Supersonic Festival :: 24th – 26th July 2009

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I have two admissions to make over the opening course of this piece. First up, I am / was a Supersonic virgin. I’m man enough to admit it, but really, it’s something I should have sorted out before now. I’ve gazed lovingly at the line-ups over the years thinking “When will it be MY time? When will I get the courage to go?”. Well, 2009 was the year. I was initially swung by the presence of Thrill Jockey’s finest in Pontiak and Arbourteum plus the chance to see Caribou in a live setting as well. However, as soon as they pulled SUNN O))) out of the bag as a Friday headliner, I knew I’d made the right choice.

Second admission – I managed to consume my own body weight in local ale on the Friday evening whilst waiting for some friends. I blame Network Rail, but really, it was my own fault. Whilst this might have been a problem for some people, it seemed to fit the wonderful surroundings of the Custard Factory and the charged music that was being played within. It felt like a party – a good, old fashioned, Friday night knees-up.

The soundtrack provided by the DJ Scotch Egg incarnation of Drum Eyes seemed to pass me by, but the electric Drum ‘n Bass of local boys PCM blew the cobwebs away. Of course, for me, it was all about SUNN O))). Stripped back to their duo line-up, there was none of the depth and expanse of their recent album, this was Doom at its most gutteral. A wall of sound (and, indeed, fog) bathed the crowd. This was the closest I’ve come to a religious experience. The clawed hand rising out of the mist as the slow, dirge of chords vibrated through every bone in your body. After this, the only way to step it up was the shredding Drum ‘n Bass of Venetian Snares. This guy took NO prisoners tonight – it was an aural assault of the highest level – the sound must have permeated every filthy inch of Birmingham.

Saturday

So as you might imagine, Saturday morning was a little subdued. Luckily, with the festival being a laid-back affair, I had plenty of time to recover from my previous night’s antics. Though Rose Kemp caught me a little unawares, as her Doom-Folk-Witch songs were more of a blunt instrument than a soothing hand to start the day. However, Flower / Corsano Duo on the Outside Stage were just the ticket – blissful Jazz shaping grooves that explored shifting time signatures without losing an ear for something pretty. Remember Remember were, by far, the most intimate and yet oddly complex band of the weekend. Their entire sound seemed so delicately put together, that you feared that a gust of wind would destroy everything. Luckily, in the Factory Club, there was no such chance, and their beautiful post-pop-rock songs were like nursery rhymes from another dimension.

I needed something with a bit more life to shake the final aches and pains of my hangover – the local organic Cider was just the thing, along with Bristol threesome Thought Forms. Sounding more like Sonic Youth live, their feedback-driven musical pieces gained an electrical edge live, revealing them to have plenty of their own ideas. A band that seemed to have little idea of what it actually wanted to sound like though were Tartufi. A schism of prog and rock, it’s amazing that such a wide range of musical styles and noises come from just a duo. It sometimes feels that they’ve stretched themselves a little TOO far though and ends up sounding a bit of a mess.

Highlight of the day though were Nisennenmondai. Their latest album Destination Tokyo was an intriguing mix of influences, but live they could almost be described as dance music. Their sheer musical skill is enough of a reason to watch them, but the aching groove that they thrash out ensures that pieces of your body find their natural resonance. Now, a couple of weeks later, I STILL can’t get over how tight they sounded considering that the underlying rhythms are based on the same beats repeated ad nausem. Unfortunately, they were followed by one of the disappointments of the weekend in Marnie Stern. Perhaps I just don’t get her, or what she’s doing – that’s entirely possible – but her shredding is a carefully erected cloak to hide the boring nature of her songs.

Shifting tack were Bobby Prevote & VJ Benton-C Bainbridge. Apart from a fantastic moniker, these guys blended laptop-tronica with live drums. Nicely chilled and Jazz fuelled, but I can never warm to an act where one guy sits in front of a computer with his back to the audience. How rude. Highlighting what a great and varied festival Supersonic is, I then crammed my way into the Space 2 Stage again for Thorr’s Hammer – the more “song” orientated project of SUNN O)))’s Stephen O’Malley. Featuring one of the tiniest, most beautiful Norwegian women in Runhild Gammelsaeter, the gutteral, throaty raw of vocals that comes from her just doesn’t compute. This is metal at its most enjoyable: riffs the size of mountains and vocals like two planets colliding.

More legendary music with the Italian powerhouse that is Zu. Their saxophonist is a massive man, coaxing sounds that I didn’t think possible from said intrument. You can see where Acoustic Ladyland got all their tricks from. Blurring the boundaries between Jazz and Rock – it’s Math Jazz for the Battles generation. The environment felt all very cultured before Monotonix came on the scene to close the Saturday night. Basically, their set is an organised riot. Their music is a bit basic, but it’s not what you’re here for. You want to see a creepy guy pull his tight pants down and rub his sweaty body in your face… Don’t you? C’mon, you’ll love it. It’s fun… Oh, you don’t? Time for bed then…

Sunday

Sunday was a better day all round, even if the weather did make rushing between stages a bit wet. No matter though, because it kicked off with the wonderful childlike folk of Nancy Wallace. A one time member of The Memory Band, her set was charming and the way every Sunday afternoon should begin. zZz, however, were not so innocent. Watching this Dutch duo was like seeing your drunkard of an Uncle get smashed and chat up your sister. I’m not sure if that makes sense. But, their simple drums and organ approach felt dirty and yet oddly compelling to watch.

Theo, initially, seemed like a one-trick pony – his loop box recording either guitar or drums which he’d then play the other instrument over – a one man band for the 21st Century? This could get tiring… however, there was enough variation in the riffs, and the fact he had an eye for a bit of showmanship, to make his set pass far too quickly. Hulking riffs and shifting drum sounds made a perfect wall of sound that found the mid-range between heavy and tuneful. Another surprise of the weekend was Khyam Allami. A Syrian born musician who played a native Ud – a stringed instrument that could create a very complex sound. We got a little talk about it, then he played some really beautiful music. Biggest cheer of the day went to his medley of some classic Black Sabbath. An absolute hidden gem of a set.

A nice Thrill Jockey double header was next: Pontiak and Arbouretum. The perfect touring partners – Pontiak’s sludge, desert-driven sounds a perfect yin to Abouretum’s Americana and Rock-riffed yang. Live, Arbourteum sounded even more Classic Rock than on record, but that’s a good thing. The duelling guitar riffs sounded further-reaching than on record, their sound tight, and it became obvious that this is what the guys want to do more than anything else. They had some bad luck too: I don’t think I’ve seen a band lose more strings in one set than these guys. Pontiak, on the other hand, just ramped the sound to 11, each guitar burrowing into your very being, tearing through the tissue straight to the bone.

After that double header, it was going to take something to top it. Fortunately, 65daysofstatic were on form. Rumours were circulating that they’d gained a harder edge live recently. Tonight’s set did nothing to quash that rumour. Sounding focused and certainly loud, their blend of beats and post-rock echoed through the Custard Factory, drawing people in, out of the rain and forget about the Monday that was just around the corner. Caribou also sounded like a band reborn. Definitely playing to the more “metal” crowd, their set was Andorra heavy, and the delicate, sunshine pop of that record seemed to be lost in a haze of noise, but it was still a sight to behold. It was a shame their set fell between the Head of David reformation and Goblin, as the space was surprisingly empty. However, the band didn’t seem to notice and, if anything, plenty a better set for us few folks who’d stuck around.

Of course, the Sunday night could only finish with a band who’ve pioneered progressive music: Goblin. Not being well-versed in their material, I stuck around for about half of their set before they played some of their newer music… which sounded a bit too polished and 90′s Floyd for most people’s taste. However, playing the soundtrack music they’re most famous for as the drop-down screens showed the films, you can see how the two were perfectly matched.

A final hurrah then at the closing party held in the pub up the road. Whilst chatting to the guys from Arbouretum over a beer, the thought struck me that Supersonic really is the nicest festival I’ve ever been too. The chilled-out and relaxed atmosphere all weekend combined with the friendly folks both watching and organising, made it feel every bit as personal and as enjoyable as you could possible hope.

Capsule Blog // All photos courtesy of shot2bits.net