NEWS
A man has spoken out about a period where he hired Banksy to conduct an art workshop for £50 that included a mural, which was then painted over.
Peter de Boer, a senior practitioner on the Bristol City Council, was interviewed by BBC yesterday (January 15) about engaging Banksy – whose identity remains anonymous – for art classes at a local youth club in the 1990s.
In these classes, Banksy taught graffiti to groups of Bristol teens, whom de Boer said was a “true collaboration” where they “were engaged, having fun and sharing ideas”.
“If you look at the photos, you can see the way he was working with the young people,” de Boer told BBC, which published pictures of the classes on the condition of retaining Banksy’s anonymity.
Banksy was hired for £50 to run a workshop with the kids, who were excited to work with the artist even as “nobody thought twice about who he was”.
“The thing that struck me back then was he didn’t really have an ego. He was doing art with them, rather than doing art for them,” de Boer revealed. “In the morning, he sat around a table with the children, talking about their ideas. Then they would all just muck in and spray these things that were invented.”
“It wasn’t more Banksy than the young people, it was definitely a kind of 50/50 thing,” he added.
However, over time, the murals that came out of these classes did not last. “I personally painted over a Banksy. I threw a Banksy stencil away when I was clearing up,” de Boer said, adding that he has “no regrets at all” about doing it.
“Back then, it was much more about working with and engaging young people. And it was just another art project back then.”
De Boer, then a senior youth worker, had been looking for local artists to help inspire and teach youths in the area of west Bristol. Per BBC, a friend suggested an artist, later revealed to be Banksy, who had begun to gain attention for his works in the city.
“I got his phone number, so I used to call him up and ask if he’d come and do some art projects. He was really keen,” de Boer said. BBC noted that de Boer reached out to Banksy in the same year that the artist revealed his ‘Mild Mild West’ mural, which was painted in response to an incident at a warehouse rave where partygoers were attacked by riot police.
Last December, Blur’s Alex James revealed that Banksy was backstage at their Wembley reunion and “loved” the show. The artist has remained anonymous through the decades, even as speculation has continued. In 2020, Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan had to deny persistent rumours that he is Banksy.
Another popular fan theory is that Banksy is actually Massive Attack’s Robert del Naja, and it was fuelled further by a Goldie interview in 2017 where he referred to Banksy as “Rob”.
Last March, it was revealed that Banksy could be forced to reveal his real name if a legal tussle over the authenticity of one of his prints winds up in court.
NEWS
Fontaines D.C. members Carlos O’Connell and Tom Coll have been behind the production of the forthcoming second album from French indie outfit Film Noir. To introduce the project, the band has unveiled the paired singles ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’, which you can listen to below.
The Fontaines D.C. guitarist and drummer worked alongside Film Noir at La Frette Studios just outside Paris. The renowned recording space is also where Arctic Monkeys created their two most recent albums, ‘Tranquillity Base…’ and ‘The Car’.
O’Connell is partnered with Film Noir vocalist Joséphine de La Baume, who is also known for her work as an actor, filmmaker and model. Together, they share two children, with their first child serving as the inspiration for Fontaines’ 2025 track ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’.
Reflecting on the project while announcing his role in the album, O’Connell shared on social media: “In early 2020 I walked into a gig in a club in Paris and was introduced to a band called Film Noir. I fell in love with the singer, I went on to make babies with her to to fall in love twice again with them.
“A little while back myself, [Coll] and @filmnoirmusic went to La Frette and recorded their upcoming record.”
The guitarist continued: “Producing this record was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had. Blessed to have so many. This album means the world to me & I hope it’ll mean something to many more.”
Film Noir have offered an early look at the still untitled album through the release of ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’. O’Connell handled production duties on both tracks, while Coll contributed drums. O’Connell also took care of mixing on ‘VEGITA’.
Opening with a light acoustic arrangement, ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ gradually unfolds into a dreamy sound shaped by shoegaze influences. In contrast, ‘VEGITA’ leans into a brighter, surf inspired feel that complements de La Baume’s floating vocal performance.
The group has also released a behind the scenes video capturing moments from the recording sessions for their sophomore album, which can be viewed below. At this stage, no official release date has been announced.
Back in spring 2020, O’Connell collaborated with Film Noir on a rendition of Lee Hazlewood’s ‘For A Day Like Today’ (via LiveForever). When the track arrived, the band described the guitarist as “a great supporter of the European rock scene and a common friend”.
Film Noir first emerged with their debut EP, ‘Vertiges (Men Of Glory)’, in 2019, followed by ‘Tendrement’ a year later. Their first full length album, ‘Palpitant’, arrived in 2022.
Outside of music, Joséphine de La Baume portrayed Marie in the 2011 film adaptation of One Day alongside Anne Hathaway. She has also appeared in Apple TV’s The New Look and the Polish period feature Chopin, a Sonata in Paris.
O’Connell also produced the self titled debut album from Dead Dads Club, the new project led by former Palma Violets singer Chilli Jesson. Released in 2026, that record was also created at La Frette Studios.
Speaking with NME earlier this year, O’Connell explained that the French studio “feels like a home”. He continued: “There’s nothing about it that feels corporate or constrained by time. My mind goes into this creative mode in which I can hear things in a certain way, and it doesn’t stop until I leave the building.”
Jesson also spoke about the experience, saying: “It was really organic. Carlos, on one of the tours we were on together, was working on a Film Noir album, and he was always mixing it and playing around with sounds. He’d just come out of the studio at La Frette and to see that process, with the production, I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I’d been in a world where it was all on the computer, and then suddenly he’s talking about a fucking bass drum that’s two metres long.’”
More recently, Fontaines D.C. contributed music to the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The band also appeared on the collaborative charity release ‘Help(2)’, which supports War Child.
The group are preparing to return to the stage this summer for their first performances in nearly a year, beginning with three headline concerts in Spain before taking on their first ever top billing appearances at Reading & Leeds 2026.
Their schedule also includes a headline performance at Electric Picnic in Ireland, alongside appearances at European and American festivals including Frequency, La Route du Rock and Shaky Knees.
Discussing new material with NME at the beginning of the year, O’Connell revealed: “We’ve been writing, it’s been fun. We’re at [Reading & Leeds] and there are a couple of shows before that. I think if the music is there, it could get busy.”
Asked whether any fresh songs could appear during the Reading & Leeds performances, he responded: “I’d say so. If there is stuff written, then I would say so, yeah. That’s what we used to do all the time, play the new stuff live, songs that weren’t even finished. It’s a good way to test the songs.”
O’Connell was also asked whether elements of the visual production from the ‘Romance’ era might carry over into the band’s 2026 shows. “I think ‘Romance’ was so intense in every [way]… the visual, the production, the setlist… It wasn’t just about the music,” he explained.
“It’s almost a bit of the identity of the band now, but I guess that’s the decision to make. Does that become the identity of the band, or actually, it’s just a phase and you reinvent it? I don’t know.”
He went on to add: “I personally like the idea of revisiting some old stuff at Reading & Leeds, making the setlist maybe a bit more ‘Dogrel’ heavy. I’m excited about that. I’ve been listening to music like that much more. This morning I was listening to Sonic Youth. I want to go [in] that direction, but we’ll see, because anything could happen now, literally anything.”
‘Romance’ ultimately secured the Number Two spot on NME‘s list of the 50 best albums of 2024, finishing just behind Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’.
