“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/

It’s been a grey, rainy day in Wolverhampton so a big thank to you all who came down to the shop to pay us a visit today.

Fans have brought down some great artefacts including this scrapbook with a page dedicated to Judas Priest

A bit of Black Sabbath colouring in…

Come along tomorrow when Steve Gerrard will be photographing fans in their band t-shirts and we’ll be playing some records – let’s hope for sun…

If you can’t make it to Wolverhampton, you can submit memorabilia direct to http://www.homeofmetal.com/

Home of Metal @ City 10, Queen Square, Wolverhampton

A sunny day in Wolverhampton sees Home of Metal descending for a temporary residency in a shop unit in Queen’s Square. Already we’ve had some great stories and pieces of memorabilia from local Heavy Metal fans. Heavy Metal was born in this region and the passion for that music hasn’t died.

A fan with Robert Plant at a Wolves match

Judas Priest ticket stub – from 1978

Home of Metal will be here tomorrow and Saturday for you to bring your memorabilia or tell your metal related story, the exhibition will continue.

City 10. Queen Square, Wolverhampton
10 am – 6 pm

From Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th June 2010, 10am to 6pm, Home Of Metal will be taking up residence in a disused shop located at City 10, 18 Queen Square in Wolverhampton city centre, inviting fans to bring along their memorabilia & stories to be photographed & recorded to contribute to the digital archive or drop in to look at some of the Home Of Metal related wares we have already discovered!

WE NEED YOU!

Home Of Metal are looking for everything from concert tickets to photographs, badges, album covers, t-shirts, demo tapes, fan letters, fanzines, flyers, lyrics, posters, press articles, set lists and promotional materials to build the collection online, which will inform a series of major exhibitions which are being developed for 2011.

On Saturday 19 June, from 2pm to 6pm, renowned rock photographer Steve Gerrard will be in residence, fans are invited to have their portraits taken by him in their prized band T-shirts to feature in the Home Of Metal Exhibition.

Valerie & Mike Smith courtesy of Steve Gerrard

These are the sorts of things we’re looking for so go hassle your dads, search out your lofts…

Black Sabbath poster courtesy of Neil Parry

Patch jacket courtesy of  Ken TLF

Live Led Zep photos courtesy of Lee Dunning

Selection of T-shirts courtesy of Rex68

Judas Priest T-shirt Painkiller 1991 tour – courtesy of Billy

VBS travels into Australia’s outback in search of the aboriginal youth gangs of Wadeye, all of which have taken their name, dress, and overall attitude from the 1980’s and 90’s golden age of heavy metal.

Our Home Of Metal project was featured in +1 magazine after editor David Hopkins came up for our last open day at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery…some amusing thoughts of possible future souvenirs and branding Birmingham and the Black Country as the birth place of Metal

“Though the The Home Of Metal is a tailor made vehicle for fanboys’ adoration for all things Page, Plant, Butler, Broadrick and Halford the project ultimately aims to repackage Birmingham in musical, tourist-friendly wrapping paper. Just like  Manchester and Liverpool have so successfully done with Madchester/The Smiths and The Beatles respectively. But the Black Country’s considerable musical pedigree is arguably going to be harder to sell to their local authority as a potential money spinner. As even with the best will in the world Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Napalm Death and Godflesh aren’t quite as brochure friendly as the fab four. ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’ souvenir pencil case anyone?”
By David Hopkins

We had an amazing turn out for our second Open Day at The New Art Gallery Walsall, and clearly the project is starting to snowball as word spreads. A highlight for us all was when Sue Halford and family turned up with a great selection of Rob Halfords (lead singer of Judas Priest) costumes and related treasures.

Sue Halford with Stuart Williams from the Walsall History Society

Jenny with one of Rob’s jackets – preparing it to be photographed for the archive.

Sue in conversation with Kerrang! Radio DJ Johnny Doom

These photos are courtesy of Stuart Williams who has been inspired to start his own blog http://metaldog.vox.com/ and developing the project Walsall Rocks, which we look forward to working with in the future. More photos and interviews from the event coming soon.