The Pop Group

The Pop Group
The Pop Group in 2014
The Pop Group in 2014
Background information
OriginBristol, England, UK
Genres
Years active1977–1981, 2010–present
LabelsFreaks R Us, Rough Trade, Radar Records
MembersGareth Sager
Bruce Smith
Dan Catsis
Past membersMark Stewart
Simon Underwood
John Waddington
WebsiteOfficial website

The Pop Group are an English rock band formed in Bristol in 1977 by vocalist Mark Stewart, guitarist John Waddington, bassist Simon Underwood, guitarist/saxophonist Gareth Sager, and drummer Bruce Smith.[5] Their work in the late 1970s crossed diverse musical influences including punk, dub, funk, and free jazz with radical politics, helping to pioneer post-punk music.[1][2]

The group released two albums, Y (1979) and For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? (1980), and singles such as "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" and "We Are All Prostitutes" (both 1979), then split in 1981. Its members worked on a variety of subsequent projects, including New Age Steppers and Rip Rig + Panic. In 2010, the band reunited, touring and releasing new material as well as reissuing their back catalogue on Freaks R Us. Stewart and Waddington both died in 2023.

  1. ^ a b Everhart, John (24 February 2015). "Review: The Pop Group makes a triumphant return · Music Review · The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Neate, Wilson. "Learning to Cope with Cowardice – Mark Stewart / Mark Stewart and the Maffia". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  4. ^ Kaye, Ben (26 July 2016). "The Pop Group reunite with producer Dennis Bovell for new album". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  5. ^ Gehr, Richard (7 November 2014). "The Oral History of the Pop Group: The Noisy Brits Who Were Too Punk for the Punks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 October 2018.