The stars have aligned once again to bring back a pairing we last saw together in 2009. Yes that’s right folks, GLATZE return to support the one and only MELT BANANA this May 27th at the Rainbow Warehouse, in what can only be described as sweet, sweet déjà vu. Back then this was the first time Sam Underwood (the musical man/loon behind Glatze) had performed at a Capsule event. Since then Sam’s been involved with numerous other Capsule events through his other projects which include Ore, MortonUnderwood &

also If Wet which will be brought along to Supersonic Festival this May.

We caught up with Sam to talk about his upcoming performance with Glatze. See our mini Q & A below. Tickets for this event can be purchased here.

5 years on, what’s it like knowing you’ll be back sharing the stage at a Capsule gig with Melt Banana all over again?

It means a lot to me. I have warm memories of my first encounter as an artist with Capsule and I have been a Melt Banana fan for many moons. Capsule have continued to support me since that day and I can’t wait to dust Glatze off for another outing alongside Melt Banana; for old times’ sake.

Sam, you’re a busy man…you build instruments (MortonUnderwood), play in Ore and also run your own monthly event, If Wet, which will be transported to Supersonic Festival later this May. How do you balance all of these different projects and where does Glatze fit in?

Off the back of my sabbatical I had all these amazing strands I could pursue. For a while I did just that; I just kept throwing them against the wall to see what stuck. That’s hard work though, as I was essentially saying YES to everything. Now I have a clearer idea of what aspects really appeal to me I have started saying NO to some stuff, in order to concentrate my efforts. This makes my life easier and my output more focussed. Glatze is quite distinct in all this, he just lurks on the side-lines waiting for fun opportunities to

play. He’s my light relief.

Image courtesy of Pete Ashton: Taken in 2009 during Glatze’s last performance alongside Melt Banana.

Who are some of your musical (or otherwise) influences?

Glatze is all about attention grabbing, energetic live performances so draws influences from the likes of Henry Rollins, Afrirampo, rave DJs such as Sy and Slipmatt, and of course Melt Banana!

How do you go about writing a song? Do you jam and figure stuff out that way or is the writing process much more structured?

As Glatze, my music always has half an eye on what the live aspects of it will be. It mainly starts with studio production, although tunes range from fully improvised pieces that are constructed entirely live to heavily produced dancefloor vibes with me just twatting about over the top!

What can people expect from Glatze live?

Glatze is older and wiser now so expect more madcap inventions and theatricalities than ever before, and the usual fun-at-all-costs mentality!

For tickets to see MELT BANANA plus GLATZE and THRILLING HEADGEAR go here.

The Ex are the cover stars of the latest issue of The Wire (April, 2014).

Pick up a copy and read about Daniel Spicer travels to Amsterdam to talk DIY survival strategies with the Dutch ethno-improv-punk collective.

Don’t forget you can catch The Ex right here in Birmingham at Hare & Hounds on April 18th for just £10 (adv.). That’s a bargain all by itself, but we’ve teamed up with Milque & Muhle to put on 6 more up and coming bands for you to check out too. That’s right, two stages, 7 bands, all for a tenner. Investigate the full line-up below. Tickets here.

THE EX

Formed back in 1979, Terrie (guitar), Sok (vocals), Geurt (drums), and René (bass) choose their instruments by drawing straws to decide who would play what, starting from scratch. The name was chosen based on the fact that it could be sprayed on a wall in two seconds flat! Since those early days the band have worked across so many musical styles and with so many artists that categorizing their sound to any one genre seems almost unfair . For more band history read here.

“They are the most interesting musical unit in the world today…Go and see the Ex and you will hear rhythms you have never heard before…a sweaty seething party, an uplifting, joyful celebration.” – The Quietus

RATTLE

If the idea of a band consisting of just 2 drummers brings to mind a hippy bongo nightmare then you’ve obviously never heard RATTLE. Comprising of 2 of Nottingham’s most unique and recognisable drummers (Theresa Wrigley of Fists and Katharine Brown of KOGUMAZA) and aided by Kogumaza’s Mark Spivey they create a hypnotic and danceable music form that recalls This Heat or ESG even whilst remaining completely their own.

HEALTH & EFFICIENCY

H&E thrive on an instinctive and experimental approach to the creation and composition of their music. Eschewing traditional songwriting and structural techniques in favour of a process of improvisation, editing, refinement and distillation of their sound working together as a democratic unit. Proponents of self-sufficiency and independence, their recordings to this point have been engineered and mixed by friends and more recently by the band themselves at their practice space, then released via the internet. Unhindered by a desire, or need, to be restricted to a specific genre, HEALTH & EFFICIENCY create a sound of unrestrained eclecticism.

GHOLD

Drums and bass sludge rock duo, GHOLD, have already gained recognition in their short time together, starting in 2012 in Brixton. With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, they pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo. They’ve already got a

string of releases under their belt, which considering their 2 years together, is pretty impressive.

MOB RULES

‘Cesstone music to try the patience of the Hardcore’, MOB RULES are arguably one of best bands on the UK Hardcore scene at the moment, Leeds anger-fuelled Powerviolence at its best. Formed in 2008, this four-piece are practically Leeds’ answer to Black Flag; Largely influenced by the band, vocalist Thomas Campbell come up with MOB RULES as its said to be ‘Gregg Ginn’s seventh favourite Black Sabbath record’. Sticking to their guns for the last six years, these guys have very little internet presence, nevertheless they’ve gained a prominent presence on the scene in the UK, with an acclaimed reputation

SUMP

Formed in 2008, SUMP is a Yorkshire two-piece consisting of George Proctor (guitar) and Gareth Howells (drums and vocals). In the short time they’ve been together they’ve managed to release numerous 7″ splits and demos as well as cassettes on their own labels, Dead Tapes and Turgid Animal. SUMP is a glorious fusion of Black Metal and Punk, this isn’t the first time the two have come together, yet somehow SUMP achieve a unique and exciting sound.

BAYONNEBLEEDER

This will be the second show from local Hardcore outfit BAYONNEBLEEDER, who have spent over a year

refining their tight and rapid sound; They take influence from bands such as Rorschach, Septic Death and His Hero Is Gone. Originally one drummer, guitarist, bass and vocalist they’ve recently made the addition of a second guitarist, to reach their heaviest potential. Expect a short and intense set of 10 tracks lasting 20 minutes.

+ DJ SETS FROM LUKE YOUNGER & CHRIS BRESS

For tickets go here, you know you want to.

The Ex have just finished a 5 day festival in their native land (The Netherlands) to celebrate their 30+ years as a band. The Ex Festival was designed not as a retrospective, but was instead a forward-looking and adventurous celebration with friends and like-minded artists. Reviews have been coming in thick and fast for the Ex’s performance at their headline festival and we think you’ll agree they went down pretty well. You can read a few quotes from reviews of the The Ex’s recent performances below as well as take a peek

at a recent radio performance.

For your own chance to catch the band live, get your ticket to their Birmingham show on April 18th. Tickets cost just £10 and include a line-up of 7 bands across two stages. An absolute deal! Tickets here.

“The Ex, laying down the law; righting the rule book. People groove; or gawp at the way Kat, Terrie, Andy and Arnold construct their sound. The Ex are like some weird machine, constantly being deconstructed and reassembled; a vehicle that never breaks, one that travels vast distances to create its own hinterland…” – The Quietus (Read more here)

“My word, the energy of the band is quite remarkable – and for a group some 25 albums into a career, that’s a badge to be proud of. They were, at times, quite exhilarating here and when they weren’t they were still bloody good. The Ex are one of the most honest, down-to-earth bands I’ve ever come across because you can tell there’s no bullshit with them. They just get up there and play and when they do, you’d better stand back if you’re not prepared to go with them because they kick up quite a fuss when they get going. They are, in the truest sense of the word, exceptional.” – Incendiary Magazine (Read more here)

“Frankly they were unstoppable on this night; a mad charge into the valley, clanking and rattling around like a washing machine that’s suddenly torn up its ASBO, escaped from the local electrics shop and chuntered down the road in search of a suitable mate. Tonight the slow burners were extra good; their cosmic, baked-earth rumble somehow allowing serene, zen-like moments in the heady atmosphere, allowing people breathing space.” – Louderthanwar.com (Read more here)

Tickets for April 18th are available here. For full info on the line-up go here.

THRILLING HEADGEAR will support the mighty MELT BANANA this May 27th at the Rainbow Warehouse in Digbeth. We caught up with guitarist and local Brum resident Neil Bailey (Opium Lord, Stinky Wizzleteat) to talk about his new band and what the audience can expect from their upcoming performance. Tickets for the show can be purchased HERE.

THRILLING HEADGEAR are:

Neil Bailey – guitars

John Dixon – drums

Bruce Goodenough – bass

Nathan Coyle – vocals

First up, what’s with the name? We dig it, but we’re curious.
Thrilling Headgear is another Ren and Stimpy-ism. Wizzleteat was a big dumb name because we never wanted to take it too seriously, but we ended up getting all super cereal, so I reckon this is still not super cereal but it’s the attitude you bring that really decides it. So it’s not so big and dumb but still a bit dumb and big.

March’s playlist brings together tracks from some of the artists performing at Capsule’s upcoming events this Spring.

On April 18^th Capsule partners up with purveyors of fine records and good buddies MILQUE & MUHLE to curate an evening of musical activity held across two stages at Hare & Hounds. Topping the main stage are Dutch punk rock legends, THE EX, who are supported by percussion heavy RATTLE & rock experimentalists HEALTH & EFFICIENCY.

The second stage programmed by M+M takes things on a doomier route with GHOLD tipping their hat to the godfathers of sludge whilst continuing to forge their own unique sound. Hardcore will also be well represented on the bill with MOB RULES and BAYONNEBLEEDER both promising to punish ears and minds. Lastly SUMP will deliver their own hybrid of black metal and punk.

Tickets for THE EX on April 18^th are available now & grant access to both stages making this one all-nighter you don’t want to miss out on. Buy tickets HERE.

Later on May 27^th we welcome back Japan’s unequivocal answer to grindcore-noise rock, MELT BANANA, who are

touring in support of their latest album Fetch. Support comes from sound artist and instrument maker Sam Underwood who returns with GLATZE, his solo outlet for his broader musical endeavours. The line-up is completed with local sonic deviants THRILLING HEADGEAR, born out of the ashes of Stinky Wizzleteat and ready to pummel with their bleeted, transcendent take on punk-rock. Tickets for MELT BANANA can be purchased HERE.

We are delighted to welcome the super talented Sarah Ellis to be part of our Advisory Committee.
Listed by the Hospital Club as one of the 100 most influential and innovative people working across arts, culture and the creative industries in the UK in 2013. Sarah Ellis is currently Digital Producer for

the Royal Shakespeare Company. In partnership with Google, she recently produced Midsummer Night’s Dreaming. In 2012, she produced myShakespeare for the World Shakespeare Festival. In 2011, she was the producer of the RSC’s Adelaide Road, which mixed live performance with an app and website map. As a producer, she has worked with the Old Vic Tunnels, Battersea Arts Centre, Birmingham REP, Contact, Freeword, Improbable, Southbank Centre, Soho Theatre,

and Shunt. She has been Head of Creative Programmes at the Albany Theatre and Programme Manager for Apples & Snakes, England’s leading performance poetry organisation.

Capsule welcome back high-speed Japanese noise rock act MELT BANANA to Birmingham this May 27^th [Tickets here]. The band will tour in support of their latest offering and 7^th studio album, the well-received ‘Fetch’. With this in mind, we thought we’d look back at the band’s friendship with legendary radio presenter and record producer John Peel.

An early supporter of the band, Peel witnessed Melt Banana’s live performance at Maida Vale in September 1999 and declared it: “Simply one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen and ever heard … just mesmerizing, absolutely astonishing.”

Peel also described MB as “one of the world’s great bands” and would go on to feature the band regularly on his radio show. This appreciation resulted in several live Melt Banana recordings for The Peel Sessions. You can listen to one of these extraordinary live sets below in the 2001 Melt Banana Peel Session:

Admiration between the band and Peel was clearly mutual, and after Peel’s death in October 2004 Melt Banana issued the following statement:

“Today is the funeral of Mr.John Peel. For us, he was like Santa Clause. We feel so maybe because of his beard and his big round eyes, but not only because of that, of course. He gave us many things and did many thing for us, and it is difficult for us to express how much we thank him. We don’t know how and when he first found us, but it seemed that he knew about us from the very beginning, like, from our 1st album. He played our music many times on his radio show, and it helped spreading our music all over the world, which is amazing. Every time when we visited U.K. to tour, he had some special events for us. He gave us a opportunity to play real-time-on-air live show at BBC, and another time, he invited audience to the studio for our peel session. Last time when we saw him was when we played a show for the radio one show case in Brighton in 2003. He was smiling. Thanks, Mr.John Peel, for your love to our music. We miss you. MELT-BANANA”

Now performing as a duo, MELT BANANA will be supported by GLATZE and THRILLING HEADGEAR at the Rainbow Warehouse in Digbeth, May 27^th. Tickets for this not-to-miss show can be purchased now

from here.

This week we put sludge duo GHOLD in focus. GHOLD will play as part of the musical showcase Capsule + Milque & Muhle have co-curated this April 18th headlined by experimental punk noisemakers THE EX. For a full list of acts playing both stages see HERE + tickets are available from HERE. You can also purchase

tickets in person at M+M (Digbeth Custard Factory) and Polar Bear (Kings Heath) record stores.

Drums and bass sludge rock duo, GHOLD, have already gained recognition in their short time together, starting in 2012 in Brixton. With a heavy bass line and percussive drums, they pay homage to the early days of Sludge with bands like the Melvins, Karp and Godheadsilo. They’ve already got a string of releases under their belt, which considering their 2 years together, is pretty impressive.

“…Ghold are not your bog standard NOLA worshipping sludge troupe, however. There may only be two of them, but on their debut full-length alone (‘Judas Ghoat’) these guys demonstrate more engaging ideas than many bands do over the course of their entire careers.” – Terrorizer.

Our friend Kez Whelan at Terrorizer recently interviewed GHOLD and we’ve picked out a few questions for you below, but be sure to read the full Terrorizer interview HERE.

Image: Terrorizer

Could you tell us briefly how you both met and formed Ghold?
“We met at art college where we shared a musical interests at the noisier, heavier end of the spectrum and our tastes naturally overlapped at bands like the Melvins. At that time we’d been making music under our own separate guises for quite a while and digged each other’s stuff so it seemed only natural to collaborate on something.”

What kind of music are you both into? Who would you cite as influences?
Alex: “I would cite a lot of influences starting from the not so obvious; such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Parliament, Funkadelic, Captain Beyond, The Beatles to Slayer, Jim Jones and the Kool Aid Kids, Melvins, Primus, Cherubs (TX), Shellac, Drive like Jehu, Karp, Harvey Milk – lots of 60’s garage psyche, 70’s kraut and heavy psyche, 80’s progressive metal, funk, the list is ever on going…”
Paul: “As far as music goes there’s a shit-ton. A lot of the old stuff from Thorrs Hammer, Burning Witch, Confessor and Corrupted really gets my blood up. Darkthrone are a continuous inspiration. I grew up with bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Melvins, Aphex Twin, Converge, Lightning Bolt, Tortoise and Isis so I’m sure a lot of this has crept into the subconscious. Am also a big fan of electronic bass-weight music and dub (Digital Mystikz, Scorn, Shackleton, King Tubby etc). Recently really digging records by Dark Castle, Baby Killer, Raime, Wolf Eyes, Ulcerate and The Body. There’s some really exciting music out there.”

You guys are ridiculously tight when playing live. How would you describe the Ghold live show for those who have yet to witness it?
Alex: “Thanks, its something we try to keep up, we both share the idea that the tighter the better, plus there’s only two of us, if one of us messes up it’s easier seen. I guess that’s the other thing is that regardless of how a record sounds it’s always going to be better live with this kind of stuff (for now anyway, were only just starting to consider more recording techniques), we like to mix it up a lot, we change our setlist all the time and whatever you think we’re going to play, we probably wont.”
Paul: “A hard hitting, zero-bullshit weight-fest. With melodies!”

What’s next for Ghold?
“Well we look ahead to a prosperous new year haha! We’re working on a full-length record to come out at some point next summer, we shall be working with a cellist and touring with her for a few shows too. We’re going to be part of a compilation record as part of the This Is DIY family (Ladyscraper/Death Pedals/Yards/USA Nails) so look out for that. We’re working on lots of stuff so it should be a busy and productive year for us, look out for the material and come and see us play!”

GHOLD’S WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP

Tickets for April 18th event can be bought HERE.