Gibson Garage London First Anniversary Festival

Gibson, maker of the world-renowned guitars, doesn't do retail stores like most brands. Instead, it offers music lovers and artists a personalised, immersive experience.

Having hosted more than 70 live performances and in excess of 200,000 visitors in its first year of opening, Gibson Garage London is not just a guitar shop, but rather a thriving hub for the capital's music scene.

Located just off Oxford Street, it is the first Gibson Garage outside of the USA. To celebrate its first anniversary, Gibson Garage London hosted the Gibson Garage Festival in collaboration with the British apparel brand Merc Clothing, a brilliant showcase of music, fashion, culture, and history.

When I was invited to the Gibson x Merc Clothing Event, I didn't know what to expect, but one thing was certain – you can rarely go wrong with music, especially when it involves guitars.

The festival not only honoured Gibson’s legacy but also showcased its commitment to supporting charitable causes, including the Teenage Cancer Trust and the soon-to-be Jack Bruce Foundation.

Walking into Gibson Garage London felt like stepping into a hall of fame. Growing up, the guitar was always my favourite instrument (although I ultimately settled for the piano, a pursuit that didn’t last long). My admiration was reignited as I entered the spacious showroom, its walls lined with an impressive array of floating Gibson guitars on conveyor belts.

Among the many guitars was Gibson’s first-ever electric bass – the 1950s cherry red EB-1 Violin Bass, played by the late Jack Bruce, the legendary bassist of Cream. I was informed that the soldout ‘Jam for Jack’ live music event and the EB-1 Violin Bass on display were intended to support the Jack Bruce Foundation, which will help young people facing barriers to accessing music education.

Within the 4,000 square foot retail space, the limited-edition Merc x Gibson Capsule Collection was on display, alongside a free photography exhibition featuring legendary photographers Gered Mankowitz and Sharon Latham. But the real party began downstairs – rock and roll at its finest. I left buzzing with excitement thanks to electrifying performances from Kid Kapichi and The Blue Stragglers.

Beyond music and fashion, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lee Bartram, head of commercial, marketing and cultural influence, to discuss the vision behind Gibson Garage London and its evolving role in the music industry.

Square Mile: Looking back at the past year, how has Gibson Garage London evolved since its grand opening? What milestones stand out to you?

The past 12 months in the Gibson Garage London have exceeded all expectations, we always knew it was going to be an amazing experience for guitarists and music fans, but it has become far more than that. What stands out for me is the number of new players, young and old, coming in to explore what the guitar is all about and how they can get involved… The future of guitar is certainly going to be in good hands.

Lee Bartram: Gibson Garage is more than just a retail space, it’s an experience—how would you define its role in London’s music and cultural scene?

Our goal was to ensure that not only were we developing the best possible guitar experience but also leverage and support the local music scene. We know that London has played such a vital role in the development of artists and genres through historic venues and locations, we needed to ensure we play our part. We have hosted over 70 free music performance events in-store, we are an official pitch for the Busk in London program, give fans opportunities to participate in artist meet and greets and host amazing new product launches… we have something for every music fan.

SM: Gibson has always blended music with fashion and culture. What drew you to collaborate with Merc Clothing for this special anniversary?

LB: For me, growing up in the late 80s and 90s music was driving everything, especially fashion and I think that rings true for all generations since the dawn of popular music. Mod culture is something that has been consistent since it became popular in the 60s, with revivals in the 80s and 90s the fashion and style is still as relevant today.

I don’t think anything screams London more than the birth of the Mod scene as we know it today and nothing is closer associated with it than guitar music. Merc have been committed to the styling of those eras and brought their designs to fans today, something Gibson replicates through its guitar making… it’s the perfect partnership.

SM: Tonight’s lineup features Kid Kapichi and Blue Stragglers—how do their sounds and energy align with the spirit of the Gibson brand?

LB: We were lucky enough to have Kid Kapichi perform at our opening event back in 2024 and they made a lasting impression for sure – we had to have them back to help launch the Merc partnership with us. These bands fit perfectly into what we are developing at the Gibson Garage, and it certainly feels like a great fit having them on stage.

With over 130 years of history and experience in the music industry, Gibson has been present for the birth and development of every musical genre and style, we want the Gibson Garage to continue this journey and showcase as many different artists and genres as possible.

SM: If someone walks into the Gibson Garage for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

LB: For many people visiting the Gibson Garage it will be their first trip to an actual guitar store, hopefully, they take away that local musical instrument retailers present the best opportunity to gain the information you need to start your guitar journey. For those who have frequented guitar stores before I hope that they come away having a great experience of Gibson and its brands as well as the local talent out there making music.

SM: Where do you see Gibson Garage London a year from now, and how do you want it to continue evolving?

LB: As we know the Gibson Garage London is more than just a guitar ‘shop’ so while we will build on the amazing array of guitars, we have for people to try out we want to continue to develop our live music programming and develop a platform to further showcase the local and national artists we work with. The Gibson Garage should evolve with the community around it and support the musicians who are at the heart of the UK and London guitar scene.

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