Sex, Clothes & Rock n' Roll

At the weekend I visited the Royal Concert Hall, which was hosting a very special exhibition in celebration of Hard Rock Cafe announcing their plans for a Glasgow restaurant. Hard Rock Couture was a display of twenty iconic items of clothing from the Hard Rock archives and was open to the public for a limited period of time (from 16th-24th of August).   

Being a massive fan of both music and clothes, and as an enthusiastic visitor to Hard Rock Cafe's whenever I get the chance, I knew I had to  get along to the exhibition to see what legendary pieces were on show. The Boy and I went along early on the last day and managed to get a good look at everything before too many other people showed up.

The clothing worn by rock stars of past and present, along with other pieces of memorabilia such as journal pages and high school yearbooks, were spread out around the Island Bar area of the concert hall. Each display was housed in a special case designed to look like a flight case, giving the exhibition a real rock n' roll "on tour" feel.

The variety of clothing was very impressive, despite being a small collection, and I must admit I was geeking out a little being in the presence of some of the items worn by my heroes!

 With two cases of items worn by Elvis, The Boy was truly in his element. We also couldn't believe our luck when we came across jumpsuits worn by members of KISS and Motley Crue in the 1970s and 1980s. There was also a case containing Sid Vicious' iconic leather jacket and Madonna's gold Jean Paul Gaultier bodysuit, complete with conical bra. It was like getting up close and personal with some of our favourite music videos and album covers.

There were also stage costumes worn by more contemporary artists like Lady Gaga and The Killers. These outfits were a little less exciting for me personally (although I did squeal a little when I seen a sequined Katy Perry frock, because La Perry is the awesome exception to the rule) but they contributed nicely to a varied selection of pieces and lots of other visitors were excited to see them.

Nothing prepared me for what came at the end, and when I seen a flash of red I could feel a huge grin spreading across my face. This is it. The plaque read. The real one. It was only Michael Jackson's jacket from the Beat It video! It's not every Saturday morning you get to see such a piece of music and fashion history (and pose next to it shamelessly). Getting to see this item so closely was exciting, and was a great way to end our visit to the exhibition.

Hard Rock Couture was an interesting and fun exhibit and I'm glad we got to go and see it before it finished. I'm really excited that Glasgow will soon be home to it's very own Hard Rock Cafe too, and can't wait to visit it in November when it opens.


Did you visit Hard Rock Couture? What was your favourite item? Will you be visiting Hard Rock Cafe Glasgow when it opens?

Thanks for reading!

Cure for the Mid-week Blues #5

Wednesdays. The mid-week hump. Where the weekend seems like a happy memory and you've still got the rest of the week to go. Some people are saying that Wednesdays are the toughest day of the week to stay feeling energised and it's easy to see why. But I'm all about staying positive, so in my Cure for the Mid-week Blues mini-series, I'll be dishing out my top tips to keep those warm and fuzzy feelings going all week long...

This week's blues-buster is about music. When I'm in a funk, putting on some of my favourite tunes will snap me out of it quicker than you can say "Wanna Be Starting Something". I'm sure I'm not the only one, so this week my tip for a wonderful Wednesday is...

Did you ever make mix tapes? I adored making mix tapes of my favourite songs and some of you reading this might even remember the magic of making a mix tape for someone else, or better yet - the excitement of getting one made by someone else for you! There's definitely a certain happy nostalgia when I think of mixtapes and making one to jam to (yes, JAM) come the mid-week is sure to keep you smiling.

So maybe that double tape deck bit the dust a long time ago, but that's OK. There are lots of websites that you can use to put together a motivational mix tape masterpiece for free! For example, 8tracks not only lets you create your own playlist but you can also listen to other people's themed mix tapes too. You can even search by keywords to find something that suits your mood. Making your own mix is always fun and even choosing which songs to include can lift your spirits. You might decide that you need a dose of Walking on Sunshine cranked up to 11, or maybe something from your favourite musical so you can belt it out too! Or perhaps there's that one cheesy pop song that reminds you of your school discos (Backstreet's Back, anyone?) and always makes you laugh. Whatever it may be, make sure you include it in your midweek mix.

As for me, I've just been reminded by The Boy that Prince songs from different albums jumbled up is NOT a real mix tape. He may be right on that one. My ideal mix tape would still include lots of Prince, but with some groove-tastic 80s tunes, classic rock and a few wild cards thrown in too for good measure.

Have an awesome week - and turn it up LOUD!

High Voltage Kelvingrove

Recently I went along to Kelvingrove art gallery and museum to finally check out their ACDC exhibition. I had been meaning to pop over and see it since it opened in the Autumn, and conscious of it not being around for much longer, set aside a Saturday for it. I'm a fan of going over to Kelvingrove at the best of times and don't usually take much persuading! And ACDC - a band who surely need no introduction - have provided the soundtrack for many a night out, car journey and house party so have a wee special place dear to my heart.

Kelvingrove is hosting the exhibition, titled ACDC: Scotland's Family Jewels in the lower ground area of the museum. The area, featuring displaying the exhibition has been transformed into a rocker's paradise, with lots of connecting rooms painted black & red with ACDC accents, like lightning bolts. I was really impressed with the layout, content and sheer scale of the exhibition - which was beyond anything I had expected.  Sometimes rock n' roll exhibitions amount to little more than a few posters and a roadie's old tour jacket, but this exhibition contained so many items that the several rooms being used were more than justified and of course I couldn't resist taking a few photos to document my visit:

 

As well as having interesting and personal items on display, there were also interactive sections of the exhibition - such as huge flat screens showing old footage of the band with sets of headphones, and a comments wall where you can scribble a message for ACDC, or to anyone really! I really enjoyed walking through all of the rooms 'in order', so that I could read the band's story and evolution over the years. The exhibition also focuses on the band's connections with Scotland (and Glasgow in particular) which makes Kelvingrove an ideal place to have the exhibition.

An ACDC gift shop is located right next door to the exhibition, which sells everything from ACDC air fresheners to plectrums. We bought a calendar, along with our tickets which can also be purchased at the shop with no booking fee for £2 (£1.50 concession). For a mere couple of quid, I'd say the exhibition is well worth it - but it's only on until the 12th of February so try and get along to see it if you haven't already. You don't need to be a fan of the band to like it, it's just a generally well put together exhibition.

All that rock n' roll made me hungry, so after visiting Kelvingrove the Boy and I headed over to Byres Road to have some lunch. Always a sucker for pretty decor, I chose The Blind Pig, having admired their 1920's-style design from afar since they opened. I spent most of my lunch looking at the walls and ceiling, which were decked out in Prohibition-era chic:

They even had Bugsy Malone on their big screen - nice touch! After our day out it was time to head home and listen to some music - ACDC of course!

Will you be catching the ACDC exhibition before it heads back (in Black) overseas?