In case you’re not aware (it’s been heavily documented), a historic work of art was recently unveiled in New Brighton. On Sunday 1st September, hundreds descended on the Wirral seaside town for the big revealing of the latest street art creation — a giant Beatles mural — and the meaning behind it is quite something!
Located on Mason Street, the large wall mural portrays The Beatles running towards the site of the old Tower Ballroom, where they played 27 times between 1961-1963. One week after International Beatles Week, 50 years after The New Brighton Tower Ballroom burned down and 100 years after The New Brighton Tower was destroyed, this masterpiece was unveiled as a symbol of hope and regeneration of the area.
The main elements of the artwork comprise of extracts from original posters from local artist Tony Booth. Tony was known as Brian Epstein’s ‘right hand man’ and was the creator of many of the original Beatles posters in the early 60s, notably for The Tower Ballroom. The venue was the place Tony met his wife — a similar story for many people such was its popularity.
Tony Booth passed away in 2017 however his Beatles posters live on and his original works of art have been sold for more than £27,000, with only 17 known copies remaining. In a beautiful twist of fate, his wife and family have allowed Rockpoint Leisure to commission the work and showcase them in New Brighton.
Rather significantly, his wife and family were present and unveiled the piece before a joyous crowd. There was a real sense of magic that day and a feeling of great positivity and vibrancy. Rather significantly also, it’s important to mention that local youths painted the finishing touches to the mural — a symbol of passing this legacy onto the future generation.
Rockpoint Leisure who commissioned this work is the team behind New Brighton’s regeneration project. The Victoria Quarter area of the town has been revitalised by a significant investment, including new restaurants, bars and much talked about street art – featuring themes such as Martin Luther King and Peter Pan.
Rockpoint Leisure have produced over a dozen pieces of street art to date, resulting in many people flocking to the area to admire the works of art. For this project they have once again commissioned @ArtFromAlexander to curate and manage the piece alongside the creative agency, Ultra Kolor.
The grand unveiling was a huge success and fantastic community event, with everyone coming together to celebrate the latest street art piece. We enjoyed talks from Rockpoint Leisure C.E.O, Daniel Davies, and street artist co-ordinator, Alexander Marra, as well as a few words from Tony Booth’s wife and a remarkable poem from ‘Paul The Poet’.
Following the showcasing of the artwork, hundreds gathered in the main square of the Victoria Quarter to enjoy Marc Kenny’s Beatles tribute band, Paperback Writers, play some Beatles classics on the roof of Habibi restaurant. Following that amazing performance, DJ Chris Currie entertained us at The James Atherton tavern into the evening.
Yet another sign that New Brighton is becoming the place to be, this latest work of art is a powerful symbol of hope and regeneration for the area. What next? Well, keep your eyes and ears open as there’s lots more street art to come and some other exciting developments on the horizon!
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Images and videos courtesy of Amanda Toovey, April Ryan and Rockpoint Leisure
