Museum exhibition celebrates city's music scene

6 hours ago

Dave GilyeatBBC Introducing

Mick Quinn's bass guitar is on display alongside awards won by his band Supergrass

BBC A black and gold bass guitar in a museum display box. Brit and Ivor Novello awards are also visible. — Mick Quinn's bass guitar is on display alongside awards won by his band Supergrass

Oxford's grassroots music scene in the 90s - which gave birth to bands such as Ride, Supergrass, and Radiohead - is being celebrated in a new exhibition.

Sounds of the City at the Museum of Oxford features objects, memorabilia, and stories marking key milestones and events.

It includes Mick Quinn's bass guitar, used on the recordings of the early Supergrass albums, and a Radiohead guitar set on fire in the video for their Anyone Can Play Guitar single.

Beth Jones, community engagement and exhibitions officer at the museum, said: "We realised that the 90s were something so many local people related to and wanted to speak about and share memories of."

She added: "So many people have got their own items and flyers and things under their beds that they wanted to share, and it just seemed like the kind of perfect focus point to bring all of that together."

Beth Jones (pictured with a Radiohead guitar) co-curated the exhibition

Beth stands in front of a guitar, and merchandise includes Radiohead South Park tickets. — Beth Jones (pictured with a Radiohead guitar) co-curated the exhibition

The exhibition aims to mark 30 years since Sound City Oxford in 1997, an event in which BBC Radio 1 showcased a plethora of local acts at venues across the city.

Audio recordings feature interviews with the scene's movers and shakers, while Cowley Road Carnival, Truck Festival, and Radiohead's South Park gig are all represented among the exhibits.

Jones, who curated the exhibition with local promoter Autumn Neagle, said: "We're trying to bring together a lot of different interesting memories relating to the city's grassroots music scene in that decade and also beyond.

"We're bringing together a lot of different genres - there is stuff in the cases about rock, but we've also got items here relating to reggae and folk and classical music."

Memorabilia includes a t-shirt from the first ever Truck Festival

Museum of Oxford A museum worker puts up a display. An orange t-shirt with 'Truck 98' on it can be seen. — Memorabilia includes a t-shirt from the first ever Truck Festival

The exhibition is on display at the museum, which is based in Oxford Town Hall, until 13 March next year.

A programme of events will run alongside it, including live music performances, talks, walking tours, and film screenings.

"Everyone has got some sort of connection to music and even if you weren't in Oxford in the 90s, I think there's something in here for everyone in terms of finding a bit of connection," Jones told the BBC.

"Music is a very important language to all of us and I hope that that comes through."