Carnaby Echoes
If you go to 20 Foubert Place you will be transported back to a musical journey around the Carnaby Street 's area. A fantastic exhibition called " Carnaby Echoes" will run until the 20th of October will bring to life hidden stories about night clubs and people who made the history of music from the 1920s to our present day. This is a commissioned project from Shaftesbury PLC to artist Lucy Harrison.
Lucy Harrison went around the Carnaby Street area discovering places where once famous clubs were styles were born, she interviewed the people who made history in this contest and she picked memories from who lived in the area at those times. Everything has been documented in a film where the people have been filmed were the places used to be. Old magazine articles have been displayed as well as LP covers and all the memorabilia linked to those magic sites.
This exhibition doesn't stop inside the pop up gallery at 20 Foubert Place. Inside as well as listening to music from those decades, it will be possible to pick a pair of headphone(until stock is available) a map and a catalogue (until stock is available). You can download an app on your phone and then with the map discover the plaques where iconic clubs like the Bat Cave or The Nest Club, or clothing shops like The Foundry in Ganton Street where Boy George worked as a window dresser in the 1980s.
In this picture, taken at the launch of Carnaby Echoes, Mark Ellen, former editor of music magazine Smash Hits is with two gorgeous girls who are behind the organisation of this fantastic exhibition. Mark Ellen worked in the offices in Carnaby Street in the 1980s and the magazine was a huge hit with its colour pictures and song lyrics of all the pop hits of that period. Some of the magazine are on display.
The Bee's Knees are posing in one of the boots where it is possible, wearing a pair of headphone, to listen to a play list of music chosen especially for the exhibition covering the decades involved in this project. The three lovely dancers are starring in one of the short films that can bee seen on the website. They dance at the former Murray's Club site, now a burger restaurant, reliving the music of that time. During the launch they treated the guests to a sparkly dance on the notes of " Puttin on the Ritz".
This trio are the former DJs of a club that had two names. Firstly in the 1960s it was called The Roaring Twenties and in the 1970s its name was Columbo's. The music was American R&B then they played Ska reggae and it became one of the first multiracial clubs in the West End. Lloyd Coxsone on the left played with Denzil Exodus and Mikey Foreigner. Now instead of a club there is the flagship store of Ben Sherman that in a way carries on with the musical legacy given that every shopping event held at Carnaby Street a DJ is always entertaining shoppers on the night.
In the 1960s this mural has been one of the attraction in Carnaby Street. It was the site of Lord John, a shop that sold mainly mod style clothing. The mural has been painted by Binder, Edwards and Vaughan and it is such a pity that it doesn't exist anymore, a piece of art vanished. If I'm not wrong now a Wesc shop is on its place bright and yellow. We ended our evening at the new Disco with great music from the 1970s to the 1990s. On the same site as Disco there was the private club Tatty Bogle, so what best destination than celebrating the end of the launch in a place where if walls could speak they would revealed so much.Shake your booty at Disco in 13 Kingly Court, Soho, London, W1B 5PW after going to its website www.disco-london.com But I don't want to tell you more, just go at 20 Foubert Place, enjoy the exhibition, grab a pair of headphone and download the app. Then hunt for the plaques while listening to music that will inspire you in the research. Check online at www.carnabyechoes.com
This trio are the former DJs of a club that had two names. Firstly in the 1960s it was called The Roaring Twenties and in the 1970s its name was Columbo's. The music was American R&B then they played Ska reggae and it became one of the first multiracial clubs in the West End. Lloyd Coxsone on the left played with Denzil Exodus and Mikey Foreigner. Now instead of a club there is the flagship store of Ben Sherman that in a way carries on with the musical legacy given that every shopping event held at Carnaby Street a DJ is always entertaining shoppers on the night.
