Fruitmarket celebrates Scottish pop music

THE Fruitmarket Gallery is the place to be this weekend for the Capital's pop pickers when the Market Street venue hosts The Only Fun In Town, a pop-up exhibition set to take music lovers on '˜a journey through the 60s, post-punk and indie bands of the 1980s, right up to the modern day'.

THE BEATLES at the ABC cinema in Lothian Road Edinburgh in 1964

The brainchild of Evening News columnist and Avalanche Records owner Kevin Buckle, The Only Fun In Town runs from tomorrow and will showcase rarities, memorabilia and music from Scotland’s musical past.

Kevin explains the idea is to explore the history of Scottish pop music, as told by musicians, record labels and fans.

Curiosities on show at The Fruitmarket Gallery will include an original Louis Wain book, the artist Scottish label Postcard Records got their ‘drumming kitten’ logo from.

Also on display will be one of only six copies of a 12” by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada that was used to announce their last album.

For the exhibition, David Keegan of 80’s Edinburgh indie band The Shop Assistants has also “dug out lots of his posters and stuff” says Buckle, adding that record label Chemikal Underground are “sending over the original paintings for the Arab Strap album Philophobia, and the original photos for the Mogwai album Come On Die Young.”

He continues, “As you can imagine, most of the bands are happy to provide something and we’ll be covering the scene right up to the present day with the Gerry Gapinski’s artwork for the Filthy Tongues album Jacob’s Ladder.”

A gallery of photos not seen for more than 30 years will also take pride of place.

“We won’t be forgetting earlier times either,” assures Buckle. “We have an original membership card for Edinburgh’s famous Gamp Club and we will cover the Beatles visit to the ABC, including an advert from the Evening News.

“We also cover the time The Who turned up to play McGoos on the High Street – no tickets were issued.

“The pop-up exhibition will give people a taste of what to expect from the permanent History of Scottish Music Centre,” promises Buckle.

The Only Fun In Town, Fruitmarket, Market St, tomorrow-Sunday, free