Stourbridge music legends to be honoured in the town centre with iconic artwork – full details here

Artist Cal is collaborating with Neds Atomic Dustbin, Pop Will Eat Itself and The Wonder Stuff to create three large murals in Stourbridge town centre.

The artist has secured two private locations and is looking for a third and possibly more with murals planned for Diamond Head and Robert Plant in the new year. The artist Cal would like to encourage those with property within the area to contact him to collaborate on this artistic and musical project.

Adam Mole, from Pop Will Eat Itself, said: “In the late 80’s Stourbridge was a vibrant place fuelled by the talented youth of the Art College and a generation looking for something new following the post-punk music era.

“Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wonder Stuff and Neds Atomic Dustbin were a product of the environment, in part The Mere, The Mitre, The Turf and The Swan, sharing vibes, laughs, common ground, equipment and stages across the world. The three ‘Stourbridge bands’ as we became known, initially propelled by the generous support from Sam at JB’s Dudley achieved a combined 29 top 40 singles and 13 top 40 albums.”

He added: “This idea to re-ignite those memories is the brainchild of the artist Cal and I’m totally thrilled to be a small part of this amazing project in my home town of Stourbridge. Beyond chuffed I can tell ya.”

Direct 2 Print and The Bridge House, an award winning children’s centre, have backed the project.

Steve Jones from Direct 2 Print said: “I am so excited to be a part of this project and to be able to supply a blank canvas for Cal, I love the 80’s music scene and to now be a proud part of Stourbridge’s music nostalgia is amazing. Stourbridge is my home town and I am proud of its fantastic past in the creative industries and hope that this amazing art by Cal will inspire the next generation”

The three murals will represent the bands logos and work will start to take place in November the artworks will be on permanent display and will serve as a tribute to our Stourbridge towns talented music and art culture.

Miles Hunt from The Wonder Stuff said: “The friends I met in Stourbridge in the early 1980s launched me into a dream life that I would still be dreaming about had I not moved to the area back then. It will always be an incredibly special place for me.”

Alex Griffin from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin added: ““We are thrilled to be working with Cal on this opportunity to celebrate the town’s musical heritage, with artwork for ourselves – Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and our Stourbridge stablemates and friends – Pop Will Eat Itself and The Wonder Stuff. We would also like to thank the local council for their part in facilitating this initiative.”

Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles backed the plan, she said: “Stourbridge is well known for producing a wealth of musical talent over time, and what better way to honour that than through the medium of art. I’m so pleased to see this project going ahead and I’m glad to be able to support Cal once again and brighten up the local area in the process”.

Cal said: “Music is a massive part of my life and has inspired my artwork from the very beginning. As a young artist I was also heavily influenced by the artwork of this music culture and that can still be seen within my artwork today. This is a great opportunity for me to give back to my community and combine my two loves in life art and music. Music is my muse.”