supersonic festival, birmingham

[killer b]

went to this last year, and it was cracking right up until brimingham got evacuated due to a bomb scare (right before merzbow was due on stage )... line up looks interesting so far - and it's only 30 quid for the whole weekend!

21st/22nd july at the custard factory:

Friday 21st July
Room 1:
DJ Food . The Bug & MCs Ras B & Warrior Queen . PCM . Mistress

Room 2: Wrong Music Crew
Shitmat . DJ Scotch Egg . Jason Forest . The countryside alliance Crew . Moronic Dance Music Association . Twocsinak . Hot Roddy/Minimal Impact . The bohman brothers . DJ Cheesemaster

Saturday 22nd July 06:
Theatre Space:
Rother & Moebius (Neu! & Harmonia)
Thrones (Joe Preston ex Melvins/Earth)
Circle
Final (Justin Broadrick)
Alexander Tucker
Haddonfield Illinois
Voice of The Seven Woods

Outside Stage:
Special Guest TBA
High On Fire
Broadcast
Modified Toy Orchestra
Michael Gira (SWANS)
Shade (Stephen O'Malley + Dylan Carlson)
Hanne Hukkelburg
Una Corda

Medicine Bar:
Andy Votel (dj set)
Shy Child
Zombi
Knives
Circulus
Mills & Boon
more acts tba

isn't spam btw...

 

[Dubversion]

fuck that looks good

and since i can't make Drop Beats Not Bombs..

 

[killer b]

the line-up shits all over drop beats not bombs, tbh... and if what epico told me about dbnb is true, i reckon the vibe will be a lot more laid back too...

 

[Dubversion]

laid back is for pussies..

DBNB was great last time - crowded but fun..

 

[killer b]

piss off... i bet you like a nice sit down as much as anyone.

have you ever tried dancing to merzbow? i didn't think so...

 

[Dubversion]

piss off... i bet you like a nice sit down as much as anyone.

have you ever tried dancing to merzbow? i didn't think so...

dance to merzbow? pah! i SLAUGHTER PUPPIES to Merzbow..

 

[Sunspots]

Looks good!

A bit similar to Bristol's Venn Festival

Doubt I'll be able to afford it though.

Oh, and it's the same weekend as Ashton Court.

 

[killer b]

i've got my fingers crossed the TBA special guests will be psychic tv, as they didn't get to play last time...

 

[aqua]

*makes note*

dubs - you not coming to DBNB in april now?

 

[Dubversion]

*makes note*

dubs - you not coming to DBNB in april now?

can't be done, i don't think.. too much going on that weekend - we've got PROD on Saturday so only could have come for Sunday anyway

 

[aqua]

ah bugger thats a shame, never mind - next time

if you're thinking of this still welcome to stay *


*I better put a disclaimer there and say if we're here

 

[JTG]

went to this last year, and it was cracking right up until brimingham got evacuated due to a bomb scare (right before merzbow was due on stage )... line up looks interesting so far - and it's only 30 quid for the whole weekend!

21st/22nd july at the custard factory:

Friday 21st July
Room 1:
DJ Food . The Bug & MCs Ras B & Warrior Queen . PCM . Mistress

Room 2: Wrong Music Crew
Shitmat . DJ Scotch Egg . Jason Forest . The countryside alliance Crew . Moronic Dance Music Association . Twocsinak . Hot Roddy/Minimal Impact . The bohman brothers . DJ Cheesemaster

 

[JTG]

Oh, and it's the same weekend as Ashton Court.

Oh ffs...

Friday it is then

 

[Blagsta]

I know the people who put that on, but have never managed to get to one.

 

[aqua]

get your arse into gear then be good to see you

 

[May Kasahara]

Looks like me and Mr K will be in attendance (and for once it's not an idle threat, we've got tickets booked and everything!)

 

[mr rosewater]

i've got my fingers crossed the TBA special guests will be psychic tv, as they didn't get to play last time...

I know who it is...and it ain't Psychic TV

 

[Sunspots]

I know who it is...

Me too!

 

[killer b]

who is it, then?

(pm's are an entirely acceptable mode of communication)

 

[mr rosewater]

it's on the site now anyway...

Isis

 

[Sunspots]

it's on the site now anyway...

Isis

-Eh??? Never heard of 'em!

 

[mr rosewater]

I expect you only like limp-wristed twee 60's rubbish

 

[Sunspots]

I expect you only like limp-wristed twee 60's rubbish

Everybody needs a little bit of sunshine in their lives.

 

[BigTom]

did anyone make this in the end? rother and moebius were good on sat.. and pcm on friday.. dj food was also good as normal.. salvatore were decent but didn't see anyone on the outside stage on saturday except at brief moments..

also - psychic tv are playing the Bar fly in brum on friday October 6th.. capsule tell me they are also playing london and sheffield as well but don't know where/when.. thought some of you might like to know

 

[killer b]

yeah, sheffield it is for me...

no, i didn't go.

 

[Sunspots]

did anyone make this in the end?

Yep, I went on the Saturday.

In no particular order...

Rother & Moebius (Neu! & Harmonia):
Rather accurately described by 20 Jazz Funk Greats blog as sounding like a mix of 'Miami Vice, holiday TV programme theme tunes and actual Neu!'. Moments of greatness, but generally too glossy for my liking. (And fuck, wasn't it ridiculously hot 'n' stuffy in the Theatre!??)

Thrones/Zombi:
Didn't get to see them, but they're playing Bristol tonight (-I believe)...

Circle:
Fantastic! Lived up to all my expectations. Described elsewhere as 'Can-meets-Judas Priest'! They were super-tight, driving, powerful, and still managed to have a stage presence that was equal parts ritualistic, knowingly hilarious and effortlessly professional. If you ever get the chance, just go and see them!

Final:
Like being trapped in the cargo hold of an interstellar cargo freighter as it crashes into Saturn. (...-Or something.) Crushingly intense.

High On Fire:
Mind-blowingly powerful metal trio. Albini-produced, and oft-described as Motorhead-meets-Slayer. My kind of metal. My ears still hurt.

Circulus:
Now... I'm a man of catholic tastes, but quite frankly I was appalled by what I witnessed. Admittedly I only stayed for one song, but I just thought it sounded like awful hippy jazz rock (-disguised as 'psych-folk' or whatever people call it). I think it was actually their embroidered capes and medieval hats that really repelled me tbh. They drew a crowd that almost filled the small-ish bar venue though, so maybe it's just me...

Broadcast:
Actually one of the main reasons for me going to Supersonic, but when it came to it, I only caught one song (-as I made my way to see Circle). On the day, they just didn't seem to fit into the metal maelstrom I was experiencing, and they'd possibly have been better suited to Friday's bill.

Michael Gira:
Typical between-song banter: "You're half my age, but I'd still fuck you all." Not really heard him in the last 20 years, but I thought he was excellent, especially lyrically. Acoustic, but no less intense than he ever was.

Andy Votel (dj set): I would've really like to have heard him DJ, but he didn't start 'til 2am, by which hour it was time to consider the long trek back to Bristol.

Mention must also go to the 7 Inch Cinema for showing amongst other things, the hilarious 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot' documentary.

One solitary complaint though: it was an all day event, yet there only seemed to be one tiny food stall in the entire venue (-and which only sold burgers).

Apart from that, I'd definitely go again. Roll on next year...

 

[May Kasahara]

We couldn't make it either in the end, shame.

 

[BigTom]

Yep, I went on the Saturday.

Rother & Moebius (Neu! & Harmonia):
Rather accurately described by 20 Jazz Funk Greats blog as sounding like a mix of 'Miami Vice, holiday TV programme theme tunes and actual Neu!'. Moments of greatness, but generally too glossy for my liking. (And fuck, wasn't it ridiculously hot 'n' stuffy in the Theatre!??)

One solitary complaint though: it was an all day event, yet there only seemed to be one tiny food stall in the entire venue (-and which only sold burgers).

i like that description of rother and moebius but I also like the glossier stuff - the bits of high on fire I heard when walking through were too heavy - though mistress on friday were nearly as heavy and I enjoyed them, so perhaps it was just the wrong bits I heard..
wasn't rooty frooty selling food? I don't know becuase I didn't go over there but their normal business involves selling food so I thought they would be but I'll mention this to capsule when I see them, they tend to be good at sorting out what they can - which doesn't include the air conditioning that has never worked (if it really exists) in the theatre, which was even worse this year than the previous two unfortunately

 

[Sunspots]

wasn't rooty frooty selling food? I don't know becuase I didn't go over there but their normal business involves selling food so I thought they would be

Maybe I'm wrong, but Rooty Frooty seemed to be shut from about 6pm onwards. I did specifically go over there to get food at about 8:30pm, but ended up queuing at the only other place I could see (-the burger stall).

the air conditioning that has never worked (if it really exists) in the theatre, which was even worse this year than the previous two unfortunately

Every time I went in there, I felt like I was suffocating in the heat! Very uncomfortable. I kept wondering why there was either (a) no air conditioning at all in the theatre, or (b) why, if it did have some, it wasn't switched on.

Much though I rather enjoyed Salvatore, I (and others) fought the heat to stay awake until Rother & Moebius came on. Then, once they were mid-set, I had to leave (-mainly) just to get some fresh air and water! (-Still, on the plus side, that meant I then got to see High On Fire... )

I'll mention this to capsule when I see them, they tend to be good at sorting out what they can

Overall I thought it was a great festival and the organisers deserve a round of applause.

As far as the lack of food vendors/choice and theatre air-con goes though, any influence you might yield that enables you to mention it to Capsule would be much appreciated!