Get a backstage pass to three epic decades of music, as the Museum of Brisbane presents from 30 August 2019, High Rotation – revealing a snapshot of how popular music in Brisbane exploded from the local scene onto national and international stages.
Showcasing some of Brisbane’s most memorable musicians, High Rotation is set to take music lovers down memory lane, while introducing a new generation to this iconic musical era through film clips, photographs, instruments, souvenirs, and ephemera, as well as an immersive digital component to elevate audience experience.
Music is an intrinsic part of Brisbane’s cultural backbone, and the city is long known for being a hotbed of emerging music, with many homegrown artists fostering a gung-ho, do-it-yourself approach to music making.
Experience a thirty-year catalogue of rare, remastered film clips, and hear from music labels, managers, artists, producers, and venue managers, as they share the stories, influences and highlights from Brisbane’s past, present and future of Australian music.
Tune in to the musical prowess of more than 80 artists, including pop and rock heavyweights Keith Urban, The Veronicas, Sheppard, George, and Kate Miller-Heidke, as well as indie darlings The Grates, Violent Soho, Emma Louise, and Ball Park Music.
High Rotation also pays homage to heritage legends, including Kev Carmody, Powderfinger, Custard, Regurgitator and Savage Garden as well as rising stars including WAAX, Thelma Plum, and Confidence Man.
“Music has always been part of Brisbane’s DNA,” says Museum of Brisbane Director Renai Grace. “What High Rotation does is turn the volume up on these extraordinary musicians, as well as the unsung heroes behind the scenes, who work hard to bolster our thriving music sector.”
“This exhibition empowers you to explore your love of music by revisiting or discovering some of the biggest music moments in Brisbane’s history, while also keeping an ear to the ground for the next wave of Brisbane musicians.”
In addition, key industry figures will share the journeys of launching their careers in Brisbane, and touch on the fond memories and stories of the local music scene. This includes Maggie Collins (BIGSOUND, 4ZZZ, DZ Deathrays), Paul Piticco (Secret Sounds, Dew Process, Create/Control, Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Powderfinger), Joc Curran (The Zoo) and Fred Leone (Impossible Odds).
High Rotation Curatorial Advisor and music industry stalwart Leanne de Souza played an integral role in shaping the exhibition, along with Museum of Brisbane’s Curator Madeleine Johns. As an artist manager and former BIGSOUND executive programmer Leanne says “Having worked in the local Brisbane music community since 1992 this role has been a privilege and a whole lot of reminiscing and fun!”
“To explore the many facets of Brisbane music from 1989 to the present, we undertook a twelve-month engagement process to build a unique music/museum experience,” she adds. “Brisbane is a fertile breeding ground, not only for much-loved, world class artists, but also for new generations of successful Brisbane-based managers, labels, promoters and industry leaders.”
“These diverse perspectives and experiences of Brisbane’s music community will be a delight to explore alongside the well-known success stories.”
The exhibition includes interactive in-venue technology crowdDJ, presented by Nightlife, which allows you to create and curate your own music festival via an all-Brisbane-based playlist. Another addition to the exhibition is the collaborative music-making space by local musicians Luke Daniel Peacock and Jhindu Lawrie. The participatory space utilises iconic Brisbane songs from over the decades, creating a family-friendly environment to share in the process and joy of music-making and experimentation.
High Rotation
Museum of Brisbane, Level 3 – City Hall, Brisbane City
Exhibition: 30 August 2019 – 19 April 2020
Entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.museumofbrisbane.com.au for details.
Image: The Grates at Splendour in the Grass, 2015 – photo by Stephen Booth