This eagerly awaited exhibition dedicated to the career of The Rolling Stones has plenty to thrill and delight fans of all ages…
So The Rolling Stones have taken over the Saatchi Gallery in this extraordinary exhibition that allows visitors to almost literally step into the shoes of one of the biggest bands in Britain.
With replicas of their recording studio, backstage at one of their concerts and even a version of the flat of where the band stayed when they were starting out – nothing about the band’s career has been left out.
The key to properly enjoying this exhibition though is to go in not expecting to learn more about the band members themselves – it is about their career and that is that. Some might complain about that, but it actually shows that the exhibition is about them collectively not about individual egos.
Although it would have been great to hear more backstage stories, perhaps wisely the exhibition is more focused on how the band created their legendary sound and why it is still influencing popular culture today.
From the opening room all the way through to the 3D film experience at the end, Exhibitionism is a treasure cave filled with objects, photographs and figures about the band that will astonish even their biggest fans.
The way in which everything has been carefully displayed, makes it an interactive experience that keeps the visitor in a heightened state of anticipation constantly. It never loses focus, with the band’s individual voices and thoughts coming through on quotes on the walls or in the background give it a very personal vibe.
But it is when you wonder through to the recording and music and lyric sections that things begin to get particularly interesting with a lot of technical detail given, revealing a group focused on every last detail of songs and albums that perhaps you won’t have considered before – giving you a new found respect for what they have achieved.
The design of the exhibition is very surreal, which in retrospective suits the nature of the band: unpredictable with a sense of rebellion and pushes boundaries to keep the audiences or visitors entertained.
Does it matter if you are a huge fan or not? No it really doesn’t – this is an exhibition that caters for huge fans or those perhaps who know of their music but not constant followers of The Rolling Stones and gets that balance just right.
It is a great tribute to a band that shows no signs of slowing down just yet, filled with plenty of surprises and perhaps not the tribute that you are expecting…
Exhibitionism runs at the Saatchi Gallery until the 4th September. To book tickets visit: Ticketmaster.co.uk, Discount Theatre.com, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com, UK Tickets.co.uk.