Meet Blackpool's tin-lid Banksy who leaves free art around gig venues including Waterloo Music Bar

Mark Taylor, a retired art teacher, paints the recycled tin lids with music-themed art - including album sleeve designs and portraits of band members - so gig-goers can take them home as a freebie.

Many of his fabulous creations can be seen on the walls at the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool - although it took the staff a while to figure out who the mystery artist was.

Mark, who is also known as Emtee Lids, tells Shots! TV’s Lucinda Herbert: “I kept leaving the tin lids around the venue for people to take. The staff didn’t know who it was for a long time, but they identified me by my bracelets on a YouTube video.” Although the secret is out, it hasn’t stopped Mark from distributing the free art when he attends shows at his favourite venue, on Waterloo Road in Blackpool.

The ex-art teacher, who used to work at Unity Academy, paints the recycled old tin lids with beautiful life-like portraits of famous musicians, including Lemmy and Slash, and sleeve art - including some intricate Oasis albums covers - which can be seen in the video.

He also got to meet his personal heroes from Fairport Convention, through doing his quirky hobby. The artist dropped the lids around Cropredy - the site where Fairport Convention is held, and did a special set for the band. Mark adds, in the video: “I painted each band member and presented them in a jar to be auctioned off, which they were more than happy to do and they asked me backstage to get my photograph taken with them.”

Emtee lids will feature in a forthcoming episode of Unconventional Brits, on Shots! TV. Watch more episodes - which features other Blackpool artists and creatives - online at this link.