Island Life: Island Records’ 50th anniversary

Phonica Records, 51 Poland Street, London W1.

How the f*** can you get fifty years of groundbreaking, independent, innovative music into an exhibition in the basement of a tiny record shop in London’s Soho?

Of course you can’t. But then you don’t have to. Island 50 is a year-long fest showcasing the best of the many eclectic artiste on the label, including documentaries on Channel 4, 1-Xtra, Absolute, BBC 4 and Radio 2, a special session at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull and Baaba Maal and your chance to be part of the party by uploading user generated content to http://www.island50.com. Whew!

Still, the Soho basement is a good place to start. Music videos, giant album sleeves and just the right number of words to guide you through the fifty year history make this a fascinating place to spend an hour. You would think that a collection of rebel hearts such as the Slits, King Crimson and Nick Drake would not lend themselves to the museum treatment but the whole place has such a light touch that it works as a showcase. Young ‘uns will see the legends in a new light and oldies like me will enjoy a nostalgia trip. Recommended!