British Music Experience

Happy 80th birthday to Jimmy Page - widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time.

Page was a member of the Yardbirds from 1966-68 and then founded Led Zeppelin. He's also formed part of XYZ, the Firm, the Honeydrippers, Coverdale–Page, and Page and Plant and has participated in various guest performances with many artists, both live and in studio recordings.

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).

Today, on what would have been his 77th birthday, we remember the great David Bowie.

Born in 1947, Bowie's first UK Top 40 single was 1969's Space Oddity which became a UK No.1 in 1975. He had over 50 other UK Top 40 hits including five No.1's. Bowie has also scored two US No.1 singles, 1975's Fame and 1983's Let's Dance. His music and stagecraft significantly influenced popular music and during his lifetime, his record sales made him one of the world's best-selling music artists.

It was also on this day in 2016 that he released his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar, coinciding with his 69th birthday and just two days before his death. A powerfully ambitious music icon who will always inspire the human spirit.

This is the final week to see our exhibition - Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher - charting the history of the iconic Epiphone brand through the guitars of one of its most loyal artists, Noel Gallagher. Running until Sunday 14 January, and featuring some guitars from Noel's own private collection, the exhibition is included with all general entry tickets.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/epiphone150

Photo: Robin Clewley

In support of our temporary exhibition celebrating Epiphone's 150th Anniversary, this week's Sunday album playback is the mighty Definitely Maybe by Oasis released nearly 30 years ago in August 1994 😲

Definitely Maybe went straight to No.1 in the UK Albums Chart and became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history at the time; it went on to be certified 8× platinum by the BPI for sales of over 2.4 million units. It is the only Oasis album to completely feature all five original members.

There were four singles released from the album - Supersonic, Shakermaker, Live Forever and Ci******es & Alcohol.

Hear the album in full from midday on Sunday. Our Star Café is located off our main foyer and is open to the general public, no museum ticket required.

Oasis - Live Forever (Official HD Remastered Video) Oasis - 'Live Forever' (Official Video) [NEW HD Remastered] Taken from the album 'Definitely Maybe’Directed by: Carlos GrassoSUBSCRIBE ▶︎ https://Oasis.lnk.t...

Our Merch Store is open to the general public, so you don't need a ticket to the museum to come and have a look around.

We sell a range of band tees, books, vinyl, prints and giftware, alongside items supporting our current exhibition celebrating Epiphone's 150th Anniversary. Including a great range of Epiphone guitars, the guitarwrist Reverb bracelets made from Noel Gallagher's guitar strings (profits to Teenage Cancer Trust), Noel Gallagher Council Skies tees and much more!

The Merch Store is located off our main foyer and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/

Did you know our lovely Star Café & Bar is open to the general public so you don't need a museum ticket to visit?

We sell a range of hot drinks - including our Gingerbread Latte and Mint Hot Chocolate winter warmers. We also sell freshly baked cakes from our friends at Cuthberts Bakery, cold drinks, snacks, toasties and paninis ❤️

The licensed Café & Bar also holds a range of smaller events, such as our Quiz Nights, Acoustic performance and Q&As - keep an eye on our social media for more information.

Why not come in and visit while you're on the Waterfront - we're open Wednesday to Sunday 10am - 4.30pm.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/star-cafe-bar

Join us on Thursday 1 February 2024 as we welcome back See You Down the Front podcast as it presents another Absolute Acoustic evening.

Headlining will be Jenny Colquitt Music who has had a storming couple of years with her releases, festival appearances and tours.

Supporting Jenny will be rising Cheshire artist Joel Gardner and Caitlin Gilligan from the rolling hills of rural Galloway.

Tickets £10.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/absolute-acoustic

If you think you know your music and want to put that knowledge to the test, why not come along to one of our monthly BME quiz nights?

The January quiz takes places Wednesday 24 January and is free to join. It takes place in our Star Café & Bar and tables are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/bme-quiz

Happy New Year from all of us!

in 1964, the first edition of the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops was transmitted from an old church hall in Manchester. Acts miming to their latest releases included The Rolling Stones (I Wanna Be Your Man), The Dave Clark Five (Glad All Over), The Hollies (Stay), and The Swinging Blue Jeans (Hippy Hippy Shake). The first song played was Dusty Springfield's I Only Want To Be With You. Also featured on disc and film, The Beatles (I Want to Hold Your Hand), Freddie & The Dreamers and Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

Just a little reminder that we're closed 31 December and 1 January. We reopen on the 2 January with the museum and Merch Store opening from 10am to 5pm and the Star Café & Bar from 10am - 4.30pm ⭐️⚡️🎸

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/

Thanks to all the contributors who have been part of our public event programme in 2023 - we're really grateful to them all.

Here are just a few of our highlights 😍

As we head towards 2024, we're reflecting on the year that's just been. How can we possibly forget the incredible Eurovision Song Contest which was hosted by Liverpool (on behalf of Ukraine) back in May? The whole of the city came together to create one big party and we were right in the middle of things as part of the Eurovision Village on the Pier Head.

There were so many highlights for us, but some of the standout moments were hosting the BBC Eurovision Press Launch, the BBC Radio 2 Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, and our very own Grand Final screening party.

We'll be screening the 2024 Grand Final live from Malmo, so keep an eye on our socials for more information in the New Year.

Only a couple of weeks left to see our exhibition - Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher - charting the history of the iconic Epiphone brand through the guitars of one of its most loyal artists, Noel Gallagher . Running until 14 January 2024, and featuring some guitars from Noel's own private collection, the exhibition is included with all general entry tickets.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/epiphone150

Photo: Robin Clewley

This week, the museum and Gibson Interactive Studio are open Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 December, 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm). The Star Café is open 10am to 4.30pm and the Merch Store 10am - 5pm. We're closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Save money on all general entry tickets when you book online. Each ticket purchased is valid for one year from entry, so you can visit over and over again. You can help us even more by agreeing to Gift Aid your ticket - we will receive £0.25 for each £1 spent.

Photo: Robin Clewley

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/

A very Happy Christmas to everyone who has supported BME over the last year - whether you've visited the museum, come to an event, bought something from the Merch Store, had a brew in the Star Cafe or followed us from afar on social media - we really are very grateful for your support.

Sending lots of festive cheer from all of us ❤

Sam Ryder - You’re Christmas To Me [Amazon Music Original] (Official Music Video) The official video for 'You're Christmas To Me' by Sam Ryder!Win a Christmas Performance by Sam Ryder https://www.amazon.co.uk/SamRyderPrizeDraw (T&C's Apply...

Stuck for last minute Christmas prezzie ideas? Why not gift the History of British Rock and Pop!

We now sell gift vouchers online - the vouchers can be used across the museum, so can be used to purchase general entry or event tickets and can also be used in the Star Café Bar and Merch Store.

Choose the amount you wish to spend and customise the voucher with your own message.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/giftvouchers

Just a little reminder that we're closed 24, 25 and 26 December. We reopen on the 27 December - the museum and Merch Store are open from 10am to 5pm and the Star Café & Bar is open 10am - 4.30pm ⭐️⚡️🎸

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/

So who will be crowned this year's Christmas No.1? Will it be the 80's classic Last Christmas by Wham! or will it be snatched at the last minute by Sam Ryder with You're Christmas to Me?

Since Lad Baby stepped aside, the race to the coveted top spot has been full on with many Christmas classics in the running.

The 2023 Official Christmas No.1 will be announced later today on BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart with Jack Saunders from 4pm. The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Official Christmas Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.

See all Christmas No.1s ever by clicking the link 🎄🎅⚡🎸

Every Official Christmas Number 1 ever! All Number 1s are special, but scoring the Official Christmas Number 1 is the ultimate prize. The festive top spot is a British institution and is often the most unpredictable chart race of the year. Previous Christmas Number 1s have been claimed by music icons, cartoon characters, punk-rock disrupt...

Visiting Liverpool to see Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds at the M&S Bank Arena tonight?

Our brand-new exhibition - Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher - charts the history of the iconic Epiphone brand and features some guitars from Noel's own private collection. The exhibition is included with all general entry tickets.

We're also offering all gig ticket holders 30% off drinks in our Star Café & Bar today. Just show us your gig ticket and the discount will be applied at the till.

Plus we're selling lots of Noel goodies in our Merch Store and we have an all-day playlist dedicated to The Chief.

Photo: Robin Clewley

Coming to see Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds play in Liverpool on Thursday and looking for a little pressie?

Head to our Merch Store on the Pier Head and check out these great ideas from Wot Ma Like and Stanley Chow Illustration, plus official Noel Gallagher Council Skies tees (not available to buy at the Arena).

We're also offering 30% off drinks in our Star Café & Bar throughout the day on Thursday if you show proof of your gig ticket at the till. Fab Noel at Wythenshawe Park photos on display in our Café courtesy of Realm Of Pixels 💜

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/

Our Christmas opening hours 🎅⚡️🎄🎸

Open 20 - 23 December
Closed 24 - 26 December
Open 27 - 30 December
Closed 31 December and 1 January
Open 2 - 7 January

The museum and Merch Store are open from 10am to 5pm and the Star Café & Bar is open 10am - 4,30pm ⭐️

Gift the History of British Music this Christmas!

We now sell gift vouchers online - the vouchers can be used across the museum, so can be used to purchase general entry or event tickets and can also be used in the Star Café Bar and Merch Store.

Choose the amount you wish to spend and customise the voucher with your own message.

​https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/giftvouchers

In support of our new temporary exhibition celebrating Epiphone's 150th Anniversary, this week's Sunday album playback is Stanley Road by the mighty Paul Weller. The Modfather uses a number of different guitars but often finds himself looking to an Epiphone Casino for his signature sound.

The third solo album by Paul Weller released in 1995, Stanley Road takes its name from the street in Woking where Weller grew up. It reached Number One in the UK Album Chart and produced four singles, Out of the Sinking, The Changingman, You Do Something to Me and Broken Stones.

Hear the album in full from midday on Sunday. Our Star Café is located off our main foyer and is open to the general public, no museum ticket required.

Paul Weller - The Changingman (Official Video) FAT POP — the new album from Paul Weller 🔷🔶Out Now: https://paulweller.lnk.to/fatpopalbumYT​“Pop, in old money… you know what I mean?”Out now and available...

in 1984, Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the Official Singles Chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks.

The single which was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, featured Paul Young, Bono, Boy George, Tony Hadley, Simon le Bon, Sting, Paul Weller and George Michael on lead vocals.

The record became the fastest selling single in UK chart history - 600,000 copies sold in its first week in the UK alone was only the beginning: 800,000 more were bought in the second week, more than three million world-wide, and the unstoppable emotion engendered by the project led to Live Aid, the summer 1985 global concert that, all exaggeration aside, spoke for a generation.

Within months, a staggering £8 million had been raised for the starving in Africa, and Geldof said that without Ure's initial enthusiasm for the idea, not to mention his rapidly penned sketch for the single, neither Band Aid nor Live Aid could have happened.

Band Aid - Do they know it's christmas 1984 | HD - Widescreen 16:9 Band Aid vocalist members:Robert "Kool" Bell (Kool & the Gang)Bono (U2)Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats)Adam Clayton (U2)Phil Collins (Genesis and solo arti...

Visiting Liverpool to see Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds at the M&S Bank Arena next week?

Our brand-new exhibition - Epiphone 150th Anniversary: Featuring the Guitars of Noel Gallagher - charts the history of the iconic Epiphone brand and features some guitars from Noel's own private collection. The exhibition is included with all general entry tickets.

We're also offering all ticket holders 30% off drinks in our Star Café on the day of the gig - Thursday 21 December. Just show us your ticket and the discount will be applied at the till.

Plus we're selling lots of Noel goodies in our Merch Store, including official Council Skies t-shirts.

Photo: Robin Clewley

Did you know our lovely Star Café is open to the general public so you don't need a museum ticket to visit?

We sell a range of hot drinks - including our Gingerbread Latte and Mint Hot Chocolate Christmas specials. We also sell freshly baked cakes from our friends at Cuthberts Bakery, cold drinks, snacks, toasties and paninis ❤️

The licensed Café Bar also holds a range of smaller events, such as our Quiz Nights, Acoustic performance and Q&As - keep an eye on our social media for more information.

Why not come in and visit while you're on the Waterfront - we're open Wednesday to Sunday 10am - 4.30pm.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/star-cafe-bar

When it comes to Christmas No.1s, there are some real crackers...and some proper turkeys.

Without a doubt, the star on the 1980s Christmas tree is the 1984 original version of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas - but who else is in contention for the crown?

In 1981, the Christmas No.1 was also the biggest selling single of the year - Don't You Want Me by The Human League. The song was the fourth single from their third studio album Dare. The song is the 28th best-selling song of all time (physical single and download sales) in Official Singles Chart history.

In an interview with The Guardian, Phil Oakey said about the song 'When it became the Christmas No 1, it felt weirdly hollow. I thought: “How on earth are we ever gonna beat this?” But the song has given us 40 years of global success. I had always assumed that I’d end up carrying my belongings through Sheffield in a carrier bag with people saying: “That guy thought he was good in 1980.”

The Human League - Don't You Want Me (Official Music Video) REMASTERED IN HD!Vote for your favourite 80s hit of all time: https://lnk.to/80BestHitsListen to more from The Human League: http://TheHumanLeague.lnk.to/Ess...

In support of our new temporary exhibition celebrating Epiphone's 150th Anniversary, this week's Sunday album playback is Chasing Yesterday - the second studio album by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds released in 2015.

The album produced five singles - In the Heat of the Moment, Ballad of the Mighty I, Riverman, Lock All the Doors and The Dying of the Light. Chasing Yesterday topped the Official UK Album Chart in its first week of release and is certified Platinum by the BPI.

Hear the album in full from midday on Sunday. Our Star Café is located off our main foyer and is open to the general public, no museum ticket required.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Ballad Of The Mighty I Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - "Ballad Of The Mighty I" (Official Video)'Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’, the new Best Of celebrating the firs...

Gift the History of British Music this Christmas!

We now sell gift vouchers online - the vouchers can be used across the museum, so can be used to purchase general entry or event tickets and can also be used in the Star Café Bar and Merch Store.

Choose the amount you wish to spend and customise the voucher with your own message.

​

Gift Vouchers | BME Gift the Histroy of British Rock and Pop

Join us on Friday 15 December as we welcome The Reverend Max Ripple AKA John Wood of Deaf School in his solo show. Released from the constraints of his musical collaborators, the good Reverend turns Deaf School on it's head. With special guests.

"An evening of joyous piety, erudition and flatulent bumbling from a man who is cheerfully unworldly."

All tickets sold via skiddle.

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/revmaxripple