Introducing Cold War Steve’s latest work celebrating an important cultural and musical history and this time returning to his home turf.

‘I’m a Brummie and I’ve created Birmingham works before (although not solely concentrating on music) and I was always a bit frustrated by the strict parameters I’d set myself. They had to be from Birmingham – even if they were just down the road in Walsall or Coventry they didn’t make the cut – which I was able to do, because Birmingham has been blessed with such a rich history of creative artists. However, I wondered how even more magnificent it would be if I just widened the net a little. The joy with my Manchester piece was the prefix of ‘Greater’ – with ‘Greater’ Manchester I wasn’t restricted to a self-imposed rigid geographical area. I could encompass not just the actual city of Manchester, but also Salford, Oldham, Stockport, Bury etc. So now I present to you my WEST MIDLANDS MAGNUS OPUS!

I loved my deepdive into Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire – adding to my already assembled Brummies. The backdrop is an etching of the Industrial Revolution era West Midlands. From the smoke, soot and din of the factories, emerged the most diverse and innovative musical artists the world has ever seen.

I’ve spoken previously of how my ‘positive’ pieces are an essential coping mechanism for me. When the hideousness of everything becomes overwhelming, I take time away from social media and the news and immerse myself in creating an artwork of celebration. My most recent was the Greater Manchester collage ‘Frank’s Mancs’. Last year it was ‘Sheffield, it’s alright. On Friday just gone, such a moment arrived again. I retreated to my desk in the corner of the kitchen and emerged again this morning, bleary eyed, but soul cleansed!’

We would love to hear what you think, if there are people who you think we may have missed.

From The Smoke…

Altern 8

Apache Indian

Aupairs

Babylon zoo

Bally Sagoo

Becky Hill

Beverley Knight

Billie Myers

Bill Pritchard

Bitty McLean

Black Sabbath

Blak Prophetz

Bowzer Boss

Brian Pendleton

Broadcast

Carina Round

Christine McVie

Clifford T Ward

Dapz on the Map

Dave Swift

Delia Derbyshire

Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Doc Scott

Dodgy

Duran Duran

Dylan Cartlidge

Editors

Fuzzbox

GBH

George Vjestica

Goldie

Hazel O’Connor

Hollywood Beyond

Jamelia

James Righton

Jaykae

Jeff Lynne

Joan Armatrading

John Bonham

Jorja Smith

Judas Priest

Juice Aleem

King

King Gurcharan Mall

Lady Leshur

Lady Sanity

Laura Mvula

Lawrence

Lemmy

Liam Payne

Lieutenant Pigeon

Macka B

Martin Degville

Martin Duffy

Mayhem NODB

Melissa Graham

Mike Skinner (The Streets)

Misty’s Big Adventure

Modified Toy Orchestra

Moorish Delta 7

Mott the Hoople

Mr Hudson

Musical Youth

Napalm Death

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin

Neil Codling

Nick Drake

Nightingales

Ocean colour Scene

Panjabi MC

Pa Salieu

Pato Banton

Pete Waterman

Pop Will Eat Itself

Preditah

Rebekah Ryan

Robbie Williams

Robert Plant

Roland Gift

Romderful

Roy Wood

Ruby Turner

S-X

Safone

Serocee

Simon Taylor Davis

Slade

Slick Don

Spizzenergy

Steel Pulse

Stephen Duffy

Steve Gibbons

Surgeon (Anthony Child)

Swim Deep

Tarsame Singh Saini

The Beat

The Enemy

The Moody Blues

The Move

The Primitives

The Selecter

The Specials

Tilt

Toyah Willcox

Traffic

Trevor Burton

UB40

Wonderstuff