HEAVY [HÆVI] HORSENS
13 juni 2045
Danish heavy legends celebrate their 40th anniversary and are celebrated with an exhibition at Horsens Museum
This year, Pretty Maids celebrate their 40th anniversary with squealing electric guitars and heavy drumbeats. Horsens Museum tells the story of the band in sound, pictures and leather jackets.
When the conversation turns to Danish rock music, the mind often turns to the two musical metropolises of Aarhus and Copenhagen. However, one iconic Danish rock band stands out by having very close bonds with Horsens.
In the early 1980s, Pretty Maids burst on to the scene with big hair and even bigger attitudes. The style was heavy rock with catchy melodies and, from the very outset, the aim was set on the far abroad.
Since then, a total of 16 albums has been produced, several EPs, live-recordings and compilations, and nominations have been received for a host of awards, including two Grammys, and a vast number of live performances have been played throughout the world.
This year, Pretty Maids celebrate their 40th anniversary and, for that occasion, Horsens Museum has collaborated with the musicians to create a special exhibition on the history of the band.
From the very beginning when the two friends Paul and Kenneth became Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer and formed the band for the huge 1992 hit ’Please Don’t Leave Me’ to the critical acclaim for a new and heavier sound in the 2010s.
Over the years, the band became known for their captivating concerts. Along the way, they have shared the stage with such iconic names as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Kiss, Scorpions, Alice Cooper and many more. In truth, it is a band with a lot of show, a great career and, not least, a great story.
The local heroes
At Horsens Museum, they look forward to presenting a special exhibition on the rock heroes of the city.
- As the local history museum of an old medieval town, we are used to covering some very long timelines and we are very excited to now turn up the music all the way and tell a more recent part of the history of Horsens, says Merete Bøge Pedersen, Museum Director.
The exhibition will include music, film, new interviews and well-worn items from life on stage and on the roads.
- Creating an exhibition in dialogue with the subjects has been a completely new and exciting experience. We have been allowed to delve all the way into some heavily beating musical hearts of both musicians and fans. The idea for the exhibition came from a devoted fan of the band, Ozzie Adenborg, who has followed the band for many years and who is putting the finishing touches on a new book on the history of the band, says Louise Højsgaard Nielsen, Project Manager and Exhibition Manager.
- Collaborating with her and the musicians has been both inspiring and touching. We hope that this will be apparent from the exhibition. With it, we will celebrate a significant anniversary as well as the story that you can be from Horsens and still be heard in Japan – if you play loudly and well enough, she concludes.
The exhibition Heavy [Hævi] Horsens opens on 1 November and will be on display up to and including 28 February 2022 at the Horsens Museum.