2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

6 • uNCuT • juLY 2019

“I

T’Sgoingtobelikeopen

headsurgery,”promisesThe

PopGroup’sMarkStewart

withsomewhatalarmingrelish,as

thebandpreparefora uniqueshow

attheSeaChangefestivalinTotnes.

OvertheMaybankholiday

weekend,theywillengageina site-

specific“soundclash”withartist

MatthewShawatHighCrossHouse,

a strikingGradeII-listed1930s

modernisthouseontheDartington

Estate,whichhasbeena hubofthe

progressiveartssince1925.

AshewaitsforbandmateGareth

Sagertocomeroundtofinalise

thedetailsoftheirperformance–

entitledBloodMoney– Stewart

revealsthatit willfeaturea mixof

sound,spokenwordandvideo.

“Peoplewillwalkintothissmall

room where Matthew will be doing

thisdesensitisingdrone,thenwe

aregoingtokeepcrashingit fora

fewminutesbeforelettingit return

toapparentnormality,”hesays.

“TherewillberemnantsofThePop

Groupinit,butwewanttotwist

thingsandflipthings,openthings

upanddeconditionourselves.It’s

improvisedinthesenseofColtrane

improvisingona riff.”

ForThePopGroup,it’sa chanceto

expandontheone-offnoisesetthey

performedatBanksy’sDismaland,

whilechannellingsomeofthe

avant-gardespiritthatranparallel

topunk.Stewartmentionsartists

suchasJosephBeuys,KurtKren

andCoseyFanniTuttiaswellasThe

PopGroup’sownearlyshows,when

they’dprojectimagesofantsonto

theirbodiesandSagerwouldplay

the saxophonewhilerollingin

brokenglass.ForSea

Change’sorganiser,

Rupert Morrison, the

festivalis a chancetocreateseveral

sucheventsalongsideshowsfrom

GruffRhys,Metronomy,TheComet

Is Coming,GazelleTwin,BillRyder-

JonesandWHLung.Radio’s3’s

LateJunctionwillbeonhandto

recorda performancebyinnovative

UkrainianpianistLubomyrMelnyk

usingDartington’sSteinwaygrand

piano,whileSandraKerrandJohn

Faulknerwillplaytheirmusicfrom

Bagpussfollowedbya Q&A with

comedianStewartLee.

“Welikethisideaof

commissioningrareandunique

things,”saysMorrison,whoalso

runstheDriftrecordshopinTotnes,

discoveringa hugeinterestinthe

south-westforlivemusic,nomatter

howunusualandchallenging.The

festivalhasbeenrunningforthree

yearsina numberoflocationsand

thisis thesecondyearit hastaken

overtheDartingtonEstate.High

Cross House, where the Pop Group

willperform,wasbuiltforthe

headmasterofDartington’sschool

andis oneofthefewUKbuildings

bySwiss-Americanmodernist

WilliamLescaze.“There’s

somethingveryexcitingabout

beinginthisultra-modernistspace

withStewartLeetalkingabout

BagpussandMarkStewartgrinding

themostintensekindofnoises,”

saysMorrison.“It’sthespiritthat

madeDartingtonsoprovocative.”

Stewartis equallyenthusistic.

“Thewestwillriseagain!There’s

alwaysbeenmadthingshappening

theregoingbacktothe’50s,andSea

Changeis goingtobea jumping-off

pointforus.Wewanttodomoreof

thesedifferentsortsofthings,these

provocations.It’sthestartofa very

intenseperiodfor The Pop Group.”

PETER WATTS

SeaChangetakesplacearound

Totnes and Dartington,May24–

“The west will

rise again!Ó

“It’sgoingto

belikeopen

headsurgery”

MARK STEWART

thePopGrouprevealdetailsofa one-off

“provocation”in a GradeII-listedbuilding

at Devon’s Sea Change festival

© Shaun Gordon

HighCross

House:therewill

be Blood Money

ThePopGroup’s

MarkStewart:

going beyond...