Our Manc of the Month series is back, and it’s time to give one honorary Mancunian the plaudits he truly deserves.
We all know that Manchester is home to some special people, some born here and others drawn here – and after a bumpy year that effectively amounted to one big lockdown, its these special people that have inspired and led us through the tough times.
So, we decided to start a series that shines a light on those who should be celebrated, following on from our ‘The Mancs of the Year’ feature towards the end of 2020.
In case you missed it, Manc of the Monthofficially kicked off in July with none other than Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford MBE, whose achievements both on and off the pitch have undoubtedly made him one of the most prolific Mancunians throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – but this month, we’ve chosen someone who’s had a hand in ensuring Rashford’s presence is always felt in the city.
It’s the rightful turn of Akse P19.
A French-born street artist of Vietnemese heritage and a renowned member of the iconic P19 Crew, Akse has, in his own words, been “spraypainting walls since 1992” and has quite literally been leaving his mark on Manchester since he moved to the city and started calling it his home all the way back in 1997.
For the past 15 years in particular, Akse has made his name through a series of critically-acclaimed freehand high definition photo-realistic portraits of famous faces and figures that he hopes “bring inspiration to the local community”.
These murals – which usually reflect the social, political, or cultural mood of the moment – are known to appear, and then often disappear, from prominent walls and holdings around the city centre and surrounding areas.
Choosing to keep a degree of anonymity and often preferring to let his creations do the talking, Akse is rarely seen in public without his ventilated mask – which is as much for his disguise as it is for his safety.
But even if you’re unfamiliar with his face, you’re sure to be familiar with his work.
Akse has been “spraypainting walls since 1992” / Credit: Facebook (Akse P19)
He moved to Manchester, and started calling it his home all the way back in 1997 / Credit: Instagram (@akse_p19)Akse hopes his work “brings inspiration to the local community” / Credit: Facebook (Akse P19)
That now world-famous mural is the work of Akse P19.
There’s also a good chance you’ve clocked eyes on some of the murals he’s created for Northern Quarter public art project Outhouse MCR in Stevenson Square in recent years too, which have included the likes of David Bowie, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Eleven from Stranger Things, and of course, the highly-publicised George Floyd mural – also sadly defaced on a number of occasions last year too.
Other notable pieces created by Akse across Manchester include Captain Sir Tom Moore, Factory Records co-founder and manager of the Haçienda nightclub Tony Wilson, and late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis for World Mental Health Day in 2020 – all erected in the Northern Quarter.
There’s also the ‘Battle of the Birds’ depicting Martin Luther King and Donald Trump, Princess Leia from Star Wars at Projekts Stakepart MCR, Ariana Grande to mark her return to the city for Manchester Pride in 2019, drag queen Divina de Campo in the Gay Village, local Operating Department Practitioner Debra Williams on the site of Sweet Mandarin for International Women’s Day 2020, Liam Gallagher for the launch of his 2019 album ‘Why Me? Why Not’, and so many more.
He’s created so many iconic and instantly-recognisable pieces that have meant so much Manchester over the years, that it can be hard to keep track.
But it’s true – Akse P19 really is the mural king of Manchester, and we can’t think of a person more deserving of being named Manc of the Month for August 2021.
Oasis 25: Heaton Park send off Oasis like only Manchester could – with biblical rain
Clementine Hall
Oasis are well and truly back on top as they performed for the final night at Heaton Park and what could still be the very last time in Manchester.
There are countless moments every night that show how uniting this full-on cultural moment has been.
The guy in the wheelchair being lifted overhead by a group of strangers for a better view. The couple getting engaged before being enveloped in a sea of bucket hats. The thousands of people gathering on ‘Gallagher Hill’ every night just to be close to this historic music event.
Then the celeb-spotting too: Jack Grealish, Shaun Ryder and Andy Whyment off Corrie in the same frame of a video; Orlando Bloom waving at fans. Liam and Noel’s kids all together on a big cousins’ night out. It’s had it all.
For a lot of Mancs, the Oasis reunion has felt like Christmas morning ever since it was announced last year following a number of post-gig teasers like that Blossoms headliner at Wythenshawe Park.
And it certainly felt like that as we braved the soggy ground over at Heaton Park for their fifth and final live show in Manchester.
The atmosphere in the crowd was almost surreal, a mass of Britpop-loving super fans who have been waiting for this exact moment for almost twenty years – and you could tell.
As the brothers strutted on stage, hand in hand, a feeling of euphoric joy surged from the crowd of 80,000.
For two hours, they deliver anthem after anthem, each song transcending generations as the older lot look back to their ‘Live Forever’ days and the youth can’t quite wrap their head around the band in front of them being here and now.
Oasis’ final night at Heaton Park was everything we dreamed it would be. (Credit: Audio North)
Oasis are just as good as ever; Liam’s gritty vocals and Noel‘s ripping guitar slot together perfectly as though they were made for one another.
They’re loud and they’re unapologetic, they are the sound of the people, and we were absolutely lapping it up.
Every song was a hit, from bangers like ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ to fan favourite ‘Live Forever’, and of course ‘Wonderwall’, the brothers gave the people exactly what they wanted.
Liam, maracas in hand and parka zipped to the top, not only might be the coolest man to walk the planet, but was undoubtedly born to be a frontman of a band. The head nods, the frowning eyebrows, the fists clenched behind his back – we were fully gripped by his sheer stage presence.
Images: The Manc Group
There was a moment where he put the tambourine in his mouth, closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky, taking it all in and getting lost in the music – an icon.
And of course, in true Manc fashion, the heavens opened an hour into their set as the grey cloud everyone had an eye on took centre stage.
Did we care? No, we did not. It only made the moment that more special as we united as one unit, singing as loud as we could to combat the elements.
It’s clear to see how much Oasis means to so many; their music is embedded into the national psyche with a presence that simply defines generations.
Who knows when they’ll be performing back in Manchester again, and if this was their last time, then they can rest assured that by returning, they’ve made themselves the biggest band in the world again. And that’s an accolade they truly deserve.
The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time
Thomas Melia
There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.
Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.
This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.
Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.
Credit: Forever Manchester
The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.
This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.
The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.
This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.
Credit: Supplied
Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.
Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.
Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.
And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
31st August 2021 
