The exhibition will feature unseen photography from designer, photographer and cast member Dave Brown (AKA Bollo), and illustrations from Noel Fielding. It will also feature additional selected works from Ivana Zorn, Andy Hollingworth, Mr Bingo and Jake.
“It’s been 10 years since the five of us jumped on a tour bus for the first time and ventured out of London to see if anyone else in the UK liked or had even heard of The Boosh. That 2006 tour, after the first two series had gone out on TV, was probably the first time we all realised how popular the show was. I remember the look of shock, fear and joy on Noel and Julian’s faces when those curtains went back for the first time in York, the noise and reaction was incredible and the insane crush of screaming fans at the stage door after was a sudden realisation of the size of this strange, beautiful beast they’d created,” said Dave Brown.
Although the TV series earned The Boosh its cult audience, the live tour in 2006 was where the raw chemistry between Noel and Julian truly came into its own, unleashing an unparalleled freedom to ad-lib and interact with the crowd and bringing out the best in their beautiful double act. The Boosh Live tour in 2008 broke the world record for seven consecutive nights at Brixton Academy (beating Iron Maiden, The Clash, The Prodigy, Bob Dylan and The Sex Pistols!) and saw Boosh Live embark on 99 gigs around the UK and Ireland and sell out both the Wembley and O2 Arena.
Dave Brown had a camera in his hands throughout and his photographs shine a unique spotlight onto the fun, the madness and the relationships between The Boosh collective over this period.
The world of The Boosh represented a whimsical, wildly creative universe and frequently referenced Shoreditch, where many of its eccentric storylines began. It demanded a casual acceptance that anything can and will happen. In that sense, The Book Club is the perfect home for this exhibition, celebrating the impact of a wildly creative world where music, comedy and art collide.
“I can’t believe its 10 years since our first live tour! It will be great to see some ’On Tour’ photographic nuggets all together in one show. Dave’s pictures are like beautifully composed snap shots from an amazing time in my life where my feet hardly touched the floor and I felt like the luckiest girl/boy on earth. It’s also gonna be great to see some of the other art created for the show by our extended Boosh family. I’m gonna dig out some of my sketches and may even do a new watercolour to celebrate,” said Fielding.
The exhibition will also include some original live show props and further contributions from the extended Boosh family.
Exhibition runs, 20 October – 29 January 2017.
