After visiting the British Musical Experience, I felt I was much more aware of the immense cultural and musical evolutions of the 60’s and 70’s. I had known the Beatles played a very influential part in Rock N’ Roll but I had no idea the extent of music, culture, and worldly events that they themselves were influenced by before they rose to be The Beatles we’ve known throughout history and today.
I was moved by each and every showcase I visited while walking through the BME, but some of the displays more clearly portrayed how The Beatles were both influential and also influenced.
The Beatles showcase which held the two pages from a Hamburg sketchbook and two photos of Stuart Sutcliffe taken by Astrid Kirchherr was not only remarkable, but also a great example of how Sutcliffe’s time with The Beatles influenced them as a group. It makes you wonder how differently they would have aspired, if at all, if he had remained in the group. I learned that Sutcliffe was known for abstract expressionist work and in the rise of art as means of self expression, his time with The Beatles probably influenced them, even if just on a small scale. Even more interesting was the fact that Sutcliffe used his winnings from one of his art projects to buy a bass that he would use while playing with The Beatles. Also, Hamburg was of huge importance to The Beatles as it sparked their take off and popularity as well as fame. Just starting out, it was the tough, in your face German crowds that taught them how to perform or “Make Show”.
The Cultural Revolution showcase was another display that sparked a possible influence of the rise of The Beatles. It held editorials, posters, and international magazine articles all of which were considered provocative for their time. The Beatles came to rise in a time where people were beginning to shy away from the more conservative and step out into new ways of expression and self discovery such as art, drugs, music and open mindedness; which by all means was largely debatable during this time. Not only were these things influencing The Beatles, but they were also influencing each of them as individuals.
The David Bowie showcase was one of the many displays that showed how The Beatles were able to influence the world around them. Being a HUGE Bowie fan, it was really awesome to read that one of my favorites, Bowie’s song Fame, was actually inspired by John Lennon singing the words ‘aim, aim, aim’ over a Carlos Alomar guitar riff during a recording session at The Power Plant Studio in New York. This was so neat to see that The Beatles were influencing not only the music around them, but also the music across the globe, as the song reached No. 1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. According to the display, Lennon can even be heard on the backing vocals for the track. How cool!
The Rock Spectacle showcase was one of the displays that I thought showed how The Beatles were not only influential but were also influenced by the world around them. Culture was evolving in countless different ways, one of which was the way that rockers such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page were becoming known for their extravagant, over the top, and very individualized fashion. For Led Zeppelin’s live performances, Paige would wear custom made outfits like his appliqué tunic with a bird, cocktail glass, and cherry. Who’s to say what artist came first with the eccentrically personalized garb but it was definitely a trend that became known to The Beatles. Back in the 1950’s, it was very common and almost necessary to wear the typical suit jacket and dress pants like the earlier skiffle bands and trad jazz bands had worn. The Beatles began their careers with the classic, put together look yet throughout the years, they became notorious for everything from black leather jackets and pants to the ever so famous glasses of John Lennon; the mop top hair dos to the Sgt. Pepper style military jackets. All in all, the group was surely influenced as well as influential in regards to rock n’ rolls fashion.
In addition to the showcases, the Dance The Decades booth was a great time as well as a fascinating way of learning how people in the UK throughout the years have moved and grooved. I loved being able to see how each dance is done and thought it was so cool to be able to get a video recording of yourself actually trying the dance. Everything from Voguing to The Twist, Raving to The Locomotion; I was thrilled to be able to get a taste of not only the UK musical history, but also the dances by decades and history of fashion in rock n’ roll.
The BME was by far one of the most amazing exhibit I’ve ever been to and I feel absolutely privileged to have seen, danced, listened to, and experienced all the pieces of musical history in the UK. I hope to visit again and be able to share my British Musical Experience with another fellow Beatle fan, music devotee, and Rock N’ Roll fanatic! J
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