2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Adam Maidment)
A mural of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has been unveiled on the side of a pub in the Northern Quarter . The musician, part of the legendary 80s band, passed away at the age of 59 last May following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The mural, which has been created by street artist Akse P19, was revealed to coincide with Pancreatic Cancer Day yesterday (November 21).
Now appearing on the side of The Wheatsheaf pub, on Oak Street, the mural was created following a successful fundraising campaign by The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, along with the Pancreatic Cancer Action charity. More than £26,000 has been raised to date - with donations still continuing to come through. READ MORE: Oasis themed bar to open as huge plans unveiled for site of Black Dog Ballroom The mural was created following a successful fundraising campaign by The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, along with the Pancreatic Cancer Action charity.
More than £26,000 has been raised to date - with donations still continuing to come through. Speaking about the finished design, Mike told the Manchester Evening News : “It’s incredible. You can tell it’s Andy.
It looks superb. I’m so happy for his memory and to have something so permanent for him. I’m beyond thrilled.
” The mural, which is based on a 1985 photo from Nalinee Darmrong, was created by street artist Akse P19 The mural is based on an original photograph taken by photographer Nalinee Darmrong in 1985 whilst the band performed together at Caird Hall in Dundee. Speaking about her image being transformed, Nalinee, who travelled from the USA to see the finished design, said: "When I first saw it, I was silent for a while as I just tried to take it all in. In a way, it's hard to see, but it's also so beautiful to see.
It's bittersweet but it's amazing. And Akse has done such an amazing job, with such great detail." Mike said the decision to create a mural to honour his bandmate and ‘perfect mate’ came about following discussions with his wife, Bee.
“We wanted to do something to celebrate Andy’s life,” he explained. “We initially thought we’d put on a gig or a DJ show, which would have been a great night, but the next day, it would have been over and, apart from a hangover, there’d be nothing to really show for it. “My wife suggested a mural as there’s been some fantastic stuff around Manchester and a lot of it was created by Akse so he was our first port of call.
It wasn’t a matter of which muralist we should use, it had to be Akse because we’re big fans of his work - there really wasn’t a plan B if he said no. The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce and street artist AKSE P19 have worked together to make the mural a reality “Getting him on board was the first step along the way but I had in my mind the photo that I wanted it to feature too. I remembered the photograph in my mind - it’s a brilliant picture when we were on tour in Scotland.
Thankfully, Nalinee gave us permission to use it.” The idea to have the mural on the wall of the Wheatsheaf pub was purely because of its location and the opportunity to create the 30ft x 20ft artwork. Thankfully, landlords Robert and Lisa, as well as operators Admiral, were all on board as was Andy’s family.
“I just wanted to make sure they were okay about it, to be honest,” Mike added. “I wanted them to be aware that it was going to happen. They said it was a great idea and were 100% behind it.
” The Smiths fans turned up on World Pancreatic Cancer Day to see the mural offically unveiled The initial money raised has gone towards the cost of creating the mural, which has already been met, with the rest now going directly to the Pancreatic Cancer Action charity. And anyone who donates £10 or more until December 8 can be in with a chance of winning a special piece of The Smiths merch. Mike said: “The idea was always that once we had enough money to paint the mural and hire out the equipment, every extra penny would go to the charity and it feels fantastic to be able to do that.
“The generosity from people has just been absolutely incredible. It’s still on until December 8 and anyone who puts more than £10 in can have a chance to win a bundle of four The Smiths albums on vinyl. And I’ll be signing them.
” The Smiths - consisting of Andy Rouke (left), Mike Joyce (drums), Johnny Marr (right) and Morrissey (centre) - are regarded as one of the most important acts from the 80s British music scene (Image: Mirrorpix) Speaking about her time photographing The Smiths, Nalinee, who was just 17 when she toured with the band during their Meat is Murder tour, said she was taken in by the band as their 'little sister'. She explained: "There are days that I don't remember but for some reason, I remember the day this photo of Andy was taken and I've seen The Smiths around 35 times - I worked with them a lot. "Andy was a bit wild, but he was a really good friend.
All four of them always looked after me, I feel like they were my big brothers. I was 17 and they were like 21 and that was a big age gap at the time. Andy will always be a gem.
He's so ultra cool. He's just one of the most amazing musicians and I'm just so glad that he's being recognised as one of the most amazing bassists, if not musicians, of the world. A successful fundraiser has helped make the mural a reality "It's a tragedy that he's gone but hopefully he will live on through this work and help spread the word about pancreatic cancer.
It's like the stars have aligned, in a way." As well as keeping Andy’s legacy alive, it is also hoped that the mural will help raise awareness over pancreatic cancer. Joe Kirwin, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action, added: “We are delighted to have partnered on the mural and we are sure that the interest this project will generate will play a part in bringing even more understanding about pancreatic cancer, which presently, is the most deadly of all common cancers.
“Part of Andy Rourke's legacy will be the way his memory will live on in raising awareness in combatting pancreatic cancer." You can donate to the fundraiser here ..
