An appeal has been launched to find a new permanent site to house a recreation the iconic mural of Ian Curtis in Manchester city centre.
It comes after significant public backlash when the original mural of the late Joy Division singer on Port Street in the Northern Quarter – which was the work of renowned Manchester-based muralist, Akse – was painted over by an advert promoting the debut album of Moston-born rapper Aitch earlier this month.
The original mural of the music icon – who took his own life in 1980 – was put up for World Mental Health Day in 2020, and was commissioned to raise awareness and money for charities Manchester Mind and Help Musicians.
But without warning, Manchester locals and music fans discovered a few weeks back that the mural had been covered by an advert commissioned by Amazon Music to promote the 22-year-old rapper’s debut album ‘Close To Home’ – with graffiti saying ‘Money, money will tear us apart again’ and ‘Adverts over suicide awareness’ daubed on the wall in angry red paint soon after.
Even Aitch himself condoned the promotion once he found out the mural had been covered, explaining that it was “the first time I’ve heard of this” and that himself and his team were working to get it fixed as there was “no way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.”
The album artwork and graffiti was then painted over in black shortly after the rapper got involved.
An appeal has been launched to find a new permanent site for the recreation the iconic mural of Ian Curtis after it was painted over by an Amazon Music advert for Aitch’s debut album / Credit: The Manc Group
But now, Councillor Pat Karney from Manchester City Council has confirmed that the owner of current site wants to continue to use it for advertising purposes, which means a new home is needed for the Ian Curtis mural recreation – and so, an appeal has been launched.
Cllr Karney told BBC Radio Manchester yesterday that the new mural could become “a major tourist attraction”, and that Aitch and his management have been “very keen to help us out”.
He explained: “It would be silly to put the mural back up there because it could be taken down again quite quickly and we’d go through the same routine, so we want a permanent site and I’m putting out an appeal for a building owner in the Northern Quarter.”
“If they could contact me about it, that would be excellent,” he concluded.
Another section has ‘Adverts over suicide awareness’ painted on in angry red paint.
The original Ian Curtis mural on Port Street, and the advert it was replaced by / Credit: Unsplash | The Manc Group
Amazon Music apologised for the advert.
A spokesperson for the company said: “As part of our efforts to promote Aitch’s new album we asked our ad agency to create a mural in his hometown of Manchester, but unbeknownst to us or to Aitch, the wall agency chose for the new artwork already had a mural on it – one honouring the late Ian Curtis.
“As soon as we learned of this we ordered the production to stop, and are working with Aitch to restore or replace the original Ian Curtis mural as soon as possible.
“Our apologies to all who are justifiably upset.”
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No-phones nightclub Amber’s has announced it is relaunching its second room
Manchester’s famous no-phones nightclub, Amber’s, is preparing for a relaunch of its second room, just over half a year on from the venue’s opening week.
The smash hit, semi-censored space, which enforces a strictly no-device policy to ensure those in attendance maximise their amount of in-the-moment enjoyment without any risk of distraction, has just announced that they will be reworking ‘Room 2’.
Confirmed just in time for the rest of summer ‘season three’, where plenty of people will be opting to rave instead of splash their cash on Oasis and/or festival tickets, the soon-to-be-refreshed space will partner with audio specialists to provide an experience set to rival the main room.
Sharing a post featuring blueprints for the fixtures and some of the top-end equipment, new-look second room opens its doors early next month.
Writing on social media, the venue wrote: “Amber’s is proud to announce the relaunch of Room Two, featuring a brand new custom soundsystem designed by Norwegian pro-audio specialist NNNN and OJAS, and installed by Neuron Audio Visual.
“The collaboration between Amber’s and NNNN is the first time that the Oslo-based company, which specialises in innovating the future of audio, has created a speaker system for use in the UK. Amber’s will be the first venue in the country to house the state-of-the-art system.”
“The partnership furthers our commitment to world-class sound and creating a truly unique club space in the heart of Manchester. Room Two also now boasts a brand new lighting system and has received bespoke acoustic treatment.”
Reacting to the news, plenty of punters and artists alike are already stoked to see what they have in store; promoters ABB Events simply said, “We can’t wait to test this out 26 September.”
Speaking to The Manc, a regular visitor of Amber’s Manchester told us: “Room Two at Amber’s always felt a little forgotten – a space with potential, but lacking the same pull as the main room. With this new Soundsystem they’re putting in, it finally feels like it’s getting the love it deserves.”
While we understand the urge to document those ‘unforgettable’ gig moments – that does kind of go against what we build them up to be, hence why the Amber’s concept has gone down so well.
Teasing a lineup of “the best in house, techno and groove”, Amber’s Room Two 2.0 will debut on 2 August, and regulars are buzzing for it.
As always, the headliner remains unannounced to keep that allure, as well as that further added feeling of anticipation and excitement.
A nationwide restaurant chain is giving away free food to any customer simply by singing an Oasis song to their server.
Well, if you haven’t heard of the long-standing phrase sing for your supper, this UK restaurant has taken this literally as its new offer makes you do just that.
Italian chain Prezzo has launched its latest deal, encouraging its diners to sing an Oasis song to get their hands on some free food, and it coincides with the summer reunion tour of the legendary Manc band.
Each day, the restaurant will be giving away a free portion of lasagne for up to four people per table if you can sing the opening verse from the 1994 cult classic, ‘Digsy’s Dinner’.
If you manage to recite “What a life it would be / If you could come to mine for tea / I’ll pick you up at half past three / We’ll have lasagne” when purchasing a drink, you could get your hands on some complimentary classic Italian scran.
You’ll have to act fast to claim your free plate of lasagne, as this offer is only applicable to the first two tables that recite the lyrics to the Oasis track every day, per Prezzo location.
Make sure you sing the verse from ‘Digsy’s Dinner’ before you order, as if you sing after placing an order, you may not qualify.
Hey, we take freebies seriously, so you don’t have to…
You don’t have to worry about staying in tune or doing your best Liam Gallagher impression either, as you’re singing technique is not being judged, just make sure your table-side performance is audible enough for your server to hear.
Prezzo Italian is running its ‘Oasis Sing For Your Supper Promotion’ from 4 July until 29 September 2025 and if you take part during the Live ’25 tour run, you can score yourself some free lasagne for up to four people on your table.
This sounds like a ‘Supersonic’ way to start your upcoming Oasis gig day or a perfect way to ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’ after a jam-packed day of summer activities.
The closest Prezzo Italian location to Manchester city centre is over at MediaCity UK, and all the information you need to know before you warm up your inner ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ can be found HERE.
So, in answer to LG’s famous question, “Does anyone fancy some lasagne?” – yes, we do, especially if it comes free.