British Music Experience @ O2

[Dan O.]

Don't know if anyone else has been yet, but I went to The British Music Experience today at the O2. Hooray...the legendary Fairport Convention are worthy of a mention. In the exhibition there is a Liege & Lief album sleeve and a fiddle donated by Swarb...however, when the interactive headphones are put on, and the category interactively flipped over to credit the item, the photo shown is the confusing Unhalfbricking lineup photo where Simon is playing a fiddle, Martin Lamble is playing guitar and Swarb himself isn't in the picture. The voiceover in the headphones credits Swarb, and a second photo is shown of the Rising For The Moon Lineup (including DS) but the previous pic is a mistake !!! I pointed this error out to the helpful staff, as it is only day 3 of the show ; if I hadn't pointed this error out, surely someone else would've done, etc., etc. Don't know if this is worth drawing the band's attention to ? The staff member I spoke to promised to contact me via email re: the mistake in the next 24 hours...we shall see. (surely SJB Nicol would want this to be corrected ?)
On the plus side, the rest of the exhibition is great fun ; examples being the original memorabilia on show - e.g. Dave Hill's original Super Yob guitar, Freddie Mercury's suit from Queen's Magic Tour, a couple of Lonnie Donnegan's original instruments courtesy of Van Morrison, Rob Halford's leather chaps, Rat Scabies' bass drum head, Nick Mason's drumkit from The Wall shows, a smashed Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks) guitar (topical Cropredy band stuff), Beatles lunchboxes, various Spice Girls, Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black outfits and much more. The exhibition is probably worth seeing just for the memorabilia alone.

[tony the roundhead]

How much does it cost?

[Dan O.]

£15.00 without concessions...check the site @ www.thebritishmusicexperience.com

[PaulT]

"Rob Halford's leather chaps".

Item of clothing or some acquaintances?  

[Jim]

jeez how dull does this sound, a few old rags from cr@p rockandpopstars and a fiddle that Swarb, presumably, doesnt use anymore.
and £15 to get in Rip off city
to a museum,i thought all that class of thing was free in new labours britain
ill not be bothering, and not just because i dont go to london,ever.

it reeks of that awful thing they had in sheffield that died a very swift death, the stainless steel museum of pop things
but £15 !!! no credit crunch for the cockernees eh?
money to burn

[Dan O.]

Aahh ! ... these exhibitions are just a bit of fun, not to be taken too seriously...I was just delighted to see Fairport in the exhibition at all, to have some acknowledgement of their status.

[davidmjs]

these exhibitions are just a bit of fun, not to be taken too seriously...

Apart from if you're counting the Fifteen Quids at the end of the day.  That's a fairly serious business.  

It all looks pretty shabby and ill thought out to me....I doubt very much they'll see the colour of my money.

[Jim]

£15 - fun??

having said all that i have been to 2 rip off exhibitions one for Star trek at the museum of science and industry, a few props and costumes from the various trek shows -bobbins
then there was the star wars exhibition which i was dragged along to at the manchester evening news arena. it was  a shameless puff for the pitiful 2nd lot of films in the series, again a few props and costumes and every half hour some poor sod would walk through the crowd dressed as a stormtrooper
awful, but not as awful as the last 3 films, now they were a rip off

[Neil Morrell]

"Rob Halford's leather chaps".

EURGH!

[Joss]

£15 and travel to the O2, not very appealing. Sounds a bit like the rather tacky exhibition that was at Piccadilly Circus (or is it still there?).  

[Jim]

however, when the interactive headphones are put on, and the category interactively flipped over to credit the item, the photo shown is the confusing Unhalfbricking lineup photo where Simon is playing a fiddle, Martin Lamble is playing guitar and Swarb himself isn't in the picture. The voiceover in the headphones credits Swarb, and a second photo is shown of the Rising For The Moon Lineup (including DS) but the previous pic is a mistake !!! I pointed this error out to the helpful staff, as it is only day 3 of the show ; if I hadn't pointed this error out, surely someone else would've done, etc., etc. Don't know if this is worth drawing the band's attention to ? The staff member I spoke to promised to contact me via email re: the mistake in the next 24 hours...we shall see. (surely SJB Nicol would want this to be corrected ?)


that is a common mistake isnt it, island records even used that photo on the original cd issue of liege and leif so thats probably where the mistake started
complain to chris blackwell or his sucessors

[Dan O.]

Just had an email from The British Music Experience re: the erroneous photo, and they've promised to look into it. Never expected to hear from them at all. Have sent them back an email with some background info about the photo, so we'll see how it goes.

[Dan O.]

Just posting the latest response from The British Music Experience re: the wrong photo : -
"Hi Dan

Thanks for your email - you are quite correct.

The exhibition contains over 5000 pieces of media, so there is bound to be the odd one that slips through the net. This will be rectified.

Nice to know that the inclusion of Fairport has hit the right note. I've seen the band a heap of times of the last few years. The fiddle on display is the actual one that Swarb played on Liege & Lief. He was only too happy to get involved in our celebration of british music."

Interesting to note that they are displaying such an important instrument. Irrelevant memorabilia, eh