Mark E. Smith gets a huge new mural outside a Prestwich chip shop

[Hollow]

The 20ft mural captures the acerbic lyricist's trademark sneer

Mark E Smith is to be immortalised in a huge new mural in his hometown of Prestwich – on the wall of a chip shop.

The Fall frontman – and only consistent member in the post-punk band’s 40-year history – passed away in January aged 60 after battling cancer.

The prolific songwriter’s 20ft sneering face will adorn the gable end of [email protected] on Clifton Road, Prestwich. Renowned graffiti artist Akse P19 began painting the mural over the weekend (September 22), and is due to complete it during the Prestwich Arts Festival, which runs from September 29-30.

Akse P19 has previously captured other musical icons: his paintings of David Bowie and Tony Wilson can be found in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester.

This isn’t the first mural tribute to Smith, though. Two mosaics – one of Smith’s image and the other featuring lyrics from The Fall’s song ‘Ten Houses of Eve’ – can be found on Short Street, Manchester.

The lyrics tribute reads: “Identify art… if only the shards you’d relocate back in place.” It ends with the dates of Smith’s life.

After Smith’s death in January, NME‘s Kevin EG Perry wrote: “Smith [crafted] a complex literary voice for himself which became as unmistakable as his own abrasive vocals. Musically, they would create hypnotic recurring patterns, best summed up by one of Smith’s lyrics: ‘The three Rs are repetition, repetition, repetition‘.