Crossfire Hurricane

Delve through The Rolling Stones’ agenda-setting archive at Saatchi Gallery’s new show, Exhibitionism
By Alex James Taylor | Music | 5 April 2016

In this world there are a couple of certainties you can bet your savings on, and The Rolling Stones rocking ’till the end has the lowest odds of them all. After more than five decades together as an outfit, their agenda-setting career endures to this day.

“Some people say we’re always making an exhibition of ourselves” Mick Jagger joked in a recent interview referring to the mega, 360 retrospective exhibition beginning tomorrow at the Saatchi Gallery titled, Exhibitionism and dubbed, “the most comprehensive and immersive insight into the world’s Greatest Rock n’ Roll Band.”

Men of wealth and taste, The Rolling Stones have lived a life of such uncompromising, decadent debauchery, it’s a miracle these four are still on the planet, never mind still swingin’ their hips and ripping up stadiums worldwide. Now in their 70s, the Stones still put on the best live show in the world (our opinion, so fact) and – according to rumours – will be heading back in to the studio at some point soon (fingers crossed).

The Rolling Stones performing a free tribute gig in Hyde Park for the late Brian Jones (July 5, 1969)

“While this is about The Rolling Stones, it’s not necessarily just about the members of the band. It’s also about all the paraphernalia and technology associated with a band like us, as well as the instruments that have passed through our hands over the years that will make the exhibition really interesting.” – Keith Richards

From mop-haired ‘bad boys’, through Carnaby Street swing kings, psychedelic fur-clad troubadours, Hell’s Angels rockers and onto their present day status as rock ‘n’ roll titans, The Rolling Stones have come to define cultural epochs, kickstarting trends and tuning shifts, in music, fashion, film and beyond.

Having spent three years planning the show, which features collaborative work with writers, designers and film-makers such as Andy Warhol, Alexander McQueen, Tom Stoppard and Martin Scorsese, the four current band members – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts – have given Saatchi the all-clear to delve into their vast private archive, shining a light on their prolific, culture-defining career.

Described as “ten times the size of David Bowie’s V&A exhibition and twenty times bigger than the Elvis show currently at the O2” (the Stones never do things by halves), Exhibitionism features over 550 rare Rolling Stones objects. Items on show include Jagger’s epic collection of jumpsuits designed by the likes of Mr Fish, Anthony Price and Ossie Clark, to a full recreation of Jagger, Richards and Jones’ 1962 Edith Grove flat (“a pretty stinky, disgusting place,” in Jagger’s words), and Richards’ iconic black, hand-painted Les Paul guitar, as seen in Jean-Luc Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil (According to Keith, he was waiting to go to jail and had dropped some acid; he got bored and started painting a pair of boots then, without realising, started painting his guitar too.

A must-see for Rolling Stones fans…nah, a must-see for anyone with a 4/4 beat pulse. Here’s your chance to explore the band’s wardrobes (just think of the skeletons in there), top up your dose of satisfaction.

Exhibitionism runs from 5th April – 4th September at Saatchi

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