Brisbane’s finest in focus for High Rotation music exhibition

Powderfinger, The Go-Betweens, The Veronicas, Keith Urban, Kate Miller-Heidke and many other greats of the Sunshine State are in focus for a new exhibition in central Brisbane.

Opening today at City Hall, ‘High Rotation’ explores the last 30 years of the city’s music scene, through the lens of film and artwork, memorabilia, instruments, and reams of spanking new editorial. And of course, music is everywhere.

Join our ‘High Rotation Insider’s Tour’ with Leanne de Souza, an industry stalwart with more than 25 years experience in artist management/programming. #MoBHighRotation  Photo: LIVID 1998, Peter Fischmann https://t.co/pomI7jgTzS pic.twitter.com/krnl1Qm2eE

— MuseumofBris (@MuseumofBris) August 27, 2019

It’s a time capsule of a culture which has hosted some blistering parties, launched big stars and fostered a bright new generation, from Mallrat to Thelma Plum, Ball Park Music, Confidence Man and more.

There’s plenty of artwork from classic Livid Festivals and 4ZZZ Market Days, a poster for the Prodigy’s 1994 closing party at The Site, the original cover art for Powderfinger’s Vulture Street, a hall of famous faces captured in action, and much more.

“Music has always been a 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.”

More than 200 industry guests attended the official launch party last night, with Powderfinger’s Ian Haug, Amplifire Music owner Stu McCulloch and Q Music CEO Angela Samut among them. Amy and Emma Sheppard of the chart-topping indie-pop outfit Sheppard were on hand for a media presentation earlier in the day.

Kate Miller-Heidke

The exhibition also features Nightlife’s interactive in-venue CrowdDJ technology, and a hands-on collaborative music-creating space by local musicians Luke Daniel Peacock and Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie.

Curatorial advisor and industry veteran Leanne de Souza and Museum of Brisbane curator Madeleine Johns played an integral role in shaping the project, while journalists Lars Brandle, Sally Browne and Sean Sennett contributed deeper-dive analysis on dozens of events and artists, from DJ Angus, The Grates, Waax, Kev Carmody and others.

The exhibition arrives as Brisbane’s music network rides a hot streak.

Just last month, the 3,300-capacity Fortitude Music Hall opened its doors to the public for the first time and boasts a solid solid lineup of bookings for the months ahead.

Ball Park Music

The new live music destination, a joint venture between with Secret Sounds, Live Nation and the team behind the Triffid (John “JC” Collins, Paul Piticco and Scott Hutchinson), sits in the heart of the Fortitude Valley entertainment district, which will pack-out with thousands of industry guests next week for the annual Bigsound conference.

The ‘High Rotation’ installation is housed in the Museum of Brisbane and will run until April 19, 2020.

For more, visit museumofbrisbane.com.au.

⁣Turn it up with Friday Night Freebies! 🥁🎤 Enjoy FREE ENTRY to the High Rotation exhibition on Fridays 5pm-7pm, by quoting ‘Friday Night Freebie’ at the ticket desk, thanks to @hutchies1912 ​📷: Patience Hodgson @thegrates #MoBHighRotation https://t.co/DfUPNgoNr3 pic.twitter.com/Pm3FkTskkf

— MuseumofBris (@MuseumofBris) August 29, 2019

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.