Special Discount Tickets available for ‘We Will Rock You!’
We’ve teamed up with the producers of the fantastic Queen musical to offer tickets at a very special rate to everybody who takes one of our tours. You can have the best available tickets in the house (usually stalls, second section) for just £32.50 a ticket. Our guides have special vouchers that they give out on the tours, or you can pre-book a seat when you book your tour with us if you want to make sure of getting your first choice of date.
Rock anniversaries in 2011 ADD
50-years since the Beatles first appearance at Liverpool’s Cavern Club
40-years since the death of Jim Morrison (The Doors) in Paris. See details of our new commemorative tour
40-years since the formation of Queen
40-years since the first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London (there are 169 now!)
30-years since the death of Bob Marley
25-years since the death of Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
20-years since the death of Freddie Mercury
London 'Swinging Sixties' Week
If you're wondering when might be a 'cool' week to come to London then put the week of
22nd to 31st July, 2011 in your diary! Over the course of the week will be a series of events celebrating this seminal decade.The classic quote is that if you can remember the 60s you weren't there! So if you get those loon pants, beads and mini-skirts out you can at least relive the 'Swinging Sixties'!
June 16th week sees the annual 'Rhodes Rock' extravaganza with top tribute bands Led Zep, Livewire (AC/DC), Are You Experienced, Think Floyd and more. It's a real old fashioned 'festival' with virtually guaranteed sun. A package is offered from London which includes flights, accommodation and all band shows. Check out the site.
The British Music Experience is now fully open. Housed at the amazing The O2 Centre (previously known as the Dome), the BME is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of popular music in Britain and is an enthralling, technologically unrivalled and seriously cool sonic trip through time.
Visit the British Music Experience! Housed at the amazing The O2 Centre (previously known as the Dome), the BME is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of popular music in Britain and is an enthralling, technologically unrivalled and seriously cool sonic trip through time.
What you get is a first of all a great collection of previously unseen rock memorabilia, grouped by era and accompanied by description and stories to put it into its context. The approach to display is opposite to the rather jumbled, uniformed way it’s done at the Hard Rock Café memorabilia vault. So, fans of Glam Rock get a whole case of costumes worn by Slade, Marc Bolan, Sweet and Bowie. In another case there’s Boy George’s ‘Karma Chameleon’ outfit, and a collection of Elton’s outrageous glasses. In a metal section, stage suits worn by Jimmy Page line up with artefacts from Ozzy and Deep Purple. There’s one of Keith Richard’s guitars and loads of Beatle stuff. And Queen. And the Who. And punk. And great to see that early influential rocker’s like Lonnie Donnigan, Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard. Brilliant!
What makes the place extra special, however, is their use of state of the art effects and interactive technology to show how pop, dance and other genres were formed and have influenced the last sixty years of British culture. You can step into audio visual spaces that explore specific trends, and hear/see fascinating one-off interviews between the biggest stars. There’s a chance to download tracks, record songs, learn instruments, make your own record! There’s a fun place where you get to see, and replicate if you’re game for it, various popular dances of the last 50 years! Twist, anyone?
Inevitably, there’s a merchandise area but, and well done to them, the stuff is actually quite cool and not the tacky stuff often offered. One great idea is their series of t-shirts as worn by, and associated with various rock stars themselves.
The BME is easy to get to - either on the Jubilee underground line (at North Greenwich), or by taking a river ferry. You’ll need to allow at least a couple of hours to get the best from it.
Norway Rocks!
Norwegian rock fans should visit http://www.audiofil.org. This is the home page for a group of knowledgeable rock fans who hold monthly meetings to share musical notes over a few beers! They also organise an annual rock pilgrimages to the UK and the site has reports back on what they see and do. On their current site is an amazing collection of rock star with their parents! Boy; that throws a new light on a few famous faces! This fun bunch also add music to their mix by being members of the Norwegian Ukelele club and the site has a great link to McCartney & Harrison, with uke, doing ‘Ain’t She Sweet’. Magic!
