The Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism set for Sydney arrival

After residencies in Nashville, Las Vegas, Chicago and New York City, The Rolling Stones’ Exhibitionism is readying to open in Sydney in November.

Ticketek has invited fans to sign on to the waitlist HERE to be the first to find out when the tickets go on sale and where the exhibit will be held.

There are 500 items including vintage guitars, rare instruments and lyric books, backstage and touring paraphernalia, album art, photography, stage designs and personal diaries and letters.

It includes of Mick Jagger’s stage costumes which he says he’s kept since the 1960s.

The items have been in storage all these years, “for the simple reason we didn’t want to throw them away,” says Jagger, who adds, “We didn’t want to be over-reverential and you don’t want to be lacking in humour.”

The humour comes from the recreation of the squalid London flat that they lived in, at 102 Edith Grove, in the early ’60s before the hits began.

It was filthy with sweaty clothes, dirty dishes, fag ends and empty beer bottles everywhere.

Charlie Watts remembers it: “The milk bottles were just growing this… stuff. It was very much like that, the kitchen particularly.”

Keith Richards agrees, “It was definitely a time when we were working hard, learning the blues, endlessly, all night… imbibing it.

“It was a major part of the band coming together.”

In direct contrast, there are styles and fashion from Alexander McQueen, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Hedi Slimane, Ossie Clark, L’Wren Scott, Jean Paul Gaultier, Mr Fish and more, with contributions from Anna Sui, John Varvatos and Tommy Hilfiger.

The 190 original artworks are from Andy Warhol (whose original concept for the Sticky Fingers cover was a real zip with a pink balloon that flopped out), David Bailey, John Pasche, Walton Ford, Shepard Fairey, Michael Cooper, Christian Piper and Robert Frank.

The interactive technology and immersive experiences include sound mixing desks, interactive displays, a screening cinema narrated by Martin Scorsese and endless video footage.

The exhibit culminates in an immersive backstage recreation which leads to a spectacular 3D concert.

While the US residences were chosen for being “music cities”, apparently Jagger wanted Sydney because his mother Eva was born in Marrickville in 1913.