Meet the spray can artist behind murals inside the new Snobs nightclub

A chance meeting when out clubbing lies behind the skilled interior decoration of the new Snobs nightclub venue on Broad Street, Birmingham.

The transformation of the former Velvet Music Rooms site into a modern reinvention of the city’s favourite nightclub is continuing apace in time for its grand opening on Wednesday 13 March.

And for spray paint artist Daniel Russell-Ahern, that means going ‘stairs crazy’ in a venue where the staircases will be key to taking clubbers on a journey though the three-room site.

Daniel’s big break came during a chance meeting at the previous incarnation of Snobs on Smallbrook Queensway.

Daniel, aged 32, from Sutton Coldfield, said: “I was out with my girlfriend, Lucy, who knew Snobs’ boss Wayne Tracey and introduced me to him when we were out clubbing.

“When he said he was looking for new artwork for the venue, Lucy said: ‘Daniel could do that!’ and Wayne simply said to me: ‘See you tomorrow!’.”

Four years later, Daniel was asked to work at the new Snobs where he has started painting every day before dawn has even broken.

The original club opened in the Beneficial Building on Paradise Street in 1972, moving to Smallbrook Queensway a decade ago after Wayne acquired the business in 2002.

The visual themes at those previous incarnations have led Wayne, city architects Tibbatts Abel and collaborators like Daniel to create a new vision for Snobs 3.0.

Daniel said: “At Snobs we are using spray cans, air brushes and hand painting techniques – all with water-based paints. Because of the building work around me, I am working in near darkness on the staircases, but it will all be finished on time and look great.”

Mike Olley, general manager at Westside BID, said: “These modern murals look fantastic, and are yet another reason for clubbers to come to the new Snobs! We’re hoping to introduce Daniel to other nightclubs in our area when they are having refurbishments.”

Daniel’s spray-painted murals are not just going to maximise the club’s updated personality. They have also helped to launch a website on Mural Trader, which also offers work from fellow spray can artists Simon Greenaway and Dan Hardeman.

Orders are flooding in, and Mural Trader is already making a difference to hospital life with murals including sea creatures in scenes that delight staff as much as the patients.

“Patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital have been watching us working in the middle of the night and broken down in tears. There’s nothing more rewarding than doing hospitals – what a difference art makes for children.”

Mural Trader employs videographer Tom Goddard to film major pieces as they are created, so he’s been alongside Daniel at Snobs every step of the way.

Daniel added: “Tom originally taught me how to paint using spray cans. Thanks to him starting me off, I’ve worked out how to create real depth, using layers of emulsion to ‘trap’ glow-in-the-dark paints under UV lights.”

Pictured: Snobs artist Daniel Russell-Ahern from MuralTrader.com