Home of Metal Walking Tour
A decade ago Capsule embarked on a mission to officially recognise the West Midlands as the birthplace of heavy metal music. Home of Metal became a series of exhibitions, events and a permanent digital archive, securing the region as the music genre’s rightful home.
Ten years later, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath can be heard on the soundtrack of Birmingham’s latest export, Peaky Blinders.
In March 2009, Capsule arranged a walking tour of Birmingham by the late historian, music producer and heavy metal expert, Chris Phipps. The walk was recorded; the audio became part of my Silver Skins podcast and my work on geolocation stories for my MA in Online Journalism.
Home of Metal is back at Birmingham Town Hall with a tribute to the mighty Sabbath. To celebrate Home of Metal’s huge achievement and in timely tribute to Chris Phipps who passed away this year I’m reproducing the walk here.
When I first discussed the project with Chris he was a little hesitant of me using the material for my MA project – but he changed his mind once he’d seen and heard it. “PLEASE RETAIN THIS AFTER YOUR MARK AND KEEP IT ONLINE”.
So here is the tour which is designed to be listened to in real time as you walk around Birmingham, UK.
The map and the tour
Place yourself in Victoria Square, Birmingham next to Anthony Gormley’s Iron:Man. Press play on the podcast below and follow the Google map from top to bottom. Apart from the Town Hall, all of the musical landmarks have been demolished or renamed but the audio will help identify their locations for you.
Swipe left below to reveal the starting point.
A decade ago I was pretty impressed with iTunes’ chapter function. I created an MP4 and used thumbnails to effectively create an audio slideshow to illustrate the walk. This no functionality no longer seems to work on Apple Music but any of you can get it working feel free to download the enhanced podcast from my old Wordpress or directly from my Dropbox.
And if you do please let me know what media / podcast player you used!
A music mix for the New Year from The Mummers to Lizzy Parks, Jo Hamilton to Mr Hudson, Speech Debelle and The Invisible
This track listing has been sitting in iTunes since September but I’ve been exceptionally busy with my MA. We were just listening to the tracks over my Christmas and Birthday lunch and decided it needed to see the light of day for the Holiday season. So I’m just going to speak now and at the end and put it out as an exclusive Silver Skins mix.
Lorca And The Orange Tree – The Mummers
Became So Sweet – Natalie Duncan
Raise The Roof – Lizzy Parks
Keep It All – Lisa Hannigan
All in adoration – Jo Hamilton
Traffic Music – Hjaltalin
Under A Silent Sea.. – Loney, Dear
Let It Go – vijay kishore
Better Days Featuring Micachu – Speech Debelle
Ok – The Invisible
Footprints On Water- The BellRays
Stiff Upper Lip – Mr. Hudson
24 – Emmy The Great
Rise – The Bad Shepherds
Nothing Can Stop Us – Saint Etienne
Coachella and Cali comedown from Michael Franti to Marlena Shaw, Micachi to M.I.A
Launching into festival season with a Coachella special. Sorry this is a bit late, I have my excuses. Not quite so Brum-centric but I haven’t been here. Just the usual quality songs.
Tracklisting
Leave! Little Boots Mix- Little Boots, VV Brown
Golden phone- Micachu
Boyz – M.I.A.
Printer Jam – Mistabishi
It Don’t Move Me – Peter Bjorn and John
Head to head – Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls
Jestream – Doves
Jump In The Pool – Friendly Fire
Retreat! Retreat! – 65daysofstatic (live)
Alcoholics Unanimous – Art Brut
Failing To See The Attraction – Skint & Demoralised
Obama Song – Michael Franti and Spearhead
DON’T GiVE UP THE FiGHT (SiSTERS) – HKB FiNN & Maya Jobarteh
Stand Up – The Prodigy
Marlena Shaw – California Soul
A music lovers mix with Empire of The Sun, David Holmes, Keith, Sebastian Tellier and Home of Metal interview
A special lovers mix but I’m not talking slushy stuff – just new music I’m passionate about and hope you’ll fall in love with too. This is a podcast for people who want to keep listening to new music. But even though we go with the new flow we also know the rocks that we’ve got. Talking of which this edition has a special feature on the West Midlands’ Home Of Metal bid.
Tracklisting:
Walking on a Dream – Empire Of The Sun
I Heard Wonders Andy Weatherall Vocal Mix – David Holmes
Coming Clean – The 39 Steps
Cradle (KYTE remix) – The Joy Formidable
Runaway Town – Keith
Dennis Bergkamp – Guildean Gang
Home Of Metal teaser
Johnny Got A Boom Boom – Imelda May
Hurry for the Sky – Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
When I Last Spoke To Carol – Morrissey
Ballad of the Unsent Letter – Aiden Moffatt and The Best Of’s
Absentee – Emmy The Great
Love Song – Dent May And His Magnificent Ukulele
La Ritournelle – Sebastian Tellier
Episode 5: Gigs including Elton John, Hush Arbors and Alice Russell interview
We keep things fairly festive – but don’t worry we haven’t crammed the show with your typical seasonal fodder. Just Silver grade tracks.
Tracklisting
Sabali – Amadou and Mariam
Tumbala – Novalima
Sweat Shop – Neon Neon
Disaffected Youth – John Shuttleworth
Nausea – Beck
Happy Man – Seasick Steve
Let Us Be Loving – Alice Russell
Tiny Dancer – Elton John
Getting Up – Q-Tip
Christmas Eve Montage – RJD2
A Collection Of Miserable Thoughts Laced With Wit – Dälek
Stay Where You Are – Ambulance LTD
Sand – Hush Arbors
The Rest – Sixtoes
Iain Woods – Gospel
The Greatest – Cat Power
4: From sunshine Shambala to a well wet Bestival
Hello and welcome to the 4th rip of Silver Skins. Your monthly-ish exploration into music new and old for the mature listener who’s still a bit childish in places. This episode marks the end of festival season and a move into winter gigs so we’re going to have some tracks which recall the sunshine of Shambala and wet love of Bestival. We’ve got the standard boat floaters of new tracks and some winter chillers to top it all off.
Tracklisting
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Strange Overtones
Friendly Fires – Paris
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
The Hats – Red Pike
Mr Blend – Message To ODB
Fat Freddy’s Drop – The Camel
Little Palm – These Girls
Ben Folds – Free Coffee
Oasis – Falling Down (Chemical Brothers)
The Verve – Columbo
Real Tuesday Weld – One More Chance
The Essex Green – Rabbit
Ed Harcourt – Shadowboxing
Massive Attack – Hymn Of The Big Wheel
Episode 3: A bounty of interviews from Sonar and Supersonic festivals including Capsule's Lisa Meyer, Einstellung and Dälek
Welcome to the third instalment of Silver Skins. Sorry, it’s a bit late. To make up for it I’ll stay longer than the usual pod 60 minutes, so stay tuned for an extended show!
And to make this month’s episode extra special we’ve also got some interviews lined up from Supersonic and Sonar.
Even if I’m not physically your friend or even virtually by Facebook (shame on you) I want you to consider this a mixtape made by a mate. And I’ve hung around to jabber in your ear whilst you listen to it.
For this episode, I experimented with the MP4 format to share a few photos and links to artists from the podcast.
Silver Skins Episode 3 Enhanced MP4 (Right click ‘save target’)
Tracklisting
Frankie Knuckles – Your Love (Dusty Kid Makes Love Tender Edit) [interview Lisa Meyer Capsule]
X+X – ZX Spectrum Orchestra
Amplive (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien) – Video Tapez
Saul Williams – Penny For A Thought
Dälek – Paragraphs Relentless [intereview with Dälek]
Diplo – Way More with MIA – Bucky Done Gun (Acapella)
Parka feat Rasco – Western Soul
Primal Scream and Lovefoxxx – Uptown
The Divine Comedy – Love What You Do
Camille – Gospel With No Lord
Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook
Einstellung – Tot (edit) [interview with Einstellung]
Pram – The Silk Road
The Shortwave Set – Harmonia
Tricky – Pumpkin
The Smashing Pumpkins Suffer
Kitty, Daisy and Lewis – Going Up The Country
Episode 2: Jens Lekman and Jamie Lidell, Miles Hunt and Sarabeth Tucek, John Cooper Clarke and The Fall, Example and The KLF
The second episode of Silver Skins, the podcast for the distinguished and discerning music fan. This is another pod of joy bringing you some old favourites and the best of what’s currently floating my Silver liner. As the weather is, at least, sporadically sunny we start with a range of summer tracks. The usual gig and festival inspired music. Featuring some Dot To Dot Festival acts, new tracks from Spiritualized, Jacob Golden, Miles Hunt, Black Ghosts and a Silver Skins triple bill of post-punk old timers. Proper Silver Skins.
Tracklisting:
The Audience – Herbert
Sipping In The Sweet Nectar – Jens Lekman
Another Day – Jamie Lidell
On A Saturday – Jacob Golden
Full Moon – Black Ghosts
Falsified – Miles Hunt, Andres Karu, Erica Nockalls
Nobody Cares – Sarabeth Tucek
Baby I’m Just A Fool For You – Spiritualized
Caravan (Video Edit) – Efterklang
Single Again – Fiery Furnaces
Pacifying Joint – The Fall
Evidently Chicken Town – John Cooper Clarke
Totnes Bickering Fair – Half Man Half Biscuit
DJ Bashing With Tommy Saxondale – DJ Reach
I Don’t Want To – Example
Wichita Lineman Was A Song I Once Heard – KLF
Episode 1: Pilot edition with new music from Portishead, Radiohead, Billy Bragg, The Charlatans, CSS, Burial and DJ Food
Silver Skins is music mix podcast that celebrates new music but also understands that certain songs and artists have a timeless legacy. These hour long shows will hopefully, month by month, build into a pod-based collection of music in all its forms what’s new and what’s old and still great.
Track Listing
The Rip – Portishead
Reckoner – Radiohead
Freedom – Vijay Kishore
Woodcat – Tunng
M For Me – Billy Bragg
Wolves – The Accidental
My Name Is Despair – The Charlatans
Don’t Fear – Maps
Shake A Fist – Hot Chip
Dream Cars – Neon Neon
Let’s Make Love – CSS
Paper Planes – MIA
Archangel – Burial
Nocturne – DJ Food