SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL 2009 (COURTESY OF CAPSULE)
Supersonic is a highly regarded festival for damn good reason. Amidst the wash of summer festivals it is always THE one to look forward to. Why? Because it is the only music festival which succeeds year upon year on bringing together such a varied, fantastical line-up. For me it is the musical equivalent of fantasy football, a fantasy festival - only this year the Capsule ladies who organise the event have really excelled themselves. What other festival would consider Italian horror movie progsters Goblin or the electronic mayhem of Venetian Snares as headliners? Not only that but Saturday’s headliners were no other than the mysterious and illusive Japanese doom band Corrupted, playing their first ever UK show. You cannot argue with that.
Playing on the first night were Sunn 0))) , two guys, two chords, two claws. Stephen O Malley and Greg Anderson performed as the stripped down but cranked up Grimm Robes duo. They had to really, if only in preparation for playing in Thorr’s Hammer (their pre-Sunn 0))) band) the next day! Only they didn’t just play as though they had to - in fact, they wound up being one of the weekend’s highlights. The guttural drones were carried around the room by the plumes of smoke, both circling around the audience like vultures and then swallowing them whole. Every bone in my body rumbled. It was a call and response between the music and the human body and the body had no chance of winning. The music was so shattering that I began to imagine the glass shop-fronts behind the crowd crashing into pieces by the tonal impact. It was cathartic in the truest sense of the word.
The brothers Grimm derobed for their performance as Thorr’s Hammer the next night, joined by the beautiful, alluring vocalist Runhild Gammelsæter, bassist James Hale and drummer Jamie Sykes. After a breathtaking opener of Rorge (the opening track on the A side of Dommedagsnatt) they didn’t falter and it was mesmerizing to see and hear these songs live, particularly Runhild’s transition from singing to the guttural death growl, which was like nothing I have seen or heard before. They delivered their set with such precision you could tell that they were all so excited to be playing, particularly Runhild who couldn’t stop giggling and smiling between singing. It was so deeply powerful and the rapturous response they received was totally deserved.
Following Thorr’s Hammer on the Saturday were Japanese legends of slowcore-metal Corrupted. Considering their legacy and considering the fact that most people were still beaming after Thorr’s Hammer, the air of anticipation and intrigue was overwhelming, almost suffocating. When they took to the stage they were still cloaked in mystery (having always vowed to not play the press game in order to maintain their obscurity) and singer Hevi remained still like a statue throughout the entire performance. The deep-throated grunts and slow riffs jarred with feedback to create a cacophony of sound that can only be described as almighty, with enough power to stun everyone in the crowd as though frozen in time. The performance was impressive but it still couldn’t quite top the more baffling performance of Thorr’s Hammer.
Bringing something a little exotic and interesting to the bill were Master Musicians Of Bukkake (featuring slide guitar sensation Milky Burgess, Earth bassist Don McGreavy, Accused vocalist and former member of Burning Witch and Asva Brad Mowen and members of Sun City Girls). Mad beekeeper helmets and costumes aside, Master Musicians were not weird for weirdness’ sake (which is more than I can say for Israeli garage rockers Monotonix who also played that day). Master Musicans’ psyche rock and fuzzy funereal dirge was incredibly well executed. Some musical highlights from the set included songs from the Totem One album (part of a trilogy on Conspiracy), a ceremonial album I would highly recommend.
Brad Mowan certainly is a master musician and this time (unlike in Asva or Burning Witch) the vocal chords are his instrument. His vocal range is astounding, as is the genuine raw emotion that pours out when he opens his mouth. I was personally elated when The Accüsed took to the stage of the main room on Saturday. They were fuelled by beer and absolute adrenaline, not to mention sheer delight to be performing. Tommy Niemeyer got the biggest reception, unsurprising considering he is the original member, THE axe-wielder, a killer guitar player, and a true legend. He was joined on stage by Mike Peterson, Dorando Hodous and of course Brad, and they ripped, slashed and teared through a set mostly comprising songs from their latest record The Curse Of Martha Splatterhead. They were like a pack of hungry wolves, or perhaps more fitting, like blood thirsty zombies. It was as intense as it was loud, so refreshing and well worth the wait. The dynamic of the foursome is electric and yet, in the most endearing way possible, still rough around the edges, much like the Accüsed always were. Its good to have them back.
Time for something a bit different on the Sunday. Enter Thrill Jockey’s finest (and massively underrated) Arbouretum following an awesome set from label mates Pontiak. Arbouretum are the jewels to Baltimore’s crown (along with Lungfish of course!). They very much follow in the footsteps of the great (and also massively underrated) Lungfish, playing heavy chords glistening with electronic fuzz, intelligent lyrics and with a warm-hearted, meaningful delivery. Few bands in recent months have affected me quite like they have. The music and the element of mystery surrounding them is completely alluring, and to my absolute delight they played most of my favourite songs from their two finest albums, Rites Of Uncovering and the more recent Song Of The Pearl. A seriously special performance.
Also on the Sunday I caught 65 Days Of Static who win the award for more overrated band of the festival. Having never seen them live before I was very curious, though disappointingly I found them to be contrived, unnecessarily over the top and compared to a lot of other bands at the festival, extremely dull. I was most surprised to hear them hailed by many as the festival highlight.
Finally and on a positive note, Goblin were a real genuine highlight. They received nothing but absolute affection from the crowd, myself included. The classic line up were all present and correct with notable exception of Simonetti. Their live renditions of songs from the cult zombie horror Dawn Of The Dead and Dario Argentino’s Deep Red, complete with visuals to accompany the performance, was enough to remind us of their legacy and with each tune played, this legacy was more firmly rooted. It was by all accounts a razor sharp performance without being over-rehearsed, and it was the best and most dramatic end to a momentous festival.
It will be very interesting to hear what the Capsule ladies have in store for us next year!…
LAUREN BARLEY
Supersonic Festival site : www.capsule.org.uk/supersonic
