Band on the Wall, Manchester, UK

The Band on the Wall venue has been at the heart of Manchester’s thriving music scene for 70 years. Inner City Music, a not-for-profit charity that strives to present an eclectic mix of different types of music from around the world and to increase the local community’s interest in music generally, runs the live music club and has been the driving force behind a two-year project to renovate the venue. Brintons’ record for delivering the best quality Axminster meant it was commissioned to weave a carpet for the venue.

What was the client brief?

Local artist Michael Trainor was responsible for shaping the interior of Band on the Wall and he presented Brintons with an original piece of art that he and his design partner, William Chitham, had created to be woven into Axminster carpet for the venue floor. Band on the Wall had always been famous for having a carpet that incorporated an iconic ‘Dizzy Gillespie logo’ and the design and quality of the new carpet had to ensure the venue’s legacy for having an eye-catching carpet lived on.

Michael Trainor and William Chitham wanted to create a three-dimensional image that typifies modern 21st century music. They used high definition digital images of the specialist plugs, sockets, cables and connectors that are commonplace in the music industry and manipulated them using computer imaging techniques to create an image that could be used across two floors in the venue. The images were then coloured and shaded using bright red, blue, green and yellow before being placed on a grey background.

As the client wanted to use a single giant image across two floors and wanted the different coloured electrical cables to guide music-lovers to different parts of the venue (bar, toilets, stage), Brintons needed to take this into account when planning the weave and installation.

Describe the solution that was delivered?

Brintons called on all of its technical expertise to produce an Axminster carpet that has broken new ground in weaving technology. By using its vast knowledge and skill during the weaving process, Brintons recreated the original design image in a sharp, photo-realistic quality that has never been seen before in an Axminster carpet. The woven image has a unique three-dimensional strength that makes a stunning impact on the floor of the new-look venue.

What services did Bintons provide during the project?

Brintons provided flooded floor plans, weave planning and shaping, manufacturing and installation advice for the Band on the Wall project.

Client Reaction

 By marrying high definition digital photography and computer imaging techniques with the very latest carpet weaving technology, we’ve done something that’s never been done before. The image is so good that it appears to be tangibly real and you really have to pinch yourself to remember that it’s woven in a carpet. It’s undoubtedly the centre piece of the venue and I’m thrilled with the results. 

Michael Trainor, Artist