A free exhibition at Memory Dance on Chapel Walk puts Sheffield's independent music scene on display, pairing photographs, films, flyers and other ephemera with the story told in Daniel Dylan Wray's book. It runs until 4 November and treats bands and club culture as equal parts of the city's sound.
A companion to a book on seven decades of music
The show is linked to Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield, published in May. Wray's book draws on more than 150 original interviews to trace the city's musical development from postwar dance halls to contemporary indie and electronic music, with post-punk, pop, metal, bassline and bleep techno among the genres it covers. The exhibition extends that scope into physical material that visitors can see up close.
Bands and dance music shown side by side
Rather than separating guitar groups from dance acts, the exhibition gives them shared space. The names represented include Warp, Self Esteem, Pulp, The Human League, ABC, Clock DVA, Richard Hawley and Arctic Monkeys. The organizers emphasize the clubs, labels and institutions behind those sounds, which the material documents through photographs, posters and flyers.
A film wall for Cabaret Voltaire
The exhibition coincides with what is described as the final UK show by Cabaret Voltaire, and the basement mini cinema includes an audiovisual wall recognizing the group's pioneering use of film and video. A rotating selection of films and music videos changes each week, so repeat visitors can see different material on each trip.
Practical details
Memory Dance is at 21 Chapel Walk in Sheffield city centre. The venue combines a gallery, a record shop and the mini cinema, and it opened in June. Entry to the exhibition is free, and it runs until 4 November.