We were welcomed to the gallery by Ben, the friendly and informative custodian of the display and he explained the general layout. On the ground floor is a room dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. Appropriately Hendrix music played through an equally appropriate Marshall amp as we admired the range of photos lining the walls. They range from relatively small black and white images taken in Mankowitz's Masons Yard studio, through to much larger and more ornate coloured shots, many in the glorious psychedelic colours of that era. All of the prints are for sale with prices ranging from £750 for the smaller items up to several thousand for the largest. All well beyond my modest means I'm afraid.
Upstairs is one room dedicated to photos of The Rolling Stones and then a second room containing an eclectic set of photos of the likes of Cat Stevens, Richard Thompson, Kate Bush, The Small Faces, Traffic and a host of others.
We happened to be the only visitors at the time so Ben had plenty of time to tell us interesting stories about some of the shots. I also took the opportunity to ask him about the plans for the Club-A-Gogo which is due to open in Newcastle next year. Apparently this will not be an exact replica of the original (shame) but will be a fully operational club and will host a series of live gigs, hopefully including some by artists who graced the stage of the original club back in the 1960's. A number of artists have already donated items of memorabilia to be displayed within the club.
Back on the ground floor, I was admiring one of the larger Marshall amps when Ben opened it to reveal it to be a fridge (also for sale). Most appropriately it contained row upon row of the Iron Maiden produced beer, 'Trooper'!There were also a couple of books for sale, including some copies signed by Gered Mankowitz himself. One was a hardback book entitled 'The Experience: Jimi Hendrix at Masons Yard' by Mankowitz and Richie Unterberger. The other was a paperback copy of 'Rolling Stones One on One' by Mankowitz and Sean Egan.
I resisted the temptation to buy either which is just as well as both are available more cheaply at Amazon.
If you are a fan of late 1960's rock music and you happen to reside in the north east of England or if you happen to visit the area (and I recommend you do), then I strongly recommend you paying a visit to this gallery. It will be open for the next twelve months.
Check out their website for further details and opening times. Also watch out for future special events and book signings.
