The Prince Albert, Brighton
The Prince Albert is a pub and music venue located in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, East Sussex. It was originally a three-storey town house built in 1848 and converted into a pub in 1860.
Mural - "Icons"
The most iconic feature of the pub is a mural painted on the side. Originally, the wall was known for its Banksy artwork Kissing Coppers appearing in 2004, along with a mural of the late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. In 2013, a mural depicting 26 deceased musicians, the actor Oliver Reed and footballer George Best was added to the wall by local grafitti artists Req and Sinna One.[1] These depictions are mostly monochrome, set against a vividly multicoloured background. The following musicians were painted:
- Amy Winehouse
- Bob Marley
- Brian Jones
- Captain Beefheart
- Donna Summer
- Dusty Springfield
- Elvis Presley
- Frank Sidebottom
- Frank Zappa
- Freddie Mercury
- George Harrison
- Ian Curtis
- Ian Drury
- James Brown
- Jim Morrison
- Jimi Hendrix
- Joe Strummer
- John Lennon
- Johnny Cash
- Keith Moon
- Kurt Cobain
- Marc Bolan
- Marvin Gaye
- Michael Jackson
- Phil Lynott
- Sandy Denny
- Syd Barrett
The mural was repainted in 2017 and updated regularly thereafter to include another 24 deceased musicians.[2] Of the original depictions, Brian Jones is missing and George Best was later replaced. There is debate about the identity of the musician depicted on the left chimney situated between Ian Curtis and Kurt Cobain. Some sources incorrectly list Merle Haggard.[3] The following musicians were added:
- 2Pac
- Alan Vega
- Aretha Franklin
- Chester Bennington
- Chuck Berry
- David Bowie
- Dolores O'Riordan
- Gary Moore
- George Michael
- Glen Campbell
- Janis Joplin
- Lemmy
- Leonard Cohen
- Lou Reed
- Mark E. Smith
- Mick Ronson
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Prince
- Ronnie James Dio
- Rory Gallagher
- Sid Vicious
- Tom Petty
- Vivian Stanshall
- Whitney Houston
A new mural was painted in 2019 across the upstairs hallway with depictions of Scott Walker and Pete Shelley.
References
- "Prince Albert mural finished". Brighton Source.
- "Bowie and Prince join the music stars on pub wall". The Argus.
- "Prince Albert Mural (2017)". Brighton Toy and Model Museum.