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This has reference to Nick just thought I would share....
ROCKCHICTM: THE LIFE
AND TIMES OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR 1931-2006
Set within a dynamic multimedia experience
that captures the essence of a rock stage, RockChicTM: The Life And Times Of The Electric Guitar features more than 100 legendary,
vintage, rare and customised guitars, in an exhibition which examines the electric guitar’s origins, and focuses on
its evolution and influence on society over the last 75 years. Produced by BigTime.TV, RockChicTM is, essentially, a 'History
Of Rock' multi-media experience, showcasing guitars and artists who have helped shape contemporary pop culture.
Visitors
will embark on a journey that spans 75 years, starting with the ‘Frying Pan’, the world’s first electric
guitar - never previously exhibited outside of the US - together with a remarkable display of vintage instruments, including
a 1950s Silvertone guitar with an amp in the case, and an early Rickenbacker arch top. The collection also includes instruments
associated with rock’s greatest icons, including the likes of Keith Richards, Bo Diddley, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana,
Van Morrison, and Phil Lynott, to name but a few, and an amazing collection owned by the legendary Rory Gallagher, alongside
an extraordinary display of unique customised guitars.
A multi-faceted exhibition, the RockChic™ project has
also invited a host of the world’s leading multi-disciplinary creators, from the fields of design, photography, architecture,
music and visual arts, to take an electric guitar, and treat this emotive object as a blank canvas. Creators include Nick
Rhodes, Patrick Cox, Christopher Bailey, David LaChapelle, Diane von Furstenberg and Dave Fanning. These resulting artworks,
which feature in the exhibition, are as individual as the artists themselves, offering a unique insight into the Creator’s
relationship with this iconic instrument. Using a variety of materials, from diamonds to snakeskin and photographic images,
some have chosen to produce signature artworks, or tell a story, while others have used this project as an opportunity to
pay homage to their own heroes.
Each of these customised guitars will, ultimately, be auctioned for charities nominated
by the individual Creators, including Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, Amnesty International, Keep A Child Alive and
the Irish Hospice Foundation.
Playing at the National Museum of Ireland’s Decorative Arts & History site
at Collins Barracks, Dublin from 23 November 2006 - 21 January 2007, RockChicTM promises to delight fans of music, art and
history alike.
Admission is free. This exhibit will be coming to London in January.
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Top Ten Cultural Moments
from Nick Rhodes
"…and I wanted to share them with you here on Duranduran.com….chronologically"
1)
ART EXHIBIT
Warhol’s World, London, January
A collection of Andy Warhol’s photographs, mostly from
the very late 70s through the 1980s. It was quite something for me to look at them all because I knew most of the characters
in the photos. It represents a time when, as a band, Duran Duran, were n New York City a lot and I spent a fair bit of time
with Andy and actually remember a lot of the evenings. There were several photos of me in the exhibition and I remember the
moment he took them.
2) BALLET
Edward Scissorhands, February
It’s not that often I go to the ballet…I
have to say, this was a beautiful production, a great idea and I left smiling.
3) EVENT
Anglomania Ball, Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York City, May
A pretty unusual event, Juicy Couture kindly invited us (Simon, John and Nick).
There were some fabulous outfits, I have to say, and I am a sucker for fabulous outfits. We all really enjoyed that one, thanks
Gela!
4) FESTIVAL
Cannes Film Festival, France, May
I have to say, I think out of all the film festival
events that I’ve been to, Cannes is really the most interesting. There’s so much going on there. I was very happy
with some of the winners this year.
5) MOVIE
”Volver” starring Penelope Cruz
My personal favorite
movie of the year. A Pedro Almodovar movie, and I have to say, if you haven’t seen it, you really ought to make the
effort, because it’s worth seeing at the Cinema. It looks so beautiful and it’s Penelope Cruz at her best. “Volver”
is my personal favorite, closely followed by “The Queen” I think.
6) SPOT/b>
Palermo, Sicily, July
I took a break, which I don’t do that often and I decided to go to Palermo. I wanted to look at the rich cultural
heritage they have, visit some palazzos, wander around and get to know the place a little.
I was able to do that and
had a great time there. It’s got a lot of fantastic things to see. If you get a chance, I highly recommend it. Oh, and
the food isn’t bad either.
7) ART EXHIBIT
Hans Bellmer Whitechapel Gallery, London, September
He’s
a strange case, Hans Bellmer. I think perverse would probably be the word that best describes his work but nonetheless, utterly
brilliant and fascinating.
 ART MOMENT
Freeze Art Fair, London, October
This comes to London every October and has grown exponentially in
the last few years. You’ve never seen this much art ever, it’s quite overwhelming, but I did spend several hours
there and at the zoo Art Festival at the London Zoo…definitely rejuvenates your interest in modern art.
9) EVENT
Halloween Parade, New York, October
I’ve heard about Halloween in New York City. This year, we were fortunate
enough that our schedule collided beautifully with New York City and the day of the pointed hat. And so I went out and photographed
the Parade. I must have spent a couple of hours there, I would have spent all night there but some of the people I was with
got slightly cold and impatient. To me, it really represents the spirit of New York City, which I’ve always loved.
10)
ART EXHIBIT
Murder Me Exhibit, Serpentine Gallery, Hyde Park, London, ongoing
My final choice! It’s still
on in London, and I believe, goes into next year. You may still get a chance to see it if you’re in London or visiting.
This is Damien Hirst’s personal collection of art by other artists. He has immaculate taste.
Nick at VGA's
On Thursday evening, October 4th Nick Rhodes presented the Best Soundtrack Award award at the
inaugural British Academy Video Games Awards at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. Newly reopened, The Roundhouse is an historic
steam engine repair building which became a legendary venue in the 1960s and 70s, playing host to The Rolling Stones, Jimi
Hendrix and Pink Floyd. The Awards will be making their TV debut on E4 on October 17 (and then repeated on Channel 4) and
were hosted by Vernon Kay.
Before Nick could get to the podium, his new Second Life avatar stole the proceedings by
making a surprise appearance on the giant screen, on-stage, and read out the nominations!
When his avatar, cheekily,
then went on to announce "And the winner is", the real Nick Rhodes, who was opening the winner's envelope grabbed a handy
remote lying on the podium, turned towards the screen and zapped his avatar back into Second Life oblivion, adding "Some people
just can't be trusted!" to much laughter and applause from the audience.
Be sure to watch the incident when the Awards
show airs on E4 on Tuesday 17th October at 11pm, GMT
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Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes takes 6 questions
By Lars Brandle Oct 10, 2006, 0:12 GMT
When
Duran Duran`s international fame rose to near-hysteric heights in the early `80s, it was the British band`s harnessing of
the then-new music video medium that gave it an edge. Time has advanced, and so has the group. Now the five members have inserted
their characters, or avatars, into cyberspace, via the 'Second Life' virtual reality game, becoming the first major act to
do so. With a new Epic album release expected in early 2007, keyboardist Nick Rhodes says the band is at home in the digital
world.
BB: Is 'Second Life' part of a wider marketing scheme or just a bit of fun?
R: When I first saw the
'Second Life' site, it was a real epiphany for me. I knew this type of technology was developing and starting to flourish,
but I had no idea there was a site up there already - which was the size of Luxembourg in virtual acres. I looked at it from
a creative point of view and thought, "We should do a concert in here, and have our own space in here, and move on from [having
a Web presence] and finally come into 3-D.'"
BB: How do you plan to pull off a virtual concert?
R: We`re just
figuring it out now . . . We`re beta testing all kinds of things. I want to make it as authentic as we possibly can, in that
we will perform in a room, or a concert space that we build. As it will be live, there will be several hundred other people`s
avatars. Certain things we will need to pre-prepare, but we will push the limits of the technologies and see how we can make
the thing magical and mystical.
BB: Do you anticipate a new legion of geek Duran Duran fans?
R: By doing new
things, you always attract a different type of audience . . . When you`re in a band for over 20 years, the last thing I would
want to do is the same thing all the time.
BB: Would it be economically viable for a less-established band to follow
your lead?
R: It depends who you are working with and what the technologies are. Granted, what we are trying to do
is actually something quite ambitious. But I`m sure there are some garage bands out there that are already in 'Second Life.'
Some of these kids are so technology-savvy now that they can just go in and build their own area. If I was forming a new band
right now, I`d make sure that there was someone in the band who acted as a videographer, who was onstage doing the filming,
the back projections and everything else. The other thing is to have someone within the band who could create Web technology
so that you were completely self-sufficient.
BB: Do you think digital is the future?
N: We underwent the industrial
revolution in the music business for the first time in many, many years in the last few years. And there were a whole load
of music industry executives who resisted it for as long as they possibly could . . . There were many of us, including myself
and Duran Duran, who seized the opportunity, as we saw this as the beginning of something exciting and new that would undoubtedly
revolutionize what we are doing. And it is still only the tip of the iceberg.
BB: What do you make of virtual synths?
Do they spell the end of traditional synth hardware?
R: This is the greatest irony. Here`s me evangelizing about everything
in virtual technologies, but the one thing I can`t stand is virtual synthesizers [laughs].
© 2006 VNU eMedia. All
Rights Reserved
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