A striking new mural paying tribute to 100 influential figures from Liverpool’s musical past, present and future has been unveiled on Mathew Street, the world-famous home of The Beatles, The Cavern and some of the city’s most important cultural landmarks.

Featuring legendary names from The Beatles to OMD, The Teardrop Explodes to Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the large-scale artwork has been designed and created by acclaimed artist Joe Venning. The project has been funded by SP Energy Networks and The Beatles Story via The Beatles Legacy Group, and delivered in partnership with Liverpool BID Company.

The mural will take pride of place on the exterior wall of SP Energy Networks’ substation, just steps away from both The Cavern and the site of the former Eric’s club, two venues that helped shape Liverpool’s global musical reputation and continue to attract visitors from around the world.

Following a public callout for ideas, three artists were shortlisted to pitch concepts for the wall. Wirral-based Joe Venning was selected for his bold, colourful and character-driven approach. Venning is no stranger to large-format work in the city, having already transformed a 40-metre wall at ACC Liverpool with a vibrant celebration of Liverpool’s sporting, artistic, comedic and dramatic stars.

This latest piece on Mathew Street spans 15 metres and depicts 100 musicians as a single animated audience, gathered as if watching a performance on Mathew Street itself, turning the iconic location into the “stage” at the heart of Liverpool’s soundtrack.

The mural promises to become a new landmark on one of the most visited music streets in the world, offering both locals and tourists a fresh reason to pause, look up, and celebrate the artists who continue to define the city’s cultural identity.

The musicians included in the mural range from Sir Paul McCartney and Ian Broudie, to Louisa Roach, Abi Harding, Mick Head, Carol Decker, Andy McCluskey, Holly Johnson, Jayne Casey, Chris Amoo, Mike McGear and Kingsize Taylors. The bands featured include Red Rum Club, Camelphat, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Wombats, Dead or Alive, The Icicle Works and The Swinging Blue Jeans. (Full list of musicians below)

Artist Joe Venning says he wants people to make connections through the artists features, from dance music and disco, saying:

“The musicians in the crowd scene are arranged in roughly chronological order with the contemporary artists at the front and the Merseybeat era bands further back, to form a timeline of sorts.

Whilst painting I started seeing connections between bands I hadn’t noticed before. The lineage of indie is pretty obvious from The Cavern bands to Jamie Webster via The Las, The Farm, The Zutons etc. You can also trace the family tree of dance music from CamelPhat back through the original 90’s Cream DJs and The KLF, and then through earlier electronica acts like OMD and further still into Disco with The Real Thing. I hope viewers will start seeing these kinds of connections too.

You don’t see many murals where members of Atomic Kitten rub shoulders with members of Carcass!”

Scott Mathieson, Director of Network Planning and Regulation at SP Energy Networks, says:

“Liverpool’s music has echoed around the world and this mural brings that energy right back to the heart of the city. Our substation has long been part of the fabric of Mathew Street, on the doorstep of Liverpool’s most iconic live music venues. Mathew Street is at the heart of Liverpool’s creative community and we’re proud to celebrate the cultural icons that helped shape Liverpool’s spirit and inspire generations.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Liverpool BID, The Beatles Legacy Group and the artist Joseph Venning to ensure the environment is reflective of the culture and ambition of Liverpool at a time when we’re investing record amounts into the local electricity network infrastructure.”

Peter Hooton, Chair of The Beatles Legacy Group, who have co-funded the mural, and founding member of The Farm, says:

”We are really excited about this brilliant new mural which brings to life Liverpool’s musical heritage, in the heart of the city. Tourists flock to Mathew St because of its bars and clubs but also because of its history, so it is fitting that it is located near to The Cavern and Eric’s, the venues that shaped much of that history. People will undoubtedly spend time pointing out the artists on the mural that have contributed so much to the culture of the city.”

Bill Addy is CEO of Liverpool Business Improvement District, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting this mural, which puts the legacy and impact of our city’s music centre stage. Mathew Street’s musical heritage is one of the reasons tourists visit from across the world. The Cavern Quarter is such a distinctive and vital part of our city, the artworks throughout it are part of a visual storytelling, showcasing why the spirit of this place is such a passionate one”.

List of 100 Musicians Pictured                                                                  

Front Row Left to Right;

Stephen Fitzpatrick (Hers)

Lia Metcalfe (The Mysterines)

Mike Di Scala (Camelphat)

Jetta

Jamie Webster

Lapsley

Louisa Roach (She Drew the Gun)

Graham Sayle (High Vis)

Row 2 and 3;

Rebecca Ferguson

Ian Ball (Gomez)

Holly Minto (Crawlers)

James Skelly (The Coral)

Scouse Drill

Yousef

Ryan Murphy (Hooton Tennis Club)

Dave Whelan (Camelphat)

Miles Kane

Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds)

Mele

Abi Harding (The Zutons)

Anton Powers

Mick Head (Shack)

Kele Okereke (Bloc Party)

Matty Chiabi (Girls Dont Sync)

Simon Rattle

Lee Douglas (Anathema)

Fran Doran (Red Rum Club)

Helen Marnie (Ladytron)

Keiran Shudall (Circa Waves)

Pixey

Row 4 and 5;

Carol Decker (Tpau)

Gary Christian (The Christians)

Ian Mcculloch (Echo and The Bunnymen)

Lee Mavers (The Las)

Bill Drummond (KLF)

Linda Reynolds (The Reynolds Girls)

Natasha Hamilton (Atomic Kitten)

Pete Wylie (The Mighty Wah!)

Kerry Catona (Atomic Kitten)

Nigel Blackwell (Half Man Half Biscuit)

Liz Mcclaron (Atomic Kitten)

Aisling Reynolds (The Reynolds Girls)

Jenny Frost (Atomic Kitten)

Andy Carrol

James Barton (Cream Founder)

Dave Smith (The Real Thing)

Simon Rowbottom (The Boo Radleys)

Paul Mccartney (The Beatles)

Jimmy Cauty (KLF)

Ray Lake (The Real Thing)

Bill Steer (Carcass)

Paul Humphreys (OMD)

John Power (Cast/ Las)

Mel C (Spice Girls)

Clifford Williams (AC/DC)

Matthew Murphy (The Wombats)

Gary Daly (China Crisis)

Tommy Scott (Space)

Chris Griffiths (The Real People)

Sonja

Elvis Costello

Peter Hooton (The Farm)

Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

Black

Jacqui Abott (Beautiful South)

Mike Score (Flock of Seagulls)

Howard Grey (Apollo 440)

George Harrison (The Beatles)

Someone from Clinic

Heidi Ranges (Sugarbabes)

Back Row;

Jane Casey (Big in Japan)

Beryl Marsden

Julian Cope (Teardrop Explodes)

Tony Sheridan

Valarie Gell (The Liverbirds)

Stuart Sutcliffe (The Beatles)

Keith Stokes (Remo 4)

Chris Amoo (The Real Thing)

Eddie Amoo (The Real Thing)

Cilla Black

Michael Holliday

Mike Mcgear (The Scaffold)

Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers)

Frankie Vaughan

Lita Roza

Ringo Starr (The Beatles)

Andy Mccluskey (OMD)

Aynsley Dunbar (Drum Legend)

Kingsize Taylor (Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes)

Bruce Mccaskill (The Swingin Blue Jeans)

Pete Burns (Dead or Alive)

Ian Mcnabb (The Icicle Works)

Billie J Kramer

Pete Best (The Beatles)

Brian Epstein (Beatles Manager)

John Lennon (The Beatles)

Mike Pender (The Searchers)

Ken Dodd

Billy Fury

Roger Eagle (Erics Founder)

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