logo
Artist paints Mike Peters while watching his funeral

Artist paints Mike Peters while watching his funeral

Tanja Durrant, 54, who paints under the name of Gigsketch Art, grew up in North Wales and was inspired by The Alarm as a teenager. She first saw the band perform while supporting U2 at Cardiff Arms Park in the 1980s - the first-ever gig that she travelled to at the age of 16. The experience left a lasting impression on her as a young Welsh music fan.
Years later, Tanja crossed paths with Mike Peters again - this time through the Love Hope Strength Foundation, the cancer charity he co-founded after his own health battles. Tanja joined Snowdon Rocks 2 to raise money for the charity and also in memory of her mother, a keen walker who died of leukaemia in 2005, nine years after her diagnosis.
Tanja painting a tribute to Mike during the livestream of his funeral (Image: Tanja Durrant) Tanja, who has a 14-year-old son, said: "I remember it being a wet and windy midsummers day but that didn't dampen our spirits. I remember Mike singing before the walk, halfway up and on the summit. He was such a friendly, down to earth and humble man and took time to chat to us all. I took some photographs at the time from the summit, which was shrouded in low cloud and thought at the time, what a good painting it would make. I never did do that painting but over the years, I have focussed on drawing and painting at live gigs and performances and am now building my business as a full time freelance live event painter [Gigsketch Art].
"On learning of the open funeral at Dyserth for Mike, I wanted to attend but I live in Cornwall and couldn't make the journey so I decided to watch the livestream. I wanted to pay tribute to Mike and my memories of him so I did a painting of him whilst watching the funeral.
Tanja painted the art from memory and by using photo references (Image: Tanja Durrant) "I hope to raise funds for Love Hope Strength by doing a limited edition print run of the painting, donating a percentage of the profits to the charity."
Tanja, who usually paints live - at gigs, festivals and weddings and uses mainly acrylic paint for her art, painted the art from memory, photo and video reference.
She said she felt "very connected" to Mike whilst doing the painting.
The painting includes the bird that perched on Mike's guitar; The bird, identified as a Dipper - a short-tailed, stout bird, made its appearance when James Chippendale, co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, was paying tribute to his friend during the funeral service.
Tanja said: "Just watching the funeral and remembering Mike in The Alarm and when they supported U2 made me feel very connected to Mike when I was painting.
Mike Peters with Tania; Tania met Mike at Snowdon Rocks 2 (Image: Tanja Durrant) "It was memories too from Snowdon Rocks 2. Mike was playing the guitar and we were singing along, It was a very special moment."
Tanja, who has painted three murals at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, first got into sketching bands through a personal connection to Jools Holland; she knew one of his band members from a previous job with a touring cabaret theatre troupe.
She said: "Having not seen my friend for a few years, I made some calls and blagged my way into a Jools Holland gig in Cardiff in 1999. I got to know them all and ended up travelling and sketching on the road with them after asking if I could sketch from the wings at a Llandudno outdoor gig the following year.
"I ended up moving to London to caretake Jools's recording studio for a spell, meeting other Welsh greats such as Stereophonics and Tom Jones, and I was lucky enough to sketch at some of the later shows."
Thousands of fans descended on Dyserth on Thursday, May 29 for Mike's funeral which was held at Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan. A large screen was set up outside the church. The funeral, broadcast on The Alarm's YouTube, has been watched by more than 100,000 people.
Mike died aged 66 on April 29 from blood cancer. The musician was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36.
Anyone interested in purchasing a print of the painting can contact info@gigsketch.co.uk
Readers can also search Gigsketch Art on Facebook and Instagram @gigsketch_art

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Who is Love Island 2025 contestant and bombshell Emily Moran?
Who is Love Island 2025 contestant and bombshell Emily Moran?

Scottish Sun

time43 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Who is Love Island 2025 contestant and bombshell Emily Moran?

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BOMBSHELL is about to drop on the most famous villa in reality TV — one of the stunning Welsh variety. Here we get to know Emily Moran, who's travelled all the way over from Australia to Mallorca to rustle up some romance on Love Island 2025. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Emily Moran is being lined up as a Love Island bombshell Credit: Instagram 2 Emily is from the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel Credit: Instagram Who is Emily Moran? Love Island 2025 is set to introduce a captivating new bombshell into the proceedings. Emily Moran is a Welsh brunette who is poised to shake up the dynamics in the villa and turn a few heads. Currently residing in Sydney, Australia, she has already made her way over to Mallorca, ready for romance and hoping find a lasting connection. Sources close to the show revealed where Emily is originally from — and it's the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel. They told exclusively The Sun: "Emily's originally from Aberdare, the same town as Nicole Samuel from last year's show. "Her ex-boyfriend is tall, dark and handsome, so she'll have plenty of options when she does make it into the villa. 'Unlucky in love' "She's been unlucky in love since moving down under and is hoping to find Mr Right with a little help from Maya Jama and the British public." As glamorous as she is well-travelled, Emily's social media presence paints a picture of an adventurous young woman. She enjoys beach days, often sharing photos of herself soaking up the sun in an array of stylish bikinis. In 2024 alone, she explored a number of popular destinations, including Ibiza, Mykonos, Mallorca and the Amalfi Coast. Nepo baby sobs as she ADMITS drink-driving after talks to join Love Island Emily's romantic history adds another layer of intrigue to her Love Island persona. With a penchant for tall, dark and handsome men, she is expected to have a wide range of options when she lands in the famous villa. As of June 10, 2025, Emily already boasts over 7,000 followers on Instagram, but that's sure to skyrocket during her time on Love Island. Her most recent social media posts on the platform from the end of May 2025 indicate she's living the dream. [Emily's] ex-boyfriend is tall, dark and handsome, so she'll have plenty of options when she does make it into the villa A Source 'Happy girl' She told her followers she was a "happy girl" in one post, while another saw her say: "I love my little life". The arrival of Emily follows reports of the first dramatic dumping of the season, where one of the original villa girls was unexpectedly sent home. This twist, promised by the show's bosses as part of the Love Island's 10th anniversary celebrations, has set the stage for further surprises throughout the series. A source said: 'This girl will be sorely missed as was already proving to be a big character. She was absolutely gutted to leave. 'But the series has twists and turns at every stage and this isn't the usual dumping viewers might expect after a bombshell arrives. 'Executive producer Mike Spencer-Hayter has promised drama for the tenth anniversary and this format point will not disappoint.' The first bombshell of the series, American Antonia Laites, made her mark almost instantaneously when she coupled up with Ben Holbrough — leaving Shakira Khan single and vulnerable.

Liam Gallagher threatens to quit social media after big announcement backlash
Liam Gallagher threatens to quit social media after big announcement backlash

Wales Online

time5 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Liam Gallagher threatens to quit social media after big announcement backlash

Liam Gallagher threatens to quit social media after big announcement backlash Liam Gallagher has been ramping up excitement for the upcoming Oasis reunion tour but fans were left less than impressed by his latest 'big announcement' Liam Gallagher has jokingly threatened to quit social media after teasing a 'big announcement' with fans this morning (Image: Getty Images for Bauer Media ) With the countdown ticking towards what promises to be an epic reunion, Oasis fever is hitting peak levels, with fans on tenterhooks for any morsel of news. Liam and Noel Gallagher are poised to set Cardiff alight with the inaugural gig of their monumental 2025 Oasis reunion tour on Friday, July 4, yet details about what to expect from these much-anticipated performances remain tantalisingly scarce. Welsh fans will bask in the glow of two performances before the band hits Manchester's Heaton Park for a run of five gigs from July 11 to July 20. ‌ Social media was abuzz this morning as Liam reached out to his 3.8m followers on X, dangling the carrot of a 'big announcement', sparking rumours ranging from potential warm-up gigs to exciting new acts joining the tour line-up. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . ‌ But when the moment came, many couldn't help feeling a tad underwhelmed by Liam's revelation at 6:30 am that was simply: "I WORK OUT", reports the Manchester Evening News. Fans expressed their bemusement and slight annoyance at the anticlimactic announcement with one quipping: "That's the big announcement?". Another fan said: "Is that the bloody announcement! ? ! Back to work it is for me." Article continues below A third fan chimed in with "You're a comedian." The anticlimax sparked frustration among fans who had been whipped into a frenzy, but Liam interacted with several of his followers in the aftermath. Facing a comment that read: "I HATE YOU". Liam retorted with "Hate is such a strong word." ‌ Liam and Noel Gallagher will reunite on stage for the first time in 16 years with their huge reunion tour this summer (Image: Getty Images ) In response to another follower's "are you 6 years old?", he quipped back: "I'm not that old." After teasing an announcement and causing quite the stir, Liam humorously conceded his mischief by saying: "Gotta admit that was good craic gotta you all riled up to ras." ‌ He sought forgiveness for any dismay caused: "If I caused any distress and upset anyone this morning I'm deeply sorry that wasn't my intention. "I thought it was a bit of fun. I got it wrong please forgive me LG." Liam also hinted at retreating from social media due to the reaction he received, stating: "Guys I think I'm gonna close my twitter account and think long and hard about my EXISTENCE this morning has been a real eye opener." ‌ Last week saw Liam in tour rehearsals with Noel, but the exact location remains undisclosed. On social media, Liam expressed his excitement about the progress: "We have LIFT OFF Rastas sounded f****** FILTHY I'll tell thee that there for hardly anything LG x." Liam teased fans online this morning, saying he was going to have to 'think long and hard about my existence' following the response (Image: WireImage ) ‌ However, those familiar with Liam's online antics wouldn't be too surprised by his playful posts. In the previous year, he tricked fans into thinking an Oasis album was ready, boasting it was 'already finished' and 'in the bag', claiming to be 'blown away' by it, only to reveal later it was all in jest: "**** me, it was a laugh." While Liam wasn't directly involved, a joke stunt with an Oasis theme took place in Greater Manchester last week. Article continues below A Liam lookalike visited the Gallagher's favourite record shop in Burnage to have a 'bust up' with an author who has penned a satirical book about a doomed reunion tour.

‘I want them to feel like I felt when punk rock happened': encouraging young creatives to think big
‘I want them to feel like I felt when punk rock happened': encouraging young creatives to think big

The Guardian

time5 hours ago

  • The Guardian

‘I want them to feel like I felt when punk rock happened': encouraging young creatives to think big

'When I was at school, nobody asked if I'd consider a career in the performing arts,' recalls multimedia show director Willie Williams. 'The focus was very much on practical subjects like engineering, which just wasn't where my interests lay.' In the end, he followed his instincts and, today, designs and directs live shows, collaborating with household names such as U2, Adele, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. 'Punk happened – and the message in the air for that brief period was that anybody can do anything,' says the Sheffield native. 'It was a perfectly timed message, giving me the confidence to think: 'This is what I want to do, let's go and do it.'' So Williams did exactly that, moving from Sheffield to London where he began working with musicians to help create on-stage visuals to accompany each performance, and went on to co-found the creative design agency Treatment Studio. 'My goal with live shows has always been to show people something they haven't seen before, or to help them imagine something completely new,' he says. He's now sharing that expertise with students in his home town by collaborating with Sheffield Hallam University's new Sheffield Creative Industries Institute. He plans to work with students to help inspire and hone their creativity in what is very much a two-way partnership – the university is helping him solve real, practical problems in his field of work. 'We're finding all kinds of areas where we can work on together,' he says. 'For example, putting on such enormous live shows [Treatment Studio designed and produced all of the visual content for Adele's 2024 residency in Germany, which featured an LED video wall 220 metres wide] means we're starting to hit real issues with data management. The amount of storage we need, for example, is staggering. So together, we hope to explore ways to make that possible.' Originally founded in 1843 as the Sheffield School of Design, Sheffield Hallam University has always had a creative heart. Its new Creative Industries Institute teaches everything from acting, film and TV, to architecture, digital media and art and design. All of which means that after graduation, students find themselves working as fashion designers, radio broadcasters, content creators, animators, or, like Williams, becoming the multimedia show directors of tomorrow. Housing such a wide variety of disciplines under one roof is a major advantage, says Roger Bateman, the institute's director. 'The institute is structured in such a way that we have fashion students aligned with architecture students, for example, so we're not tied by traditional structures. As director, I want to see performers and fine artists working with students studying graphic design or fashion. That means we can all work together in exciting, innovative and creative ways.' There's also a strong focus on employability and entrepreneurial working after graduation. 'Students are taught about employability in the curriculum at every level because we know employers want skills like problem solving, creativity and collaboration,' says Bateman. Students are graduating into a sector where growth has vastly outstripped the UK economy as a whole, positioning the creative industries as a driver of economic growth in government eyes. The sector employs more than 2.3 million people and, in 2021, generated £108bn, according to a 2023 report from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport [pdf]. But before Sheffield Hallam's students emerge to take their places in this thriving world, they will have had their creativity honed by the university. 'There's a narrative around some people being naturally more creative than others, and that's probably indisputable, but you can absolutely enhance creativity. How do you change your behaviour to be more curious about the world? To be more playful when thinking of new solutions, or to look at different ways of approaching problems? These are all perspectives we support our students to explore.' More traditionally 'hard' skills are equally important, even for creatives. 'Skills like project management, budgeting, collaboration or intellectual property for example, might not sound exciting but they're vital. Looking at whether creative ideas work from a sustainability perspective rather than just a profit perspective, or honing technology and digital literacy skills, which enable you to understand the software you may need to use in your industry. And, of course, now there's generative AI – exploring whether that's something that can be creatively harnessed in your chosen field. 'With the work I do with concert touring, we're constantly trying to show an audience something they've never seen before, which inevitably involves inventing something new,' says Williams. 'And because that's a huge part of what universities are set up to do, it makes this relationship really exciting. 'When I talk to students about their ideas or future plans, I want to make them feel like I felt when punk rock happened – a feeling of confidence and genuine excitement about creating something special. Because ideas don't come purely from technology or textbooks, they come from being inspired.' Discover more about the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store