The Pink Floyd Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Experience real rock legends at the Pink Floyd Exhibition Their Mortal Remains

If you love your music, you really must catch The Pink Floyd Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum in London before it finishes this October. The Pink Floyd Exhibition is a complete audio and visual journey through bands life from the 1960s to the present day.

Pink floyd although it is not entirely my era but has a special place in my heart and I love the music. I do not proclaim to be any sort of expert on them but something about their music strikes a chord (excuse the pun)

On first entering the experience I was amazed, there are no holds barred. Huge life size pieces of work are installed portraying all of the events throughout Pink Floyds time. You are first greeted by an oversize copy of Pink Floyds van with the iconic white stripe. Their Black Bedford van was bought for the princely sum of £20 back in the day.

Then your journey starts with a timetravel through their psychedelic era showcasing pop art of the time.

The Pink Floyd Exhibition shows the complete story, lifestyle and how the band become the legend that they are today.
From their psychedelic start in the 60s to their philosophical song choices. You will see many photos, memorabilia and items used by the band themselves. You will also experience the sounds that they are famous for via your Sennheiser headset.

Who doesn’t know Pink Floyd?

I was first introduced to pink floyd when I met my husband some 25 years ago. His love for the band soon grew with me and we have both loved them ever since.

Pink floyd was founded in 1965 by 4 students, Syd Barrett, Roger Walters, Nick Mason and Richard wright. David Gilmore joined later in 1967. Not long after this Syd Barrett left the group you will hear the story of how the band evolved and who had input into some of their bizarre lyrics.

The exhibit holds many original pieces and  information on their song writing and ideas. There are clips of video throughout the experience. Interviews with the band and clips of them performing. See a complete story of their music from their first single “Arnold Layne” to their later albums.

Throughout the event you will see various painted London telephone boxes. Each one representing a different era that Pink  Floyd went through. Filled with magazines, photos and artefacts showing the world at that time. It gives you an insight in to their ideas for songs and music and what was happening around them.

See Original instruments played on their albums and on tour.

See how they made music, such as ideas behind songs. They often used interesting items such as coins  as in the likes of the song “money’.

The original coins that were used are displayed and you can even mix your own version of the song!

Perhaps the most magnificent part of the exhibit is the room with all of their owned and used instruments. With the huge iconic gong featured in ‘The wall’ hanging above your head it is truly a wow factor.

Davids worn Fender Esquire aptly named ‘workmate’ and his Stratocaster ‘black strat’ also takes pride of place.

The chords that have been played on these iconic pieces have rung throughout billions of homes, cars and earphones of the people who love them.

As you move on through later years you will see items from the the album covers and concerts. The Pigs that flew over battersea and articles telling stories on how the covers were designed and made.

The Division Bell Tour

With the Division Bell album Pink Floyd toured throughout 1994. This was the first chance I had to see them live and what a show it was.

You can see life size arftifacts from the album covers in the exhibition. The Divsion bell meaning deals with themes of communication and the idea that talking makes decisions easier. It also comes from the ringing of the bell in parliament ( you can read more about this here )

You can stand by these huge Metal heads and see how they were made and photographed in a field in Ely.

In 2005 Roger Walters reunited with David Gilmore, Richard wright and Nick Mason for Live 8 at Hyde Park. This marks the fantastic end of the Their Mortal Remains The Pink Floyd Exhibition. You will find yourself in a video screen concert hall to watch this one off event.

My husband and I were lucky enough to of attended this concert  in real life all those years ago and got to see them perform live. I must say this brought tears to my eyes to know I was actually there.

There is no doubt that this Pink Floyd exhibition is worth a visit. It took almost two and a half hours to tour the exhibition there is so much to see and do.

The event is running until the 1st of October 2017 at the Victorian and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL.

Admission is £20 Monday to Friday and £24 at weekends, Concessions are available and booking is advisable.

Try not to miss it.

Thank you for joining me on The Pink Floyd Exhibition journey.

D x