The O2 is pretty impressive even if its fundamentally a very large tent. Finding the exhibition didnt open until 11 was a bit of a downer, but retrieved by a half-price Full English Breakfast at the Slug and Lettuce in the Dome (before 12). Sum total £3.72. Phemomenal value for the capital.
The exhibition itself is a bit of a mixed grill too. On the plus side an excellent collection of Memoribilia - David Bowies Ziggy stageware, Roger Daltrys 1964 guitar , which also belonged to Pete Townsend at one point and New Orders Emulator II+ and handwritten lyrics from Blue Monday plus Peter Hook's six string Bass are highlights. Rob Halford's 1970's leather jacket and trousers make me wonder how anyone ever considered him a Straight man!.
The Punk cabinet is impressive too - including several fanzines of the time - and Rat Scabie's Bass Drum Head - deliberatly hacked up - aparrently at one stage a rat used to peer out of it.
Great video clips on the walls , set up so the participants were the same scale as the viewer, gave a wierd 'Front Row' kind of feel. Particularly odd since many of the clips were of those no longer with us.......
Saving data on a smart ticket - very good idea - see if it works when i get home.
On the down side - quite a few of the audio feeds from the exhibits were not working, and since the idea was to select an item and get a commentary on it was a bit of a non-starter.
The Gibson Interactive studio should be the highpoint of the visit but i found myself slightly underwhelmed by that part. The drums are fine - but you only get one take at the song before you are forced to go through the ten minute introduction again to get another one. The Bass guitar is a cheap instrument which sounds terrible. Guitars are OK, but again the long preamble to a single take. Not sure who its aimed at as that long an intro wont work for a schoolie's attention span and frustrating for an adult.
So can't fully recommend but i think i'm glad i went. For the memoribilia.
The exhibition itself is a bit of a mixed grill too. On the plus side an excellent collection of Memoribilia - David Bowies Ziggy stageware, Roger Daltrys 1964 guitar , which also belonged to Pete Townsend at one point and New Orders Emulator II+ and handwritten lyrics from Blue Monday plus Peter Hook's six string Bass are highlights. Rob Halford's 1970's leather jacket and trousers make me wonder how anyone ever considered him a Straight man!.
The Punk cabinet is impressive too - including several fanzines of the time - and Rat Scabie's Bass Drum Head - deliberatly hacked up - aparrently at one stage a rat used to peer out of it.
Great video clips on the walls , set up so the participants were the same scale as the viewer, gave a wierd 'Front Row' kind of feel. Particularly odd since many of the clips were of those no longer with us.......
Saving data on a smart ticket - very good idea - see if it works when i get home.
On the down side - quite a few of the audio feeds from the exhibits were not working, and since the idea was to select an item and get a commentary on it was a bit of a non-starter.
The Gibson Interactive studio should be the highpoint of the visit but i found myself slightly underwhelmed by that part. The drums are fine - but you only get one take at the song before you are forced to go through the ten minute introduction again to get another one. The Bass guitar is a cheap instrument which sounds terrible. Guitars are OK, but again the long preamble to a single take. Not sure who its aimed at as that long an intro wont work for a schoolie's attention span and frustrating for an adult.
So can't fully recommend but i think i'm glad i went. For the memoribilia.
