Let’s rage – HOTA’s new Let there be rock! exhibition kicks off a summer of rock’n’roll
An eclectic exhibition celebrating three decades of rock music and culture is kicking off at HOTA this summer, and you’ll definitely want a piece of the action. The exhibition, Let there be rock!, opens true to style on Saturday December 8 with a beer garden, free rock anthems, and a Q&A with those who lived through the Gold Coast’s heyday of live and loud rock music.
From December 8 until February 17, the Let there be rock! exhibition will fire up HOTA’s main gallery in a celebration of hard-core rock and entertainment with memorabilia, pictures, posters, footage and portraits, which will run alongside a three-month-long program of all-ages rock-inspired events. The exhibition and events program have been curated to give a nostalgic nod to the 1970–1999 era when the Gold Coast was a hotspot on Australia’s live-music touring circuit – shining the light on moments like The Ramones and Cold Chisel hitting The Playroom, and when The Violent Femmes were at Fisho’s.
As part of the exhibition, the HOTA gallery foyer will showcase Live and Local: Gold Coast Music Photography, displaying works by photographers Nadia Achilles, Leigh Kelly, Dan Maynard, Danny Santangelo, Leisen Standen and Pete Wheeler, who have turned their lenses to the stage to capture some of our hottest musicians. There are a bunch of killer events rolling out across the summer as part of Let there be rock!, from the three-part Talking Rock panel session (where you’re invited to settle in with a beer and hear from those who have shaped the face of the coast’s vibrant music scene), through to Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be – The Story of Bon Scott, Conversations with Nick Cave (sold out), as well as a Regurgitator Kids Show and an Air Guitar Workshop for the little rockers.
Keen to rock out? You can check out the entire program, register for events and purchase tickets via the HOTA website.
Image credits:
Image one – Nadia Achilles, Bec Sandridge at Cooly Beachfest, Coolangatta 2017, digital print, courtesy of Nadia Achilles.
Image two – Rennie Ellis, Kym Hosking, Sheba, The Playroom, Gold Coast 1983, digital print, State Library of Victoria collection.
Image three – Gerry Noon, [Rose Tattoo at The Playroom] c. 1980s, digital reproduction, image courtesy of Gerry Noon.
Image four – Nadia Achilles, Electrik Lemonade at the Gold Coast Music Awards 2018, digital print, courtesy of Nadia Achilles.
To find out more about what’s on in the Gold Coast, head to our Event Guide.
