Gary Daly signs Pip Pop Art's China Crisis painting
- pip
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
There are moments in life as an artist that feel truly surreal, and this is one of them. I recently found out that Gary Daly, the lead singer of China Crisis, has personally seen, and signed, the original painting I created of the band! To know that my work has passed through his hands, and that he took the time to add his name to it, is truly an honour.
There's a cracking story behind this as well which you couldn't make up and is typical of Gary's generosity and his down to earth nature. The painting was commissioned a few years ago by Andy from Runcorn who is a lifelong China Crisis fan. He has been following the band since 1981 and has seen them live nearly 40 times, a devotion that speaks volumes about the enduring magic of their music. This is what he told me...
During China Crisis’ 40th Anniversary gig at the Liverpool Philharmonic, Gary was on stage using a handwritten lyrics book to remember all the words! At the end of the gig he said it would be auctioned off for charity. It was indeed subsequently posted on eBay and Andy bid and won it.
What Andy didn't then expect was that Gary would deliver it to his house personally!! And that's exactly what happened - about a week later Gary turned up at Andy's home with a load of signed goodies and the lyric book. While he was there, Andy asked him to sign my artwork and he was more than willing, saying it was a brilliant piece of art and wished he’d brought Eddie with him to sign it as well.
Gary Daly signing the original 30" x 30" acrylic painting
That generosity and humour is exactly what makes Gary such a joy to see live. Being a fan as well, I’ve been lucky enough to go to multiple China Crisis gigs myself, and every time I’m struck not just by the music, but by Gary’s wit and banter with the crowd. Honestly, his sharp humour alone is worth the ticket price, before you even get to the band’s fantastic setlist. I was lucky enough to meet him myself at a gig he did in New Brighton in 2024 and just had to get the obligatory photo!
Pip with Gary Daly, Floral Pavilion, New Brighton - May 2024
About Gary Daly
Gary Daly (born 5 May 1962, Kirkby, Knowsley, Merseyside) is a musician best known as the lead singer for the band China Crisis. Read more about him and the band's history on their Wikipedia page.
About China Crisis
China Crisis are an English new wave and synth-pop band formed in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside in 1979 with a core of lead vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist/vocalist Eddie Lundon. Initially a politically charged post-punk band influenced by Brian Eno's ambient soundscapes, China Crisis soon crossed over to a more commercial sound and had success in the United Kingdom in the 1980s with ten top-50 singles, including the top-10 hit "Wishful Thinking", and three albums charting in or just outside the top 20, including Working with Fire and Steel and the top-10 entry Flaunt the Imperfection, that both received a gold certification. Find out more about the band on their Wikipedia Page.
China Crisis Prints
Fine art reproductions of my original China Crisis painting are available as canvas prints in 3 different sizes from my online shop.