Supersonic Weekend 2011
Ok my first ever Supersonic Festival and a quick review of the weekend for you all.
For years I have been wanting to go to this festival and after four years of being disappointed I decided to buy a ticket and go. Flights booked and hotel booked I had no choice but to head on down. And I am so glad I did.
I was in Birmingham at midday so had a few hours to explore the city. Nice city and plenty of shops and bars to visit if you are ever down. One thing I find handy to do in navigating the city is to remember the three train stations and where they are. As you will stumble upon them and when you do it will give you an idea where you are. So when you get to Moor Street Station you are very close to the gig area.
Friday night starts at 9pm so I opt to go down do Digbeth for a few drinks before the doors open. I get talking to the locals in a bar who I am shocked to find out they don’t know of the festival. I was a little bit surprised but then I feel I may be in the wrong area of the city. When I leave I see plenty of people all walking down a lane I follow hoping to find the entrance to the festival and do so.
The street that contains the festival looks like every other street and with only a few A4 signs taped to walls I can see why the locals may never have heard of it. This to me is a good thing and sets up a great start to the weekend. Quick tip, I had an E ticket that got me in way quicker than the normal printed tickets. I was told by security to ignore the line of people and go to the front. Within seconds I am in the gig and have my wristband.
The sound from the first stage is very good and that good the people waiting outside can hear the full blast of Slabdragger. I join the gig about 10 minutes in with a nice bottle of Ale and love the first band of the weekend. The crystal clear sound of the stage puts a smile on my face as does the size of the PA. No cheap set up here, also each stage has what I can see three projectors all showing images behind the bands also added in is films and all ties in well with the music. Between each band is a DJ so the music is always in full flow.
Next I see Part Chimp who I have been looking forward to seeing for a while. You go over a small bridge that has some nice lighting and again the stage is similar as the last one. The stages are pretty much old factory space cleared out and with a bar installed. Again a great PA and Part Chimp hit the stage. Some strings go during the gig (Due to the cold) but the band keeps going. The singer completes a great set with one of his strings still not repaired. Another great set and so far my money is well worth it. I stay here and enjoy Mike Watt + The Missingmen who again also provide a great Friday night set. During all of this I am getting great service at the bar with the staff taking into account who is next in line. Great work by them keeps the bar ticking over and the drinks flowing.
With the pain in my foot getting over powering I decide to call it a night.
I get out my bed after about two hours sleep, foot in a bad way bit I take some painkillers and start the first full day of the festival. Great thing about it is the festival is not just music but film and art shows are here as well. I was going to be involved in the Imperfect Cinema but due to the pain in my foot I have to pull out, also the time has been changed for the workshop but I am sure someone else had a chance to use one of the limited cameras.
After resting up I go to see the Grindcore: Cut N Paste, “This exhibition will give you an exciting insight into this period of music history – the formation of Grindcore” is what it is described as being in the Supersonic guide and it does deliver. It really is just a collection of hand written letters and newspaper cuttings but so powerful and a real look into the history of the music from the area of Birmingham. The punk DIY ideas that influenced the band can be seen in all the tapetrading and fanzines on show here. It does hit you that 25 years ago the country was in such a state and under government like now from the Tory’s.
I limp along to the theatre and enjoy From A to Zine a chat with a panel who discuss the history of zines from the punk era onwards. Great informative chat where the audience can ask questions at the end.
I stay in the theatre for the UK premier of Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century. Again I have been looking forward to this and I loved every second of it. I felt a shiver down my spine when watching the film as the three record labels included in the film have released some of my favourite albums. I felt the film was more about me in a way as it shows you the covers of albums through the labels history and I am constantly saying to myself “I have that album”. The story is nothing new to real fans of music but the film is so well made and the editing is fantastic. You are never treated like an idiot with dates being shown and pointless narrative. You are a fan and you will get it! Some real time has been spent on making this film and it does show, a great documentary and one that should be seen by far more people than just the label/bands fans.
A bite to eat from the great selection of food stalls and again something I loved was the lack of burger vans selling frozen chips and hotdogs for a tenner. Meatballs freshly made with parmesan cheese grated over the top. A quick beer and now my first gig of the day Wolves in the Throne Room who have some stage decoration to help the mood. Also a smell during the gig of what is like a burning damp forest comes over the audience. I do spot someone walking about the back of the room with a smoking handful of something. It is so nice to see a Black Metal band with as many people as this. I only ever see this music in the smallest of venues with at most 120 people. Great show and onto another class act that is Electric Wizard.
EW come on stage and start playing, no messing about, no hellos to the crowd. The guy next to me head bangs none stop for the whole gig. Pretty much all you need to know about them.
Zombi come on last and again I miss then end of the show and make my way back to the hotel via taxi while missing the last half hour of them but they were playing great and I do hope to see them again sometime soon.
Sunday morning I feel way better and have a look at my timetable. I will try and fit in as much music as I can so start with some death metal from Selfless. Then onto Barn Owl, both acts are as different as you can go and I loved the two of them. Cut Hands next and I find the hall is so full people can’t get in. I choose to leave hopefully someone else can get in as I was not a big fan. Quick time out for a pint and some amazing Chinese food I then catch about 10 minutes of Tony Conrad before Envy get on stage. While eating my food I get talking to the singer of Drunk in Hell. I say I will check them out right after Envy and I am glad I did the band of the day for me. Circle are the last act I see and as mad as you can get and as much fun as you can see in a gig. I leave the area and decide to walk back to the hotel.
What a great festival and all for £75 over three days is a bargain. I have never seen a festival like this before where the simple things mean so much from the art that is represented here to the way it is run. People seem to have more respect to the point beer cups mostly are reused or recycled. I never saw any real drunkenness or any problems. The sound on each of the stages was fantastic with most of the acts sounding great.
Birmingham is the birthplace of metal and I now think it is the home for alt music as well.
