Massive mural marks Lancaster band's Top 40 album mission

Rock band Massive Wagons played their first gig at The Pub, in China Street, eight years ago, and have since gone on to sell out venues across the country and play shows at some of the UK’s major music festivals.

But on Tuesday night, they went back to their roots to play an intimate free gig at the first music venue to provide a platform for their sound. Fans who attended the show were treated to a live performance of the new album - Full Nelson - in full.

Massive Wagons band manager Terri Chapman said: “Massive Wagons really do love their beautiful city of Lancaster and to have this mural painted in the city centre truly has been one of their biggest highlights as musicians. To have the people of Lancaster supporting and backing the band all the way would just be incredible, together we can not only put Lancaster back on the rock n roll map but encourage the youngsters that anything is possible. Massive Wagons are one of the hardest working bands I know and to see them hit the Top 40 UK charts and be the first band from Lancaster to do so would be a historical event that we can all be proud of.”

The album is officially released on August 10. The mural was painted by artists Kaption 1 and Kid30, and is understood to be staying in situ.

The design of the mural looks to have taken inspiration from the ‘England’s Glory’ matchbox.

Barry Mills, frontman for Massive Wagons, said: “You always hear people talk about ‘making it’; rock fans chatting about who they think will ‘make it’ or who they’d like to see ‘make it’.

“I’ve never really known what that truly means to be honest - I suppose everyone has a different take on what it means to them - but if you ask me, I’d say ‘making it’ means being lucky enough to reach a platform where our music is taken seriously, recognised and respected; where our music will be cemented in history, referenced in the future maybe by our peers as a band that did something; remembered by rock fans.

“I wanna leave a legacy - however big or small that is, I want to leave our mark.”

Tom Hadfield, from the band’s record label Earache Records, said: “

“We set up the mural because we want the people of Lancaster to be proud of Massive Wagons. They are proving that you don’t have to be from London to get national press attention and that if you work hard, rock harder and don’t give up you can be a successful band. Wagons are carving out a new path for Lancaster bands to follow in their footsteps and hopefully this will inspire a new generation of kids in the city to form a band and go for it like Massive Wagons have.

“If they can achieve the target of a first ever Top 40 album for the city then this will give the local music scene a lot of attention and as they say ‘a rising tide raises all ships’.”

Massive Wagons play an already sold out show at The Platform in Morecambe on August 4.