judas Priest Collection Display

Black Sabbath member Tony Iommi with Home of Metal contributor and Black Sabbath fan Chris Hopkins

Artist Bunny Bissoux and her fantastic Home of Metal family tree

AMAZING Home of Metal Cupcakes by Kiss Me Cupcakes. Metal themed Cocktails were also provided by Bitters 'n' Twisted venues.

Former Judas Priest member K.K. Downing with a Harley Davidson

Lyndon Laney, founder of Laney Amps playing a Juneau Projects guitar

Exhibition Officer Tom Grosvenor

Founding member of Napalm Death Nic Bullen

Tony Iommi thanking Home of Metal co-founder and Artistic Director Lisa Meyer

Please visit www.homeofmetal.com for the origional article and much more.

How exciting! Head on down to HMV Institute to witness the brilliant Battles play tonight! They’re fresh from a Glastonbury performance – check their performance of Ice Cream below.

Support comes from Young Montana?, a favourite of Mary-Anne Hobbs he merges glitch, hip hop and experimental electronica