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.

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

“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/

What a success! On Saturday 26th March Home of Metal filled The Public with Metal lovers in celebration of the region as the Home of Metal.

The mix of people was very eclectic, from old

To young! 

Juneau Projects’ offering of letting people create their own guitar from cardboard, which were then made PLAYABLE went down an absolute treat and many incredible creations were made.

The Public’s Saturday Art Club had to remain open past it’s 1 o’clock deadline due to such high demand! People of all ages enjoyed colouring in Black Sabbath and adding those special finishing touches to their guitars.

It was the same busy story with our memorabillia desk. We were (thankfully) over run with fantastic artefacts that will be gradually added to our online Archive, so keep your eyes peeled for some amazing new additions!

Johnny Doom compered the event interviewing both Rock Photographer Ian Harvey and the legend that is Krusher.

Other activities of the day included a blow up igloo in which Johnny Doom would give you a very metal interview, an amazing large display, which I can only describe using a picture:

This was courtesy of The Public’s education department. Finally, the ‘Animo’ where you could have your picture magically taken with giant bats, wolves, Ozzy and other Heavy Metal Images!

Renowned Photographer Steve Gerrard delivered an incredble fully booked up masterclass on the day as well as photographing our Band Photoshoot competition winners Action Replay. Take a look at Steve’s blog at some amazing pictures from the day.

We would like to thank all of you that attented and those that took part in creating the day for making it such a success!

Home of Metal hit West Brom last weekend – which included a number of large scale vinyls of fans portraits taken by photographer Steve Gerrard.

…another excellent event coming up at Flatpack Festival. This Thursday 25th March at IKON Eastside, Flatpack will be screening ‘We Don’t Care About Music Anyway’, a portrait of the Japanese experimental music scene with a performance from Sakamoto Hiromichi, an intriguing cellist who also uses voice, musical saw and an array of instruments to craft beautiful, and always surprising, pieces. I’m personally hugely excited, having discovered him through his collaborations with sound artist Haco.

Tickets are available here, and there will also be opportunities to donate to the Red Cross at the event in the wake of recent events in Japan.

Don’t forget on Saturday 26th March Home of Metal will be screening ‘In Bed with Chris Needham’ at IKON Eastside, tickets for that event are available here

…than with Home of Metal?

If you’re around the Black Country, you may have seen Home of Metal splashed all over your buses, metro stations and more, all promoting our Heavy Metal dedicated day on Saturday 26th March.

We’re starting off at The Public, West Brom where we’re inviting Heavy Metal fans to bring along their memorabilia to add to our digital archive, anything from t-shirts, ticket stubs, fanzines and records are all invaluable to the project!

Johnny Doom will be hosting the event, interviewing cult metal hero Krusher (former ‘Raw Power’ presenter and Kerrang! art director) who will be talking about some of the Black Sabbath and Monsters of Rock artwork he has created.

Steve Gerrard will be giving a masterlass in music photography, showing you how to get the perfect live shot. Please note that this class is now full.

Steve has been an accredited photographer for bands such as Radiohead, Metallica, Kiss, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Iron Maiden, The Sex Pistols, Bon Jovi and Melvins. As part of the Home of Metal open day he will be giving one lucky unsigned band a free photoshoot!

We’ll also be screening the first and only Led Zeppelin feature film  ‘Song Remains the Same’ – along with (sometimes bizarre) dream sequences the film sees the band storm through ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Black Dog’, ‘Heartbreaker’ and the rest, to thunderous effect.

Birmingham based artists Juneau Projects will be in attendance on the day to help you create your very own  electronic cardboard instrument. Use cardboard to build your own Telecaster or Flying V, drumkit, keyboard or invent your own instrument. Then add some simple electronics to trigger sound samples, take to the stage, dress up and play!

It’ll be a great day, and it’s all FREE – Home of Metal Open Day, The Public, 11am-4pm

And that’s not all as in the evening we’re hooking up with Flatpack Festival and The Quietus to bring you a very exciting screening of ‘In Bed with Chris Needham’ at IKON Eastside

“The plot: Chris Needham, a 17 year-old Thrash Metal fan from Loughbrough who has been absolutely lacerated by the puberty stick, is about to play his first gig with his band, Manslaughter. The problem is, they’re complete rammel. Between their first painful attempts to stand musically upright and their debut gig, Chris takes the time to defend Metal and Youth, unleashes torrents of adolescent venom upon the Green movement, ‘old bastards’, vegetarians, ‘Chart Music’, organised religion, teachers, and Neighbours, conducts a relationship with his girlfriend in excruciating silence, gets hassled by Mr Taggart and His Amazing Shirt, and goes fishing.”
– Al Needham, Leftlion

‘In Bed with Chris Needham’, IKON Eastside, 8.30pm, tickets from HERE

For up to date news and to contribute to the archive go to http://www.homeofmetal.com/

Home of Metal is collaborating with Flatpack Festival to bring a very special screening to this year’s edition of the prestigious film festival. On Saturday 26th March, ‘In Bed with Chris Needham’ will be screened at IKON Eastside, followed by a Q&A with Chris Needham himself.

‘In Bed with Chris Needham’ follows a 17 year old thrash fan as he about to embark on his band’s debut gig. Full of quotable lines, its a fantastic insight into teenage fan-dom and is, of course, a testament to the power of Heavy Metal. Unscreened for two decades, this will be a very special event.

20:30 – 23:00 Sat 26th March 2011
Screening : £6.50 Tickets from HERE

In 2009, Home of Metal brought the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Song Remains the Same’ to Flatpack Festival – if you missed it (or just really need to see it again) we’ll be showing it earlier that day at our Home of Metal Open Day at The Public, West Brom. So come along and make a day if it!

Flatpack Festival 2011 programme is now online!