Rapper Aitch has apologised after a mural of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis was painted over with an advert for his forthcoming debut album, saying he will fix the situation “pronto.”
The wall painting on Port Street in his home city of Manchester’s Northern Quarter was unveiled in 2020 by street artist Akse P19. Late on Tuesday, Aitch shared a photo on Twitter of the image being covered over with the visuals for Close to Home, which is due out on Friday.
The 22-year-old tweeted: “It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork. This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto.
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“No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.”
Curtis fronted influential Salford-formed post-punk band Joy Division for four years until 1980 when he took his own life, aged 23, on the eve of their first North American tour. On Wednesday morning, pictures showed the wall had been returned to a blank state.
The quick response from Aitch, real name Harrison Armstrong, prompted a positive reaction from a number of famous Manchester artists, including Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook. Responding with a thumbs up emoji, he wrote: “Thank you @OfficialAitch great gesture.”
1990s electronic dance music group N-Trance and singer Rowetta from the Happy Mondays were also among those praising the move. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham tweeted: “Respect to @OfficialAitch for this.
“It should never have happened and he shouldn’t have been put in this position. Ian is a true icon of our city.
“He must be fully restored and left in his place for time in memoriam. Thanks to everyone for showing what Ian means to us.”
In May, former members of Joy Division gathered for a mental health panel in the Houses of Parliament to mark 42 years to the day since Curtis’s death. Following his death, the band continued under the new name of New Order, eschewing their dark post-punk sound in favour of synths and electronic beats, and becoming a powerful commercial force.
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