supersonic festival

On the couch with Stuart

Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai at home with his dog (Picture: Pete Millson)

We did a short interview with Stuart at Supersonic Festival 2010, he talks about his experience of visiting as both a punter, DJing and performing with Mogwai. He doesn’t mention the infamous year of the bomb – when it was in fact his mum that telephoned from Glasgow to let us know that Birmingham had been evacuated due to a bomb scare and we had to close the festival. Stuart is also a big fan of Frank the pup, which of course gives him extra points.

Mogwai play the HMV Institute on Thursday and we can’t wait to hear their new material played live – Hardcore Will Never Die went into the UK album charts at number 25.

Supersonic gets a ‘big up’

Kevin Martin aka King Midas Sound and The Bug was recently interviewed for The Quietus and talked at length about his experience of working with Supersonic Festival and our approach.

In a weird sort of way Supersonic were responsible for me rethinking what I wanted to do with King Midas Sound. I’d seen Corrupted play a year or two before and they helped me remember the roots of where I’d come from musically….

They take chances where a lot of festivals don’t. And also they’re fans of the music whereas most festival organizers aren’t. Most festivals are run by money men. Most of this industry is run by shitheads with a craving for a fat wallet. Jenny [Moore, Supersonic Co-Founder] and Lisa have stuck to their guns and been passionate about it. They booked me very early on as The Bug when my first album was coming out. They booked me for two years running and you don’t forget stuff like that. You always remember the people who are in it for the right reasons and who support you because they appreciate what you’re trying to do. A lot of people in this business are just shallow, empty vessels of greed. And they are not that.

You can read the full article here

Supersonic review in The Wire

In the latest issue of The Wire Magazine a review from Supersonic Festival 2010, in which they refer to the Eastside creative community -

The West Midlands and Birmingham in particular are ‘the Home Of Metal‘ – where founding fathers like Black sabbath and Judas Priest played their first shows and a second wave, including Napalm Death and Godflesh, spawned numerous subgenres…We get a sense of the diverse musical and artistic interest that fed into the Birmingham scene. It’s clear that the city’s current music community, or at least the one centred around the Custard Factory, is equally openminded – something which the organisers Capsule both cater to and take inspiration from.

Supersonic confirms that there’s certainly something in the air in Birmingham, or, as one of the organisers suggests, in the city’s architecture, that makes even the older artists come across as fresh. That’s because you’re not observing them on display in a ‘zoo’, but working in their natural habitat: a post-industrial space. So many other music festivals offer what you expect to hear, merely affirming your good taste in music, Supersonic is a place to be educated and surprised: new, experimental and intellectually nourishing material is cleverly smuggled in under a black cloak of fist-pumping riffs and cathartic noise.

David Moats

Post Supersonic 2010

Photograph courtesy of quaintliving.com

So it’s almost a month since Supersonic Festival 2010 – here is a little video which whizzes through some of this years highlights. You can also have a look at our collective memory which has collated blog posts, photos and other video footage – enjoy and see you next year!

“Supersonic Festival is one of the most celebrated dates on the UK festival calendar.” Clash Magazine

Seeing Sound – Supersonic Festival

As part of Supersonic Festival Laura Coult has curated ‘Seeing Sound’, which will take place at VIVID on Heath Mill Lane, over the weekend of the festival, and will include a screening of Tony Conrads seminal work The Flicker (1966).
This is FREE to the public & Supersonic ticket holders

SEEING SOUND, curated by Laura Coult
VIVID
140 Heath Mill Lane | Birmingham |B9 4AR
www.vivid.org.uk
Fri 12 – 5pm
Sat 12 – 6pm
Sun 12 – 4pm

An exhibition exploring the ways in which we experience sound as light, movement, noise, and colour. Spanning 40 years the programme draws together historical and contemporary moving image works including Ben Russell’s Black & White Trypps No. 3 (2007) which documents an audience’s collective freak-out during a performance by Rhode Island noise band Lightning Bolt; and a special one-off screening of Tony Conrad’s seminal work The Flicker (1966) a 30-minute film exploring the possibilities for harmonic expression using a sensory mode other than sound; audience reactions to the film ranged from disorientation, temporary hypnosis, and intense experiences of colours and patterns, to headaches and violent bouts of nausea, all seemingly caused by the pulsating light’s interaction with the brain’s alpha waves. Other artists include Benedict Drew and Juneau Projects.

Live Performances: Sun 1pm
classical percussionist Joe Snape and musician Mr. Underwood. Snape will perform Lärmlicht #2, for percussionist, 4-channel tape and 8 lightbulbs. The piece is the first in an ongoing series which explores the expressive potential of light in the context of musical performance.

Following on from his Noise Box Workshop, Mr. Underwood will stage a rare performance of Steve Reich’s Pendulum Music. Originally scored for “For Microphones, Amplifiers Speakers and Performers” this adapted version will be performed using four Noise Boxes / Optical Theremins (similar to those made in the workshop) and four torches. This performance will take place in darkness – the torches, the only source of light, add a distinctive visual aesthetic to this classic phase piece.

Screening: Sun 3pm
The Flicker (1966) Tony Conrad (16mm)

Free entry

Supersonic Festival – Volunteer call out!

Supersonic needs YOU!

Capsule’s internationally renowned festival runs 22nd to 24th October 2010 and there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer. The festival is small enough for everyone involved to gain not just an overview of how the festival works, but to give real value and be part of a dynamic team.

We need a team of volunteers to help deliver the festival over the weekend of the event itself – we are looking for people to work over the festival weekend 22nd -24th October and in the run up to Supersonic from early October onwards. We expect a minimum of 12 hrs over the festival period in exchange for a weekend wristband.

In addition we are looking for professional quality photographers to help us document the festival

How to apply:
To apply send an email to volunteer[at]capsule.org.uk
Mark in the SUBJECT of the email VOLUNTEER or PHOTOGRAPHER

We will send you an application form, which you need to fill out and email back to us before the deadline which is the 21st September. There will then be a meeting on the evening of the 22nd of September to find out more about the festival and to meet the team.

Please note, unfortunately we can only receive applications from people over 18 years of age.

For further info about the festival check: http://www.supersonicfestival.com

Please feel free to spread the word.

Capsule zine no.5

HALLOGALLO + NAPALM DEATH to play Supersonic Festival

HALLOGALLO 2010 – Michael Rother + Friends present the music of NEU!
NAPALM DEATH to perform at this years Supersonic Festival.

Following the news that the 2010 edition of Birmingham’s acclaimed annual Supersonic Festival will be headlined by SWANS and GODFLESH, Capsule are excited to announce a further round of live acts who will also perform at this year’s festival, including HALLOGALLO 2010 and NAPALM DEATH. Tickets are now on sale!

“I´m thrilled to return to Supersonic this year with my new live project Hallogallo 2010. We will present some favourite music by NEU!, Harmonia and from my solo albums. I look forward to Supersonic this year because two great musicians and friends are joining me in Hallogallo 2010: Steve Shelley (drummer of Sonic Youth) and Aaron Mullan (guitar player of Tall Firs). Expect some fast-forward movement!” – Michael Rother, Hallogallo 2010/NEU!

Capsule are also excited to confirm that unquestionably the most influential band in extreme music’s ferocious history NAPALM DEATH will be performing in their hometown to make their first ever Supersonic Festival appearance. Acclaimed as the creators of Grindcore, Napalm Death will be pushing the envelope of metal to new extremes in what is guaranteed to be an unforgettable performance.

“We are very much looking forward to playing Supersonic this year. It’s always great to play a hometown gig, and with this festival being so diverse musically it’s going to be even more fun for us as we rarely get the chance to play such events -  and on the same stage as SWANS, well what can I say?” – Shane Embury, Napalm Death

Also confirmed are an incredible, eclectic mix of music and visual artists, including PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES with their mesmerizing and unforgettable avant-primitivism,  oVo with their incredible combination of heavy riffage, bombastic drumming and unforgettable vocals, as well as a return from the dark lords of Drum and Bass, PCM. DOSH will be performing, complete with mandatory pots and pans, as well as DRUMCORPS, with their unique, high-energy mix of music production values and the raw power of American hardcore.

TWEAK BIRD are also confirmed, bringing their big drums, fuzzed out baritone guitar and tandem spacey vocal melodies, and also CAVE, with their sickeningly tight drum and bass. There will also be multi-sensory art in the form of DJ and multimedia artist Vicki Bennett, aka PEOPLE LIKE US, and dark visual music trio DEMONS (W/SICK LLAMA).

This latest announcement forms part of a series of line up announcements for Supersonic 2010 with many more exciting acts and artists to be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

Tickets on sale now from:
www.theticketsellers.co.uk
www.seetickets.com

Further info – www.supersonicfestival.com

Godflesh to play Supersonic Festival

Following the news that the 2010 edition of Birmingham’s acclaimed annual Supersonic Festival will be headlined by SWANS, Capsule are hugely excited to announce the second headlining act, GODFLESH. Acclaimed by many as founders of the industrial metal movement, Godflesh will be returning to their Birmingham roots to play the band’s first UK show in over 10 years. Tickets are now on sale!

Featuring band members Justin Broadrick (ex-Napalm Death and Head of David) and Benny Green (ex-Fall of Because), Godflesh will be bringing their crushing, apocalyptic sound back home to Birmingham in only their second show since they disbanded in 2002.

“We cannot even recall specifically the first Birmingham Godflesh show. Oddly, we think it was supporting Suicide in 1988, just after the release of our first Mini LP on Swordfish, the record label of Birmingham’s best record shop. So it’s only natural that the first Godflesh UK show in its original form in over 10 years, comes home to its birthplace, and for whom better than Supersonic, the organisation responsible for keeping Birmingham on the map with underground music, be it metal or otherwise. It is with great pleasure that Godflesh returns to its roots.” – Justin Broadrick, Godflesh

This rare and exceptional performance by GODFLESH forms part of a series of line up announcements for Supersonic 2010. Also confirmed are with many more exciting acts and artists to be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

Buy tickets: www.theticketsellers.co.uk
www.seetickets.com

Capsule zine no 4