The graffiti that has appeared in West Denton over recent weeks has been claimed by an Instagram account calling itself "The Mellow Birds". The account says it is behind the tagging, which features humorous and sometimes rude claims about celebrities and soap opera characters.
Who is behind the graffiti?
The graffiti has included mentions of Jade Thirwall, Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, with statements such as "Kate Garraway brushes her hair with a wooden fork from the chippy" and swear-laden accusations about Emmerdale characters. The latest incident has been painted over previous clean-up attempts by Newcastle City Council.
ChronicleLive spoke to the person behind the account, who said, "We knew there would be a word-of-mouth response to it, but to see it genuinely spread organically through everyday people posting about it online made us realise we could have a presence within that conversation."
Response to criticism
The Mellow Birds said they mean no harm and are not trying to "ruin" the area, despite disagreement from a local Reform councillor. They said, "He is just looking for something to say, with respect, of course."
Regarding pressure from the council, they said, "It's not considered pressure as such, to be honest. Understandably, they have a job to do, they have to be seen to condemn something seen as antisocial or detrimental to the area." They added, "If they're hard up for the tub of emulsion, we'll chip in for it!"
Positive attention for West Denton
The graffiti has drawn people from across the North East to see it. The Mellow Birds said, "I am local, and respectfully even within the wider Newcastle area, West Denton hasn't always carried the greatest reputation. To carry out something so silly yet effective is a very satisfying feeling."
Comedians Sarah Millican and Joe Lycett have found the graffiti entertaining. The Mellow Birds said the humour comes from "the absurdity", adding, "People who you may not have heard of for a while doing the most mundane things imaginable, yet to phrase it as almost an accusation in itself is where it becomes funny."
The Mellow Birds concluded, "Ultimately, it's a subjective subject, and we respect that. Some people may take an extremely dim view of it, understandably. But we're not here to get on our soapbox and state our case. We are not the enemy, we want people to laugh! We love the response and thank everyone for joining in on the fun. And stream Rose Gray!"
The graffiti has referenced the singer Rose Gray, who called the 'Newcastle Banksy' an "infamous graffiti connoisseur". Newcastle City Council has been contacted for comment on the latest graffiti.
