This Saturday we have Japanese band Mono performing at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, tickets have now sold out online but there are a handful at Swordfish & Polar Bear and we will be keeping a limited amount available on the door. (doors are at 8pm)
support comes from Ihora, featuring current and former members of Jesu, Cable Regime and Final

Currently in a state of information overload – going to panel discussions, being jetlagged, trying to follow loads of tweets on Twitter, meeting new people, coping with 80 degree heat and being over excited…so rather than trying to digest whats going on, here are a few random shots of what we’ve been up to so far. When my brain can get to grips with it all I will write up a more meaningful post but in the meantime enjoy Austin through the eyes of a Capsule Granny…

The Umbrella Group heads out SXSWi festival

A delegation of the country’s leading digital artists and producers are heading over to Austin, Texas this week to attend this year’s SXSW Interactive festival, funded by Arts Council England. The Festival celebrates the creativity and passion behind the coolest new media technologies. In addition to panel sessions that cover everything from web design to bootstrapping to social networks, attendees can make new business connections at the three-day Trade Show & Exhibition.
The delegation, known as The Umbrella Group, will research new opportunities, view work, spot emerging digital trends and experience first hand one of the biggest international conferences and festivals of the year.

Managed by iShed, The Umbrella Group comprises of Dan Efergan of Aardman, Sarah Ellis of Apples and Snakes, Simon Evans of Simon Games, Alex Fleetwood of Hide & Seek, Steve Manthorp of Manthorp ACT, Lisa Meyer and Jenny Moore of Capsule, Simon Poulter of Viral, Duncan Speakman, Nina Steiger of Soho Theatre, Jess Tyrell of Germination and Andrew Wilson of Blink. They will be joined by Clare Reddington of iShed and David Drake, Sally Luton and Adrian Friedli of Arts Council England.

Whilst out at the Festival The Umbrella Group, who are easily spotted as they carry umbrellas, will be running The Hat Game designed by Simon Games. Featuring a gps tracked bowler hat, festival attendees will be able to make contact with The Umbrella Group, track the hat online and claim the hat, wearing it for as long as they can until it is claimed by someone else.

Find out more at http://www.umbrellagroup.org
and keep up to date with the group at their blog:
http://www.ished.net/projects/sxsw

or by searching twitter for #uksxsw.

Launching this Wednesday is the highly anticipated Flatpack festival, kicking off proceedings at Birmingham Town Hall is CURZONORA, a celebration of cinema’s early days featuring THE DESTROYERS

This week the ‘musical whirlwind’ known as The Destroyers will be presenting a brand-new set specially commissioned to open the Flatpack Festival. Curzonora is a tribute to Birmingham’s early film showman WALLER JEFFS, and will feature live scores to some of the films you would have found at his 1900s shows, including pioneering sci-fi movie TRIP TO THE MOON (Georges Melies), the rootin’-tootin’ GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (Edwin S. Porter) and a selection of amazing footage from the Mitchell and Kenyon Collection, shot around Birmingham at the dawn of the 20th century.

Weds 11th March, 7.30pm at Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham B3 3DQ
Book tickets online, at the venue or by calling 0121 780 3333
> http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/flatpack-festival-presents-curzonora
> http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=69594063311
> http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk/09/festival/event/curzonora

Flatpack Festival 3 runs in venues across the city from 11-15 March.
More info at http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk

Other events during the festival include a screening of the Led Zeppelin film ‘The Song Remains The Same‘  with a talk by music archivist Chris Phipps as part of our Home Of Metal celebrations. This will take place on Saturday 14th, 4pm at South Birmingham College in Digbeth.
Other music related events as part of the festival include a film about singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan, a performance by the lovely Bela Emerson, Sublime Frequencies film Sumatran Folk Cinema + heaps more amazing stuff. Go check stuff out!!!

Just wanted to high light the amazing work of Bunny she describes herself as ARTIST, ILLUSTRATOR, COLLECTOR, FANATIC, COSTUMIER, STYLIST, PROP MAKER, ART DIRECTOR, ZINE & COMIC BOOK AUTHOR, HOSTESS, GO GO DANCER, MODEL, ACTRESS, VOICE ACTOR, MUSICIAN, AGONY AUNT, ESCORT, SPECIAL GUEST, CAKE DECORATOR, VINTAGE CLOTHES DEALER, 21ST CENTURY ANTIQUES EXPERT, DOG SITTER, WRITER, SHOP OWNER, LECTURER, FILM THEORIST, HAIRSTYLIST AND ASPIRING MAGICIAN’S ASSISTANT AND WRESTLING VALET. Most recently Bunny produced a doodle which we are using for our fancy new business cards. Previously we have commissioned her to produce an illustrated diagram linking members of the 5 bands which we are focusing on for Home Of Metal (we hope at some point to turn this into a teatowel).

Of course we were inspired to commission Bunny after we saw her incredible map of hair metal (which you can purchase as a print from her shop)

This map charts the movements of band members between groups in the hair metal genre and beyond. As the disclaimer states: “Hair metal may include or be known as: glam metal, heavy metal, hard rock, glam rock, shock rock, nwobhm, flash metal, speed metal, thrash metal, classic metal, classic rock, power metal or just metal”

Its well worth checking out her website and work as other treats include her costumes:

Under the Wonderleague name Bunny has a stall where she sells a fantastic selection of kitsch treasures & baked goods , you might have seen her at Supersonic last year. Of course we love her not just because shes extremely talented by for her cupcakes and fondness of the small dogs too.

See more of her photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/bunnybissoux/
Wonderleague website http://www.wonderleague.co.uk/
Blog http://www.bunnybissoux.blogspot.com/

Supersonic Festival

Friday July 24th – Sunday July 26th
The Custard Factory, Birmingham, England
BUY TICKETS
Line-up highlights so far: Head of David, Growing, Jarboe, Zu, PRE, Caribou, Genghis Tron, Flower/Corsano Duo, 65 Days of Static, Venetian Snares (latest full details)
Rumours, hopes et cetera: Supersonic organisers Capsule tend to pull a diverse range of specimens from the darkest of nooks, but what they do offer up is usually loud, odd or both. To that end, it’s hard to predict who will transpire on the line-up, though after last year’s event the fans seemed to want originators; the likes of Steve Reich, Sonic Youth, a reformed Can and Terry Riley and John Cale playing Church of Anthrax featuring heavily in these suggestions, along with other good shouts like Liars and Colleen. We’d break up the countless noise acts that will surely be added to the bill by asking Skull Disco to give their dark, doomsday dub one last airing, while minimalist forefather La Monte Young should be hailed to reprise the performance of Raga Sundara he’ll be giving in the Guggenheim this month. SALEM and Grouper also fit the ‘odd’ criteria and would be fine additions.
What to expect: Headache. One of the most arcane and diverse line-ups of any festival this summer. A superb merch area.
Links: Home | MySpace | Facebook | Flickr

Taken from http://drownedinsound.com/news/4136349

We’re really pleased to announce the addition of IRON LUNG to this years Supersonic Festivals line up.

For those uninitiated, IRON LUNG are a two-man band from Reno, NV that specialize in a brand of audio violence heretofore unknown in the extreme underground. Bearing marks of grind, power violence, thrash, and even oldschool HC, they are one of the handful of bands that have applied new and innovative approaches (arrangements, chords structures, thematic unities, etc) to their underground musical machinations. If you are one of the handful of people who remember the all-too-brief existence of KRILEZAC, then you know the foundation upon which this was built (IRON LUNG was born of the KRILEZAC ashes, although they have a more measured and sharp sound).

(taken from http://www.inmusicwetrust.com)

http://www.myspace.com/lifeironlungdeath

They join the initial Supersonic 09 line up – Head Of David/ 65 Days of Static /  Atomized/ Berg Sans Nipple / Caribou / Cave/ Chris Herbert / Diagonal / Earthless /Flower & Corsano Duo / Genghis Tron / Growing / Jarboe / Khyam Allami / Master Musicians Of Bukake/ Nancy Wallace / Pontiak / PRE /  Scorn / Skullflower/  Theo / Venetian Snares /Zu / ZzZ’s

Weekend tickets go on sale today exclusively for those on our mailing list – general release in April from
www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Frank is at work today, quietly sitting under my desk, just listening to some music and keeping an eye on everything, whilst looking after ‘Suckles the Clown’. On the whole he is pretty well behaved in the office other than when he decided to wee on Jens camera bag.

If you like this picture check out stuff on my mutt for such beauties as:

Could be me & Jen…
and of course for fans of the feline stuff on my cat

Thanks to Dorian Wood for introducing us to these sites, we spent a good few hours of browsing on Sunday afternoon with slices of cake.