I recently had a couple of hours to kill and decided to take the delightful Miss G to the new Doors photographic exhibition in Camden. Even though Jim Morrison was long gone when I was born it only took one chance hearing of Break on Through for me to be hooked on The Doors’ music. In fact I would go as far as to say that L.A Woman is my all time favourite song and many others would easily get in to an album of songs that I had to play on repeat until the end of time if I was stranded on a desert island.

The exhibition is in the Proud Galleries in Camden, North London and is a collection of photographs charting the beginning, middle and end of the band http://www.proud.co.uk/exhibition-The-Doors-of-Perception_75.aspx. The photos were taken by photographers Bobby Klein, Guy Webster and Frank Lisciandro and give a stunning insight into what life in the band was like, particularly the ones of Morrison, where he always looked on the verge of being unhinged.

Whilst I loved looking at the photos I was I’m afraid left disappointed and wanting a bit more. They are undoubtedly fantastic photos and do give an insight. However, there are no descriptions alongside the photos and I was left trying to give my own narrative and commentary based on the information I have gleamed from biographies, the off the mark Oliver Stone biopic and the wonderful When You’re Strange documentary, narrated by Johnny Depp. I was also a bit perplexed as to why the venue has decided to play songs by The Clash, Hendrix, The Stone Roses pretty much anyone but The Doors, when you are wandering around, which might have been an idea to add to the atmosphere.

Proud Galleries itself is also a bit disappointing. I’d heard great things about it as a live music venue and bar. It might be because it was during the day but it had the unfortunate air of feeling like an empty student union with the lingering aroma of stale ale. I am though prepared to reserve judgement until I have been in the evening. Wheelchair access is ok and there is a loo but be prepared to push up a fairly steep ramp to get in the venue and get ready to do battle with a bucket load of cobbles once inside.