The first Capsule gig of the year got off with a theatrical start with avant jazz metallers Bilbao Syndrome, featuring vocals from Andrew Plummer of World Sanguine Report

Jeremiah Cymerman offered beautiful solo clarinet work, an intriguing and understated set

Headliners Kayo Dot finished their set with a fantastic percussive conclusion, tin cans and buckets galore!

The next show sees the return of the wonderful Woods, the Capsule team are buzzing in anticipation! Not just hella great musicians they run the prolific Woodsist label that has put out releases from, amongst others, Exceptor, Ducktails and Sun Araw. Check out all the Woods / Woodsist news here and buy tickets for the show here

The bad news is that the Blood Ceremony + Ghost show, scheduled for 30th April has been cancelled. Here is the statement from the Elastic Artists –

“We are extremely sorry to announce that we have been forced to cancel
Blood Ceremony in Birmingham and the rest of the band’s scheduled UK
dates. This is due to a conflict in schedule with Ghost who had been due to
tour as a package with Blood Ceremony. We have tried everything we
possibly could to keep the shows on but unfortunately it has not been
possible owing to the complex logistics involved. Blood Ceremony will
be returning to the UK in the Summer of 2011”

A real shame. If you already bought your tickets online, theticketsellers will contact you regarding a refund.

But keep the date in your diary as we’re planning a Capsule party of some great Brum bands – you can’t hold back the grannies!

The good news is that Emeralds will be coming to Birmingham on 22nd May with some fine local support from Iron Fist of the Sun and Mr Underwood. Should be a great show. Tickets are available here

Obviously, you don’t need to wait til then to see some excellent live music as the wonderful WOODS will be headlining the next Capsule show along with Spectrals and The Doozer. A night of lo-fi psych folk, I for one am most looking forward to

Thanks to those who came down to Hare and Hounds last night for the Kayo Dot show – a pretty impressive percussive close to the set i’m sure you’ll agree (tin cans and buckets galore!). Piccies to come soon.

The next Capsule show will be a psych folk freak out with three stellar bands who bridge psychedelia with more pop sensibilities.

Woods have been gathering momentum since 2006 with their spooky campfire folk and noisey interludes.

Spectrals’ equal love for 60s girl groups and distorted tape collages creates a fine blend of guitar pop

The Doozer was profiled in last month’s Wire, as a key player in the ‘Alternative Cambridge’ scene, full of feaky, underground experimentation. His vocal work has been likened to Syd Barrett and Thurston Moore is a fan!

…you’ll hopefully be getting ready for the first Capsule gig of the year.
16th February sees Kayo Dot + Bilbao Syndrome at Hare and Hounds, Birmingham. Doors at 8pm. Here’s a clip of Kayo Dot on their current tour, from only 2 days ago, a pretty good indicator of what’s to come.

Tickets can be purchased here or at Polar Bear and Swordfish.

Woods blew us away when they played for us as part of the Shred Yr Face tour in 2009. Stunningly crafted songs take on a whole new direction live, with unexpected tangents, twists and turns.

I’ve been hearing this Spectrals track pretty much on repeat on 6music, so looking forward to hearing it live. He makes blissed out, disjointed guitar pop – a perfect support for Woods.

Disjointed psych experimentation comes from The Doozer (Slitbreeze), who is gaining much comparison to Syd Barrett for his vocal style.

Tickets for this show are available here, or in person at Swordfish Records and Polar Bear.

Next month sees Kayo Dot making their Birmingham debut alongside avant metallers Bilbao Syndrome. It’s the first Capsule gig of the year – look forward to seeing you there!

Kayo Dot

Bilbao Syndrome

Tickets are available here, or in person at Swordfish Tickets and Polar Bear Records.

Happy New Year, and Capsule have tons of gigs planned for the forthcoming months:

16th Feb – Kayo Dot + Bilbao Syndrome @ Hare & Hounds: Heavy, experimental music from the Hydra Head label; this is Kayo Dot’s first appearance in Birmingham and they’re bringing extreme metal/jazz outfit Bilbao Syndrome along with them.

14th March- Woods + Mr Underwood @ Hare & Hounds: We at Capsule fell in love with Woods when they played with Espers back in 2009; trippy psych and lo-fi rock frame noise freak outs. Support comes from peddler of curiosities Mr Underwood AKA Glatze.

22nd March – Seefeel + Dead Fader + Epic45 @ Hare & Hounds: The influential electronic indie band have reformed and have a new LP. Also on the bill are noise dubstep outfit Dead Fader, whom some of you may have caught at Supersonic and the Midlands’ own Epic45.

23rd March – Arbouretum + Hush Arbors + Health & Efficiency@ Hare & Hounds: Heavy psychedelic folk in the form of Thrill Jockey’s Arbouretum. Support comes from the gorgeous country psych of Hush Arbors as well as Health & Efficiency.

3rd April – Earth + Sabbath Assembly @ Hare & Hounds: Firm Capsule favourites Earth, the godfathers of doom, are back in Brum with the majestic apocalyptic folk of Sabbath Assembly

30th April – Blood Ceremony + Ghost @ Hare & Hounds: 70s occult rock, massive riffage and flute solos, Blood Ceremony are a must see live act, support comes from Sweden’s Ghost.

Unfortunately the scheduled Secret Chiefs 3 gig will no longer be going ahead due to personal reasons within the band. We hope to get them back soon.

Tickets for all the above gigs can be bought from theticketsellers or in person at Swordfish Records and Polar Bear Records.

The lovely posters are designed by Tom J Hughes

We know it’s only November, but, whatever, we’re done for the year (well, for gigs anyway). Thanks to all who came along to our final gig of the year last night. Torche, Part Chimp and Stinky Wizzleteat was a badass way to end the year.

We’ve had some really great gigs this year, Supersonic Festival was a phenomenal success and Home of Metal is coming together VERY nicely (watch this space for exciting announcements next year). Huge thanks to all who’ve played for us, volunteered and of course attended the shows – see you again next year!

Here’s just some of the shows from 2010

Eyehategod at The Asylum in April

Silver Apples at Hare & Hounds in August

Cluster at Town Hall in February

Baroness at Hare & Hounds in January

Phosphorescent at Hare & Hounds in June

Atsuhiro Ito at VIVID in March

Modified Toy Orchestra at Town Hall in September

And of course there was Supersonic Festival in October – check out the collective memory for photos, videos and reviews

See you all next year for, amongst others, Kayo Dot, Blood Ceremony and Arbouretum – get tickets for these shows here