Flesh Creep
‘You gotta hold onto your dreams, because once in a while they come true’
The words of Birmingham legend Ozzy Osbourne rang true on the night of 19th December as we descended on the renowned establishment The Castle and Falcon to celebrate 25 years of Capsule, the brains behind the annual Supersonic Festival and the baby of Lisa Meyer, CEO and Artistic Director.
It was a wonderful night of music and chat, a chance to catch up with the team and other volunteers.
I perched myself on the merch stand, fuelled by samosas and lemonade to witness a stellar cast of musicians who provided top drawer sets and had the room jumping and jiving from the get-go. First up were the cacophonous sounds of Flesh Creep, Brum’s own angst ridden army of ruffians who whipped up the crowd into a pit that took on a life of its own. With the addition of crisp and crunchy vocals from Lexi Bushell and Evie Thresher, their songs beamed out lasers transmitting highly charged particles to pique and pierce the room. Ready to incite a ‘Turf War’ they set about the rearranging our psyche wielding ‘Total Control’ they enthroned themselves as ‘ King Of The Hill’ and we were thankful for it. The energy levels rose stratospherically as The None took to the stage, engage your gearbox and head on down the highway at breakneck speed. An absolute maelstrom of physical, mental and emotional damage, you are not leaving this place with your bodies intact. Kaila Whyte (I had the honour of being her Artist Liaison at Supersonic in 2021 when she performed as Blue Ruth) is a presence that beguiles and terrifies in equal measure, discharging skill and dexterity, see the hugely impressive double mic manoeuvre. She reminds me of Skin from Skunk Anansie, similar stature, movements, contorting and mutating, her vitality and audience engagement are engrossing, in fact second to none. We sang Happy Birthday to Capsule, as melodious as you will ever hear. An awesome foursome that grabs our collective scruff and tosses it on its arse.
The None
To finish the night, we had Big Joanie, and I got chills as soon as they started playing. All I could think of was Kim Shattuck RIP, wholesomely grungy singer with The Muffs. I’d be ‘Happier Still’ if Big Joanie did a cover of ‘Sad Tomorrow’ personally I think they’d be perfect for it.
The friendly and feisty punks entertained beautifully, a real heart on sleeves set that twinkled and sparkled under the night sky. They all left us with plenty to think about, our rights, our responsibilities, and our opportunities to reset and redress.
Thank you to the team and volunteers I did see on the night, special thanks to Conor for running around to grab me the setlists, two out of three ain’t bad my friend!
‘Every time I got to meet one of you, I genuinely felt an intense wave of overwhelm at how unbelievably kind, welcoming and engaging you all were that I’m honestly struggling to put into words now. You are truly the best of humanity and made it the most restorative experience I could ever dream of having. Can’t wait for next year’.
These heartfelt words are from Aaron, one of the volunteers, who summarised the general sense of camaraderie, contentment, gratitude and friendship we all encountered.
Big Joanie
If I ever ‘Fall Asleep In Your Arms’ it’ll be a death too soon.
Azra Pathan
25 Years of Capsule – Flesh Creep, The None, Big Joanie – The Castle and Falcon 19th December 2024