A FORMER rock musician from Bolton swapped his drumsticks for the paintbrush – and now he is one of hundreds of artists displaying their work at the Buy Art Fair in Manchester this weekend.

Chris Rivers, aged 33, played drums for the band Heaven’s Basement for nearly a decade. Their 2012 single Fire, Fire peaked at number 11 on the mainstream rock chart.

Throughout his time with the band, Chris travelled the world supporting the likes of Green Day, Nickelback, Bon Jovi and Black Sabbath.

But four years ago, while on tour in Canada, Rivers started using old drumheads and broken cymbals as foundations for his art.

This weekend, the former musician is bringing his creations to the largest art fair in the North of England. He will join a series of world-famous artists whose work will also be showcased, including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Banksy and LS Lowry.

Chris, now a full-time artist working from his studio in Falcon Mill, Smithills, is self-taught. He said “I’m delighted to be showcasing my art. It’s without doubt a hotspot for creativity, as much as anywhere else I’ve seen in the world.

“I first discovered painting on a North American tour four years ago, and it has now become my obsession. I like to create stories with paintings, just like song lyrics tell a story. I love the process of trial and error, the feeling that a painting could be a success or fall to pieces at any time.”

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Buy Art Fair and The Manchester Contemporary, said “We’re all incredibly proud of how Buy Art Fair has grown over the last 10 years, and artists like Chris Rivers are the backbone of what we’re all about – showcasing affordable and contemporary art in Manchester.”

Buy Art Fair opened with a VIP launch yesterday evening and is open to the public from 10am until 6pm today and from 10am until 5pm tomorrow.