ninehertz

Earlier in the year than usual, Supersonic Festival returns next week. This celebration of experimental, weird, innovative, antifascist, queer and feminist music and art has been a staple of the UK festival scene for nearly two decades now. Its continued existence has not been without its struggles it seems, leading to a reduced scale this year, the change in date and a relocation to The Crossing venue. I can visualise the primary difficulties by contrasting my first and most recent attendances at the festival – where in 2008 they took over relatively abandoned buildings, railway arches and factories, those same locations are now a bustling hub of bars and shops as gentrification has taken hold of their residence in the Digbeth area of Birmingham.

I’m glad they continued regardless and found a way to keep going, and that it remains in Birmingham. This is a festival with a reputation to bring the big names in, but it is its spirit and community that pervades and will do so no matter the scale. Already excited, we preview five things we’re especially looking forward to next weekend.

1. The Folk/Drone uprising

A prevalent theme of the bands booked appears to be from the folk drone surge we have seen within the UK and Ireland in recent times. Rún (who appeared last year and were incredible), A-Sun Amissa, Haress, Thraa, Smote and more are building upon traditional folk themes, often taking them through ambient drone and minimalist noise to generate this grassroots scene of pastoral beauty.

Supersonic 2026 brings us several acts of this nature. Greet will be known to many – harmonium folk from Matthew Broadley (formerly of antifascist black metal trailblazers Dawn Ray’d) that is delicate and truly engaging, a must-see live experience. Ancient Hostility, also featuring ex-Dawn Ray’d members, are a folk and harmony duo, playing a concertina and violin before leading the crowd in songs of anarchist protest.

I have been told by friends that I can’t miss Milkweed and listening to their Remscéla album, I can understand why. ØXN and Thorn Wych are new names to me but seem to be right up my street. And then there’s MMM, who only have one song I can find to listen to (Lunistice Alignments) but are exciting due to their membership: Elizabeth Still of the incredible Haress, Nick Jonah Davis and Gayle Brogan of Pefkin, who I know of from the promoters Sonido Polifonico, who curate magical folk and drone gigs in Bishops’ House, a Tudor house in the suburbs of Sheffield.

2. Sound Bath with AHRKH

Supersonic has always been more than just a collection of music sets. It is a workshop, a collective, a multimedia art experimentation and best of all often open to the attendees to get involved. I head into these events nervous about showing up my general lack of artistic ability in any form, yet it always welcoming and encouraging to all levels. Last year I saw a documentary on a queer youth promoter collective in Birmingham, made a collage of Winona Ryder for my daughter and watched a 70s Czech horror film presented by a local film club.

This year, there’s a whole range of activities to dive into in and around the music. Stuart Maconie is hosting a Freak Zone pub quiz, Hang Linton have a Saturday morning gig for kids and there are numerous workshops, incorporating block print protest banners, keyring crafting with a migrant and refugee women’s collective, a vast marketplace and much more.

I am lucky enough to have a ticket (due to my friend's eagle eye and swift action) to the sold out Golden Ration Frequencies Sound Bath, hosted by AHRKH (a member of the mighty GNOD) on Sunday. Occurring at midday after the night before and with a full day’s festival ahead, it promises to be the perfect palette cleanser and revitaliser to prepare to head once back into the main arena.

3. Being outside of my comfort zone

Being at Supersonic is as much if not more about the bands you discover – and whole genres for that matter – than those you are already familiar with. The primary memories of my first day ever at Supersonic are not of The Heads, Wooden Shjips or Thrones (all of whom I love), but instead Efterklang, The Owl Service and witnessing Justice Yeldham blow on to a mic’d up sheet of glass before crashing it over his head.

I spend my music listening hours buried in review writing, primarily within the stoner, doom and sludge original remit of ninehertz. I don’t find the time to venture much further. And all other festivals tend to reside within strict genre confines. Supersonic is the exception and for me opens my eyes and ears to things I’d never even comprehend never mind hear.

This year appears will be no different, and I’m hopeful of acts like Feeo, DJ Haram and Guttersnipe to make my next set of lasting memories and bring me into their worlds. Ameretat and Prostitute were unknowns prior to the line up announcement, but already I’m expectant of both. And in all likelihood it’ll be an act I’ve not even mentioned or considered who I will be the one I’m wittering on to friends about when I return home.

4. Bong II

Yes, this is a festival about discovery. It’s about finding new bands, listening to music you wouldn’t normally. And yes, it has been stripped back as discussed. But there is one band name that jumped out at me as soon as it was announced – Bong II. At the time the initial line up was announced, I didn’t even know it was a thing, news of the reincarnation of Bong hadn’t yet reached me.

I love Bong. They played one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at Damnation Festival, were incredible when I saw them at Roadburn and were even better in a local bar in Sheffield and out of my hundreds of black t-shirts, my favourite is undoubtedly my hooded, long sleeve Bong shirt. (A hooded t-shirt!) Their records got me into drone in the first place more than Earth or Sunn O))).

They have reformed – or is this a new chapter, a sequel? – under a new guise and adapted name, with Daniel Foggin of Smote joining the ranks from the fertile experimental Newcastle underground, promising a fresh approach. I can’t wait.

5. Simply being at Supersonic

I have probably already covered this point, but it is worth restating. I am most looking forward to simply being at Supersonic. There’s no equivalent to Thou or Sunn O))) or Neurosis – past edition headliners – but, unlike maybe any other festival, I wasn’t looking to the line-up before purchasing a ticket.

I look forward to spending time with my friends, to involve myself in crafts I’d never dream of doing, to listen to music I’ll never otherwise have heard. To be part of the community, to talk to strangers and to smile for two days straight.