Category: Exhibitions
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Arctic Monkeys Gallery Exhibition Shows Substance Behind The Style
This week The Arctic Monkeys sold out four consecutive nights at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena. They now move out of town to sold out shows in Birmingham, Sheffield, Dublin and Newcastle. Such is the clamour for all things Arctic Monkey, they even sold out of tickets for a gallery exhibition in fashionable Fitzrovia, which…
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David Bowie Photography Exhibition Hits Essex
Geoff MacCormack was just seven years old and was wearing the brown uniform of Burnt Ash Primary school when he first met David Jones. They went to cub scouts together and were in the choir together. It transpired neither the cubs, choir nor school would end up providing the boys with the strangest outfits they…
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A Look Back At Pink Floyd’s First Gig At Pompeii…in 70BC
Today is the 2,087th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s first show, when they played the opening ceremony of the Amphitheatre at Pompeii. Seeing Floyd play the inaugural gig there (they opened the set with the Latin-named “Astronomy Domine”) must have been fascinating back in 70 BC. Although, of course, they were known back then as…
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A Visit To Hansa Recording Studios, Berlin
Home to the recordings of such seminal albums as David Bowie’s “Heroes”, U2’s “Achtung Baby”, and Depeche Mode’s “Black Celebration”, Hansa Studios in Berlin is one of the most famous and iconic recording studios in the world. During a recent trip to Berlin, I visited the studios, guided around by Berlin Music Tours, who have…
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Ten Highlights of Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones at Saatchi Gallery
After Londoners were treated to the wonders of such rock n roll ephemera as a cocaine spoon and the Eno suitcase synth on display at the Bowie V&A exhibition a few years ago, the Rolling Stones had a challenge on their hands. What would this new Rolling Stones Exhibition – entitled “Exhibitionism” reveal? …
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The Jam: A New London Exhibition
All About The Young Idea: A Somerset House Exhibition All About The Jam If you are walking down the Strand over the next month and see a number of men of a certain age looking misty eyed and wistful, you may be forgiven for thinking the spirit of romance must be in the air. What…
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Picture This: A Blondie Photographic Exhibition at Somerset House
As someone who thinks that Art is someone who sang with Paul Simon, it is nevertheless enjoyable to walk around the galleries of London and allow some of the good stuff to soak in to the brain, hopefully adding something a little more beneficial than the other things London has to offer at this time…
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The Am-Azing (Moltmaker’s) Beatles Museum, Alkmaar
Alkmaar in Holland is perhaps best known for its traditional cheese market. Burly men have paraded the streets of Alkmaar for hundreds of years, all dressed in costumes whilst selling their wares. And there’s also a cheese market. Perhaps less well known, however, is Alkmaar’s Beatles Museum. The obvious question is “Why Alkmaar?” Although the…
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New Oasis Exhibition: Chasing The Sun: 1993-1997
On my way to Chasing The Sun: Oasis 1993-1997, a new exhibition in Shoreditch, I attempted to picture what might be in store. Might the visitor enter somehow slowly walking down a hall, faster than a cannonball? Preserved carefully under a glass case, perhaps the visitor might examine the sight of one of the Gallagher…
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The Clash Pop Up in Berwick St, London
What has London ever done for us? Well, obviously there’s the literature, theatre, drainage system, architecture, trade and transport. That goes without saying… There’s the shopping, the parks, the restaurants, museums, the multi-cultural mix, the vibrant night life – I’ll give you that…* Oh yes – then there was The Clash. I’ll leave it to…
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Pete Frame’s Rock Family Trees: An Exhibition
It’s seldom a happy time when a band splits up. There are few people who really rub their hands with glee. I don’t mean Boy Bands of course. When the “talented one” leaves a boy band, generally half of the population uncorks the champagne and slays the fatted calf to celebrate not having to see…
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Supersize Me: Morgan Howell’s 45 rpm Exhibition at Snap Galleries
In the Window of Snap Gallery’s latest exhibition by artist Morgan Howell is a quote by Johnny Marr of The Smiths. He says “The seven inch single, as an entity, is an absolutely powerful, possibly otherworldly object”. It certainly would be powerful if one of Howell’s creations landed on your toe, because this exhibition is…
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New Dr Feelgood Exhibition Hits Canvey Island
Whilst we are on the subject of Dr Feelgood, (as we were yesterday) let’s also mention an exhibition that is currently running on Canvey Island that has been curated by the band’s manager Chris Fenwick. The exhibition is the finishing post to an event to be held on Weds 26th June, when Chris Fenwick will…
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A Visit To Chess Records…And When Muddy Waters Met The Rolling Stones
2120 South Michigan Avenue was immortalised in song by the Rolling Stones in their 5×5 EP (recently re-released on Record Store Day) and was the headquarters and recording studio of Chess Records. It is worth listing just a few of the songs recorded at this studio, because that list is like a lesson in American…
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“David Bowie Is”…An Amazing Exhibition at The V&A
Bowie’s exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum recorded the most advanced bookings in the museum’s history with 26,000 tickets sold a month before the exhibition was due to open, and 42,000 a week before – some ten times more advance tickets than any prior exhibition at the V&A. Truly “it’s the best selling show…”.…
Every record tells a story 