The Rolling Stones have announced their first ever exhibition to showcase their 50-year career – but this doesn’t mean they’re giving up their plectrums and pouts just yet.
JOE went along to the world exclusive announcement of ‘Exhibitionism’ at London’s Saatchi Gallery, which will host more than 500 artefacts collected from the band when it opens to the public next year.
Speaking exclusively at the event, Mick Jagger said: “It doesn’t mean it is all over just because we are doing a retrospective exhibition, we’re still touring and doing shows.”
“This is another insight into an ongoing machine and institution…this wasn’t done with the thought of retirement,” Ronnie Wood explained.
Although drummer Charlie wouldn’t mind a rest, adding: “It would be lovely if it was…”
Old guitars and dazzling stage outfits spanning five decades are being dusted off and cleaned up at a warehouse in the US ready for next year’s exhibition.
So what’s coming out of the old wardrobe then?
“To decide what goes in and what doesn’t is really difficult,” said Mick, wearing a snakeskin jacket. Charlie agreed saying: “It is almost impossible so we’ve divided it into sections.”
“There’s lots of ways of presenting these things and we’ve changed a lot of the ideas we initially presented,” Mick continued. “We’ve all been pretty hands on.”
Charlie added: “If we’re going to give Mick something to worry about, we’ve got to get it right.
The rockers revealed there was no other museum in question for the project other than the Saatchi Gallery, due to its location on London’s famous King’s Road, as it has always been their stomping ground.
JOE were lucky enough to be sipping cocktails at Saatchi Gallery as Mick addressed the room: “We started off here so it’s very close.
“I used to bump into Mick quite often along the King’s Road,” revealed Ronnie, “in a shop called It Only Takes A Trip. The scene was great on King’s Road, you went to be seen or you could just watch the theatre go by.”
Tickets for Exhibitionism are on sale now.
