By Sophie Scannell, Music Subeditor
Bristol street art icon Sickboy has joined forces with acclaimed IDLES bassist Adam Devonshire to curate a striking gallery of music memorabilia at The PIT in Totterdown. The exhibition captures the spirit of Bristol’s vibrant live music scene and celebrates three decades of music activism that have cemented the city’s reputation as a legendary hub for musical innovation.
The exhibition is set to display reimagined gig posters by contemporary artists from around the city, as well as live show photography that showcases the sheer adrenaline of live performance, as well as the quieter moments behind the curtain.
The announcement came with an open call to Bristol based photographers to submit their most powerful live music images, to bridge the epic scale of stage performance with the raw intimacy experienced by those pressed up against the barriers.
‘Sound Check is a celebration of music culture through the eyes of those who document it’
Adam Devonshire, whose band, IDLES, has helped catapult Bristol’s music scene onto a global radar, had this to say about the event: 'The relationship between artist, audience and photographer is paramount to the beauty and mayhem of the live music experience and this exhibition is a love letter and a warm hug to those who bask in live music's ample glories'.
Nestled in the heart of Totterdown, Bristol, The PIT is a transformed YMCA building reimagined as a dynamic, multipurpose venue for creative events, exhibitions, and community gatherings.
Its colourful, eclectic rooms offer a flexible and creatively infinite blank canvas for artists to experiment, collaborate, and showcase their work. It’s precisely this spirit that Devonshire and Sickboy have tapped into with Sound Check, and The PIT seems to be just the place for it.
The exhibition will also support Gig Buddies, a charity working to develop and improve the accessibility of live music. Their team will be present throughout the opening weekend, raising awareness and signing up new volunteers to aid their cause.
Gig Buddies, of whom Adam Devonshire is a patron for, aims to allow those with learning difficulties or autism the chance to experience and immerse themselves in Bristol's gig scene by pairing them up with new friends to attend shows with via a volunteering scheme.
Alongside its visual media, there will be a series of music events to accompany the exhibition (a schedule for which will be released in May).
Promising to be a multi-sensory immersive celebration of Bristol's ever-evolving and spectacular music scene, public viewing of the exhibition will take place from the 9th-11th May, after which booking is required.
Further information about Sound Check can be found on The PIT's website (here!)
Featured Image: The PIT BristolWill you be attending the exhibition this summer?
