“The selection of significant and rare works will demonstrate the cultural and artistic reach of genres such as rock, pop, metal and Britpop,” says the auction house.
ADVERTISINGThe announcement that the British pop band Oasis is holding a reunion tour in 2025 – ending a 15-year feud – has prompted fans to dig out memorabilia and reminisce about their live performances.
But what would it be like to own a guitar strummed by Noel Gallagher – the band’s lead guitarist and co-singer?
The auction house Sotheby’s has offered the guitar for sale in a recent pop culture auction.
The first online Popular Culture London auction will, according to Sotheby’s, “bring together the highest quality pop culture artefacts from the world of music, film and celebrity in a carefully curated offering.”
“The selection of significant and rare works will showcase the cultural and artistic reach of genres such as rock, pop, metal and Britpop, as well as the most famous and enduring film productions.”
Bidding will be open online from August 29 until the end of the sale on September 12, 2024. The online auction will be open to the public from Monday, September 9, in a special exhibition at the galleries on New Bond Street in London.
Sotheby’s auctions rare Britpop and rock memorabilia
Bids can currently be registered for five lots on the Sotheby’s website.
1. Noel Gallagher’s guitar
Passionate Oasis fans will vie for the Epiphone Les Paul Standard electric guitar, which belonged to Noel Gallagher and was used by him during the pre-recording sessions of Oasis’ 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe, at Sawmills Studio.
It was featured in both the music video and on the iconic cover of Oasis’ debut single “Supersonic”. It was played at numerous early live gigs, including at the Boardwalk in Manchester, Krazy House in Liverpool and Water Rats in London.
The estimate is between 60,000 and 80,000 pounds.
2. Prince’s guitar
The second lot is Prince’s blackburst electric guitar Vox HDC-77, which he played on stage. The singer used it extensively during his time with the band 3RDEYEGIRL between 2013 and 2015.
“Prince envisioned a driving sound with 3RDEYEGIRL, and something in the Vox spoke to his concept for the band,” writes Dan Piepenbring, a contributor to Prince’s memoir, in an article for Sotheby’s.
“His own guitar playing traded in the jazzier accents of the ’90s and ’00s for a more explosive, blues-oriented approach, raw and emotional, sometimes even grungy, as if he had retrospectively absorbed all the bands of the alt-rock era.”
ADVERTISINGThe guitar is being brought to auction by Donna Grantis, guitarist and bandmate of Prince’s groups 3RDEYEGIRL and New Power Generation. The instrument comes directly from her private collection and has not been played since Prince’s last performance.
The guitar is estimated to be worth £200,000-300,000.
3. Piano at Abbey Road Studios
Also included in the auction is a Steinway grand piano model A. The instrument was housed and used in Studio 3 between 1973 and 2016.
ADVERTISINGThe piano has a satin blackened case and stands on three square tapered legs with brass caps and castors. It has imitation ivory keys and three brass pedals.
It has been featured on dozens of iconic tracks and albums by some of music’s biggest artists, including Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Radiohead, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga and the Foo Fighters.
The piano bears the marks of its forty years of life in Abbey Road in the form of water stains from cups and glasses, cigarette burns and abrasions.
The estimate is £150,000 to £200,000.
ADVERTISING4. The red shoes
The fourth lot is a pair of original red satin ballet pointe shoes made for Moira Shearer as “Victoria Page” in the 1948 film “The Red Shoes” produced by Powell & Pressburger.
The shoes have red laces and the soles are stamped with “FREED LONDON” and size 3 1/2.
The estimate is £15,000 to £20,000.
ADVERTISING5. The Marianne Faithfull Collection
Finally, pop culture fans can bid on books by photographers associated with Marianne’s early music career at Decca Records.
There is a dedicated copy of “Marianne Faithfull: Fabulous Beast” by Gered Mankowitz, No. 50 from a limited edition of 350.
It is signed by the author in black ink and bears the inscription “For dearest Marianne / with love and admiration / Gered X” and the date “Cornwall, 5 November 2020”.
ADVERTISINGThe lot also includes a copy of “Blinds & Shutters” by Michael Cooper (Genesis Publications, 2020), #1841 from the limited 30th anniversary edition.
It is signed by Francis Bacon, Peter Blake, Adam Cooper, Terry Doran, Allen Jones, Stash Klossowski, Sandy Lieberson, Bridget Riley, Colin Self, Derek Taylor and Bill Wyman.
The estimated value of the lot is between £1,000 and £2,000.
Artifacts from Hollywood’s Golden Age to blockbuster films
There will also be a selection of important artifacts from Hollywood’s heyday to blockbuster films. Up for sale is a rhino rider gladiator costume as worn in Sir Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel Gladiator II, and memorably seen in the first trailer for the upcoming release.
ADVERTISINGDonated by EON Productions, producers of the James Bond film series, and sold for charity on behalf of the world’s leading arts foundation BAFTA, this is a limited edition box set of two Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” 50th anniversary watches. Estimated at between £40,000 and £60,000.
