New exhibition opens the doors to Paisley Park and the unique life of Prince
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When Prince Rogers Nelson took over the O2 in 2007 for 21 consecutive, record-breaking, nights, he became forever linked to the venue as part of music history. So it makes sense that the first major exhibition celebrating the life and work of the legendary artist should also open at the same venue.
Today marks the world premiere of My Name Is Prince a unique chance for fans to get up close and personal with one of pop music’s most influential figures, with hundreds of never before seen artefacts from Prince’s famous Minnesota private estate, Paisley Park.
The show takes visitors on a journey from Prince’s early life through his various personas and eras including his early albums, the legendary Purple Rain album, the many game-changing tours, the Sign of The Times, the Batman movie, Third Eye Girl and more.
Fans will be blown away by being able to get up close and personal with things like clothing from the 1984/85 Purple Rain Tour, several of his guitars and personal notepads with production notes and lyrics to songs such as ‘Erotic City’.
The centrepiece to the whole show is a stage in the shape of the Love symbol that the artist adopted as his name during his on-going dispute with Warner Bros. Records in 1993. This stage features video screens playing various videos from his career which can be listened to as part of the audio tour.
The audio tour is a real experts journey through an exceptional life full of insights and information that even hardened fans might not be aware of. Alongside audio and corresponding video from album tracks plus live and TV performances this makes My Name Is Prince a truly immersive experience for any Prince fan.
Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson, who played a part in creating the show, has said that this exhibition is a celebration of the singer but also a chance for fans to say goodbye following his untimely death last year. The show certainly does feel like a unique celebration and leaves visitors with a new understanding and appreciation of the man himself.
Additions like the ‘backstage’ section of the show featuring flight cases from his tours, costumes and Prince’s personal artefacts like his make-up box and trinkets from his dressing room gives a real world insight – you can almost imagine the buzz that would happen before any dynamic performance.
Having sold 100 million records worldwide Prince is know the world over as a great talent but My Name Is Prince offers the opportunity to really understand what made him tick and his place in popular culture. This is not just a show for Prince fans but an eye-opener for anyone with an interest in pop music.
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My Name Is Prince is at the O2 until 7th January