TG in Derby Exhibition : Kunst Gallery, Belper. 2018.

This weekend marks the final weekend of the 'Throbbing Gristle in Derby' photographic exhibition at the Kunst Gallery in Belper, Derbyshire. Over the past 4 weeks the gallery has been open showing the photographs taken by Anita Varney of when Throbbing Gristle performed live in Derby on April 12 1979.  Also on exhibition is ephemera from the gig, posters, press cuttings and other pieces of art by Anita Varney (including a jumper from 1976 that was sold in BOY).
The gallery itself is a small "Nail Shed', Belper used to be Britains main manufacturer of nails before the onset of the Industrial revolution of which Belper played a large part with its' Mills owned by the hosier Jedediah Strutt.

Gallery owner Jonny KGB was at work when Anita walked in with a pile of photographs she had just found in her home that included pictures of Throbbing Gristle live at the Ajanta Cinema in Derby. An idea of an exhibition grew ... Mute Records were not happy - this could not be advertised as anything to do with TG - but the gallery got the blessings of Gen who openly advertised it on his 'social media'.

I took these photographs from the gallery event, but did not want to take any of Anita's work ... her photographs are for sale, packaged in a limited edition of 79 in cassette boxes with a cover design similar to the TG Industrial Records tapes that were part of 'TG24'. These are still available from the Kunst Gallery.

The opening of the exhibition on March 24 was celebrated with performances by Glenn Wallis and Jordi Valls, both old Throbbing Gristle 'crew' from the 1970's. Jordi Valls brought his Vagina Dentata Organ and Glenn performed as Dark Union. The men who brought TG to Derby gave a little explanation to why and how this all happened. Teenage punks trying to bring live music to a dead city in the late 1970's struck a chord with me. The idea of TG in Derby seems to spring from the band Pre-De who rehearsed at a space behind a record shop owned by one of the promoters and wanted to support Throbbing Gristle. The Ajanta Cinema used to be an old 'adult' cinema and strip bar for Derby's Asian community. There's two things I learnt that evening.

With hassle from nearby residents and the local council over gallery content and noise the Kunst Gallery need support, so if you are in the area or need to go somewhere for 'a day out' make it Kunst Gallery Belper - Belper is quite a picturesque town with great walks and gardens.

                                                                        Jordi Valls.

                                                                     Glenn Wallis.

So as of April 15, the exhibition is terminated.

                                                               Jonny at The KGB.