Ian Curtis Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Peter Hook led an emotional applause tribute at the Star and Garter to the pub's popular landlord Andy Martin, a fortnight since his untimely death. Manchester music legend Hook was performing a special Joy Division set at the historic pub as a fundraising gig for the Headstock charity.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have shared ‘Song For Amy’, a song they wrote for the new Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Song For Amy’ – listen below.The delicate, orchestrated track features over the opening credits of the film, which is out in UK cinemas now. Elegant strings underscore Cave’s deeply felt vocals as he sings, “You say that it’s time for us to call it a day / But I will love you anyway”.Listen to ‘Song For Amy’ below:Director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back to Black tells the Winehouse story in a feature film for the first time.

Back To Black tells the story of Amy Winehouse in a feature film format for the first time – and ahead of its release next month (April 12), we’re publishing three special movie posters exclusively on NME. Check them out below.Following Amy from her teenage years, growing up in north London, through her meteoric rise to Grammy-winning sensation in the 2000s, Back To Black (in cinemas April 12) stars Industry actress Marisa Abela in the lead role, alongside BAFTA-nominated actor Jack O’Connell, who plays Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, and acclaimed actress Lesley Manville as her grandmother Janis Levy.

Kurt Cobain in Manchester, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his passing.Headstock, which is based in Manchester, intends to work with the street artist Akse to create the mural on the side of The Bred Shed – a music venue just off the city’s Oxford Road. The venue is a short walk from where Nirvana played their only two gigs in the city, at the site of the current University of Manchester Students’ Union.Readers can donate to the crowdfunder here, with the organisation aiming for a total target of £3,500.The mural would be designed to raise awareness of the mental health text message support service, Shout 85258, with the charity’s logo and text number printed large on the artwork.Cobain took his own life on April 5, 1994 at the age of 27.Headstock have worked on a number of previous music-themed murals, including the famous image of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, which was infamously painted over in 2022 to make space for an advertisement for Aitch’s debut ‘Close to Home’.The mural was later reinstated at a different location – the Star and Garter pub on Fairfield Street, close to Piccadilly Station – also overseen by Headstock and Akse.In 2021, Headstock also curated a mural honouring the late Keith Flint from The Prodigy, who had died two years earlier.

Twisting My Melon has been halted due to creative disputes.In 2013, ITV announced it was planning to serialise the Happy Mondays frontman’s autobiography Twisting My Melon. Eventually, Jack O’Connell (Skins) was announced as the lead actor in 2019.The film is written by Matt Greenhalgh, who also wrote the script for the Ian Curtis biopic Control, John Lennon‘s origin story Nowhere Boy, and Amy Winehouse‘s Back to Black.Greenhalgh was set to direct the movie as well, however a creative disagreement with the film’s American funders has stalled progressed on the film. In the latest edition of Classic Pop (via Music News), Ryder said: “Matt Greenhalgh wrote the script and was gonna direct.“So we got the money, half-English, half-American and Matt fell out with the Americans.

Manchester music legend Peter Hook is to play an intimate gig at an iconic Manchester pub in aid of mental health charity Headstock. The Joy Division founding member will play a set of the band's classic songs at the Star & Garter pub - which is now famously home to a stunning mural of Ian Curtis.

The Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst has spoken to NME about exploring the origins of goth for his new book, how his former band were part of the genre all along, and how the likes of David Bowie, Joy Division and Nine Inch Nails shaped the scene.In his far-reaching new book, Goth: A History, Tolhurst explores the music, literature and art that shaped the genre, as well as the band he co-founded with Robert Smith in 1977. “Despite our passionate insistence that The Cure was not a goth group,” Tolhurst writes in the book, “The Cure was very much a goth group.”Speaking to NME from his home in LA, the musician laughed off The Cure’s insistence not to be termed a goth band.

Ian Curtis mural in Manchester has been recreated in a new location, following the original being covered up last year.The original portrait of the Manchester music icon was located on the side of a house on Port Street since October 2020, however, outrage was sparked from Joy Division fans last August, when it was replaced with an Amazon Music advert, promoting Aitch’s debut ‘Close To Home’.Now, after promising fans that the mural would be arriving back in the city, a replacement has popped up in a new location. It comes after councillors granted listed building consent for the new artwork to be located on the side of a pub close to Piccadilly Railway Station.The new mural has been created by an artist named Akse P19, who added the finishing touches to the piece over the weekend.

Joy Division‘s Ian Curtis is set to return to Manchester one year after it was painted over with an ad for Aitch‘s debut album.In August 2022, the landmark painting of the Manchester legend – located on the side of a house on Port Street in the city’s Northern Quarter from October 2020 – was covered to make space to advertise Aitch’s debut ‘Close To Home’.The Manchester rapper quickly promised that he and his team would make things right after learning of the situation.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.

Wandering through Manchester city centre, the same faces follow you around.

A mural of the UK’s Eurovision hopeful Sam Ryder has been unveiled at Manchester Airport. It’s the work of iconic local artist Akse, who’s been behind a host of other murals across the city.

Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Gillian Gilbert of New Order spoke today (March 15) at this year’s SXSW and discussed becoming musicians, the evolution of their sound and growing up in Manchester.The trio were keynote speakers at the annual tech and marketing festival, in conversation with Will Hodgkinson, rock and pop critic of The Times. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, introduced the keynote, calling New Order “the ultimate Manchester band” before adding that it was “a big statement”.The band kicked off their chat by discussing how they weren’t necessarily “anti-musicians” but they were “anti-success”, with Sumner pointing to growing up working class before “punk came along” giving him the chance to express himself, without being a virtuoso. “I didn’t want to be famous, I didn’t care about that at all.

Joy Division-themed bar in Manchester has divided opinion across social media.The bar, which has opened today (February 17) in the Northern Quarter of the band’s hometown, features a mural of late frontman Ian Curtis in the corner and a green neon ‘Unknown Pleasures’ sign – in reference to their landmark 1979 debut – on the wall. Described by its owners as “a love letter to Manchester music” by its own, it is serving Japanese fusion dishes with ‘Manchester vibes’.

A new bar in the Northern Quarter features an Ian Curtis mural by the same artist that had his work sensationally painted over last year. Disorder, which has been inspired by the music of Joy Division and is opening this weekend, commissioned street artist Akse P19 to paint the mural.

A new Joy Division-inspired bar in the Northern Quarter has divided opinion on social media. Described as 'a love letter to Manchester music' by its owners, High Street venue Disorder features a number of nods to the post-punk band, including a mural of Ian Curtis and the title of seminal album 'Unknown Pleasures' as a green neon sign on the wall.

An appeal has been launched to find a new permanent site in Manchester’s Northern Quarter for a mural of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, which was painted over with an advert for Aitch’s debut album last month.Manchester councillor Pat Karney says that a new location for the artwork needs to be found because the owner of the building where it previously appeared now wants to use the walls for advertising. Which would explain the whole it being painted over by an Aitch ad thing.“It would be silly to put the mural back up there because it could be taken down again quite quickly and we’d go through the same routine”, Karney told BBC Radio Manchester yesterday.

ITV This Morning fans were quick to make a demand about presenters Ruth Langsford and Rylan Clark on Tuesday (August 23).

Aitch has said that he was “fuming” after he learned that a mural of Ian Curtis in Manchester had been painted over with an advert for his debut album, ‘Close To Home’, which came out last week.The rapper said that the first he heard about it was on Twitter, telling the BBC: “There was an outrage burst of like, ‘what’s Aitch doing putting his album over Ian’s mural?’, and then I was like, ‘oh god, what’s this?’ I don’t pick and choose where I put my billboards or album promo. I just wake up and drive past it, or see it on the internet, just like everyone else”.“I was fuming for Ian, and his people and what that mural stands for, and then I was fuming for myself, because I was having such a good week”, he went on.

Gogglebox star Izzi Warner debuted a new look as she enjoyed a night out with her friends this weekend. The 31-year-old sported a glamourous fresh hairstyle, with her long, newly-blonde locks softly curled.

Royal Mail workers are due to go on strikes throughout August and September over disputes relating to pay.

Aitch has opened up about the recent row over an advert for his new album, which was painted over an Ian Curtis mural in Manchester.Last week, an advertisement for the rapper’s ‘Close To Home’ was placed over a much-loved mural of the late Joy Division frontman in the city’s Northern Quarter.The mural, based on a photo of Curtis that was taken by Philippe Carly, was painted by Manchester street artist Akse P19. It debuted in 2020 in collaboration with the music and mental health festival Headstock to raise awareness around mental health issues, and was supported by Manchester Council.In a tweet last week, Aitch said: “It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork.

Amazon have issued an apology after a mural dedicated to the iconic Ian Curtis was painted over to promote a new album by Manchester rapper, Aitch.

Peter Hook has said that the uproar over a mural of his late Joy Division bandmate Ian Curtis being painted over with an advert earlier this week should spur on the campaign to put in place some kind of permanent tribute to the singer in Manchester. And, while we’re at it, a permanent tribute for the boss of Joy Division’s label Factory Records, the late Tony Wilson, would be nice too.The Curtis mural on Manchester’s Port Street, which was unveiled in 2020 to raise mental health awareness, was replaced with an advert for Aitch’s debut album, ‘Close To Home’, earlier this week.

Peter Hook has said there should be a permanent memorial to Ian Curtis in Manchester following the removal of a mural to the late Joy Division musician.Earlier this week, a advertisement for Manchester rapper Aitch was placed over a much loved mural of Curtis in the city’s Northern Quarter. Aitch said he would “fix” the issue saying he had no idea that the advertisement was being placed over the mural.The mural, based on a photo of Curtis taken by Philippe Carly, was painted by Manchester street artist Akse P19.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorManchester rapper Aitch has apologized for painting over a mural of late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, apparently inadvertently, with an ad for his new album “Close to Home,” and promised to “get this [situation] fixed pronto.”As noted by Stereogum, the ad went up Wednesday in Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Port Street ahead of Aitch’s album’s release on Friday.“It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork,” Aitch tweeted. “This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto.

There was outrage in Manchester yesterday when a popular mural of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis was painted over with an advert for the debut album by fellow local musician Aitch.Unveiled in 2020, the painting of Curtis on Port Street in the city centre by artist Akse P19 was originally created to mark the start of the Manchester music and mental wellbeing festival Headstock that year. As well as paying tribute to Curtis, it also promoted mental health support service Shout and has subsequently become a popular landmark.So there was anger yesterday as a picture circulated on social media showing that the mural was being replaced by an advert for Aitch, apparently commissioned by Amazon Music.“Absolutely gutted to see our Ian Curtis mural painted over”, said Headstock on Twitter.

Rapper Aitch has said he had no idea the iconic Ian Curtis mural in the Northern Quarter would be painted over with his album artwork.

Aitch has promised that he and his team are attempting to make things right after a mural of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, which had been a fan-favourite landmark in his hometown of Manchester, was painted over with an advertisement for Aitch’s forthcoming debut album.Late on Tuesday (August 16), the rapper retweeted an image of the mural – located on Port Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter – being painted over, saying he had been previously unaware of his album ad being put there. “I don’t just choose locations for billboards, this is the first time I’ve seen it myself.

Mancunians have been left outraged after the iconic Northern Quarter mural of musician Ian Curtis was painted over on Tuesday (August 16). The wall painting, on Port Street in the city centre, depicted a black and white portrait painting of the Stretford Joy Division frontman and was first unveiled back in 2020.

New Order, Manchester classics and 90s summer jams”, according to an official announcement.“He swings in for pizza quite a bit so we asked him if he fancied Djing, He said…He’d absolutely love to,” the post reads.Burnham’s set is due to begin at 8pm BST, and it will also be airing live on Mixcloud (via Mixmag). You can check out the announcement post below.A post shared by R A M O N A (@ramonamcr)Back in 2020, Andy Burnham participated in a charity DJ battle against Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.

Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis yesterday (May 18), two of his surviving bandmates – Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris of New Order – appeared in Parliament to discuss mental health and suicide prevention.Curtis took his own life in May 1980 after battling depression and epilepsy in his final years. In an event that was originally due to take place in 2020 to mark 40 years since his passing, but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic, a special talk and panel titled Suicide Prevention: Breaking The Silence took place in the Speaker’s House in Parliament.NME were invited along to the event hosted by Kerry McCarthy MP that was chaired by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

An original passport picture of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis is thought to have been the last picture taken before his death.

LIVE – Updated at 22:55Following a three-year interruption, Coachella finally makes its highly-anticipated return today (15 April). Located in Indio, California, the desert festival has gained popularity over the years for its glitzy Instagram-worthy dress code and major celebrity guest sightings.

BBC's Holby City is coming to an end tonight after 23 years on screen. The drama series, which follows the highs and lows of staff and patients on the wards of fictional Holby City hospital, will air its final ever episode on Tuesday night.

Police are appealing for information after three people in fancy dress masks attempted to rob a jeweller’s in Cheshire. Officers were called to reports of an attempted robbery at a shop on London Road in Alderley Edge at 9.03am on Friday morning (March 25).

Peter Hook helped unveil a new mural of Joy Division bandmate Ian Curtis in Macclesfield town centre this afternoon (March 26).The bassist and co-founder of New Order cut the ribbon alongside Akse, the Manchester-based street artist who painted the mural, telling those in attendance: “I am actually very honoured to be here, and to do this, because to me it’s about time Ian came home.”The mural, funded by Cheshire East Council, is based on an original photograph taken by Kevin Cummins at The Factory/Russell Club in Hulme, Manchester on 13 July 1979. It adorns a building on Mill Street opposite Macclesfield bus station.Ahead of the unveiling, Curtis said earlier in the week: “I’m watching all the people going down the street and every single one of them is drawn to it.“Some young kids walking down had no idea who he was but now they do. Hopefully they’ll listen to the music and get the gist of what we were trying to do as kids.”Some of Akse’s other recent works include murals of the late British army officer and fundraiser Captain Tom Moore and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.He said it was an honour to paint the portrait of Curtis and hoped local people were excited about it.“Although I’ve been working on murals most of my life, it’s still always an incredible feeling to get to the end of the journey – well the end of my journey at least,” Akse said.