R.I.P. Mark Stewart

 

Mark Stewart (Photo: Beezer Redland)

It was with great sadness that I learned of the recent passing of Mark Stewart - one of the godfathers (possibly THE Godfather) of what became known as 'The Bristol Sound.'

When I arrived in Bristol in 1980, to study Fine Art at the city's Polytechnic, I would occasionally see posters for gigs by local band, The Pop Group. Their name was also dropped around college from time to time, in tones indicating they had already made something of an impact on the Post-Punk music scene, both locally and nationally.

As it happened, the kind of angular, punk/funk noise they pioneered was very much a prevailing sound in Bristol at the time - at least for those searching for something suitably left-field to fill the vacuum left by Punk's demise, but reluctant to settle for the lukewarm offerings of New Romanticism littering the charts (Kajagoogoo, anyone? - I didn't think so!). Nevertheless, even in a region that boasted a number of enthusiastic alt-funkateers, with varying degrees of 'edge', Mark Stewart's outfit stood out as something else again.

A (literally) larger-than-life front man - Stewart was a self-proclaimed visual and sonic collagist from an early age. His righteous anger and radical politics were matched only by his desire to glue together Punk,Funk, Free Jazz, Dub Reggae (in which Bristol was also rich) - and essentially anything noisy that didn't identify as standard Rock music - into something that might express his thoughts and opinions effectively. Their debut album, 'Y' [1.] was a blistering statement of intent - fusing all the above ingredients with Stewart's histrionic vocals - and tied together by Dennis Bovell's sympathetic dub-wise production. At its most extreme, the sound might easily become an unholy racket - but it is one one that always draws the listener in. Stewart's lyrics were often polemical, but the music's appeal is actually to the heart (and feet) as much as to the head. 'Y' is alienated, certainly - but never alienating, and it still has the power to both alarm and excite all these decades later.

I'm ashamed to admit that my own limited experience of the Pop Group playing live in their home town was on one of those confused, heavily intoxicated evenings, when I only discovered exactly what I had just witnessed by asking someone afterwards. To be honest, I don't even recall exactly where it was. In retrospect, it may be that they've come to symbolise some of the experiential turmoil (bafflement-even?) of that period in my autobiography! I do remember it being an inspiringly chaotic experience, and suspect it would have still been so - even had I been sober. The archives suggest that they often brought a similarly ramshackle aesthetic to live proceedings as another great M.S. - fronted act, The Fall.

That gig must have been towards the end of their relatively short existence, I imagine, as the first iteration of the band burned intensely, but fairly briefly - and disbanded in 1981. Despite that, theirs has proved to be a lasting and highly influential legacy. Indeed, one might regard Stewart and co.'s musical eclecticism, willingness to tap into culturally diverse musical energies on an equal footing, and sheer, unbridled commitment, as being key characteristics of much Bristol-based music in subsequent years. Without that example, would Massive Attack or Roni Size and his compatriots have been quite the phenomena they would become? And it's hard not to survey the city's continuing enthusiasm for clattering beats and cut-up sounds, its D.I.Y. attitude, and its deep Dub sensibilities, without also imagining Mark Stewart glowering approvingly from the shadows.

Ever the restless and energetic soul, Stewart continued to plough his own distinctive (and critically acclaimed) musical furrow down the years - and with little discernible sign of compromise. He would go on to be associated with the New Age Steppas, Mark Stewart and The Mafia, and Adrian Sherwood and his extended On-U Sound family, alongside many others, and also recorded several records under his solo imprint. In more recent times, he found room to resurrect The Pop Group for a second go-round, and also to release a fantastic Dub reworking of that seminal debut album (with Denis Bovell in even fuller effect) [2.]. I would personally contend that the latter record is as essential as its parent.

Anyone  keen to research Bristol's music scene, and to gain a greater understanding of Stewart's influence upon it, could do worse than read Phil Johnson's slim volume, 'Straight Outa Bristol' [3.]. One can only hope that the city will continue to generate crucial sounds on its own terms for many years to come. Nevertheless, it is certainly a little poorer for the passing of Mark Stewart. In fact - we all are.

[1.]:  'Y', The Pop Group, Radar, 1979

[2.]:  'Y In Dub', The Pop Group, Mute, 2022

[3.]:  'Straight Outa Bristol', Phil Johnson, London, Sceptre, 1997