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… Read More ›
Exhibitions
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
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… Read More ›
“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… Read More ›