It’s been almost 42 years since Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis passed away. One of the most famous “gone-before-their-time” tragedies in the music industry, it’s a testament to his talent that after all this time he’s still remembered as an inspiration by many. And as if to prove that’s the case, a new mural has just been unveiled in the town where Curtis was brought up and buried – Macclesfield.
Joy Division bassist and New Order co-founder Peter Hook was present, helping cut the ribbon by the new mural. Created by street-artist Akse, the work is based on a 1979 photo taken at The Factory/Russell Club in Manchester, right by Macclesfield bus station, by Kevin Cummins.
Peter Hook helps to cut the ribbon at the official unveiling of the Ian Curtis mural by @Akse_P19, taken from a Kevin Cummins photograph, in Macclesfield this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/Hz4Aq1eQTu
— Joy Division & New Order Pics (@JDNOPICS) March 26, 2022
Hook was obviously emotional about the whole thing. He said “I am actually very honoured to be here, and to do this, because to me it’s about time Ian came home …. I’m watching all the people going down the street and every single one of them is drawn to it. Some young kids walking down had no idea who [Curtis] was but now they do. Hopefully they’ll listen to the music and get the gist of what we were trying to do as kids.”
The mural was funded by Cheshire East Council, a sign that Curtis’ home town is very proud of their own home-spun musical icon. Nick Mannion, who is chair of the economy and growth committee, said that “I am a huge fan of Joy Division – the cultural significance of the band and Ian stretches well beyond my home town of Macclesfield. This is such a proud moment, I’m feeling very emotional about it right now.“
If you’re interested in some other things artist Akse has been getting up to recently, he’s done murals for the likes of Captain Tom Moore (the WW2 veteran who raised money for the NHS in run-up to his hundredth birthday) and footballer Marcus Rashford as part of his portfolio.
As for Hook, he’s back in the limelight touring with his outfit Peter Hook and the Light. They’re due out on their ‘Joy Division: A Celebration’ tour next month with 12 dates lasting from April 7th-30th, an event where they’re expected to be playing both classic Joy Division albums in full, alongside some New Order material as well. And after that there’re some dates dotted around the UK and Ireland for July and November (as well as Europe and the USA for those of you this applies to). Tickets and full touring dates can be seen following this link.
UK dates begin exactly two weeks from tomorrow… Have you got your tickets?https://t.co/aRq5vk7N7r pic.twitter.com/kHxBrhnKA6 — Peter Hook (@peterhook) March 23, 2022
