Who Is Pop Parker?

Pop Parker emerged from the back end of the eighties a solo artist, formerly frontman of the seminal 'anti music' Dorset band Poo! The idea behind Poo! was a band that mixed proficiency with total inexperience and consideration with blind ignorance. The result was often a unique off the cuff organised combination of good and bad, spontaneous and real. Songs such as 'My Baby Stinks' and 'I look like a Girl' were popular and favourite, and featured on a now extremely rare 'Void Jazz' release; 'I Sit In My Hole And I Try To Believe In it'.
Continuing in the spirit of Poo! but without the idiot hangers-on Pop spent some sabatical time in London and then returned west with his tail beneath his legs and his head hung low. Upstairs at mum and dad's, and with his new best friend Fostex X-15 Four Track, Pop began to to write songs about bastards and peas. Before long a tiny little record contract landed on the doormat and within weeks a new 7 inch E.P. was released on 'Golden Pathway Records' called 'Just Ask Nick Ayling'. Nick Ayling had been a best friend and co-founder member of Poo! but had long since refused to go on any further with Pop for his own stupid and selfish reasons. Later on they would fall out over a girl and wern't to speak for years.
The E.P. was a blinding success in various places and was received well by many influencial bearded people such as John Peel and Michael Eavis. 'I AteMy Arm' received particular Peel attention. Gigs up and down the country often accompanied by swell jouster 'Binky' on extra guitar and vocals were followed by a small inclusion of the track 'Rubber Bone Boy' on a Bristol-based Independent compilation album called 'Bludgened'. After getting really knackered by all this Pop lay down low for a few years and teamed up with Indie Pop chipsters The Chesterfields (would you like to know what pop stars have for tea?) and later Prog Rock legends Grape who after first giving PJ Harvey her big break on the 7 Inch 'Baby In A plastic Bag' took him to Japan and back. Whilst in Japan, Pop was offered out of his shell and back in to the recording studio by a man called Tetsuya. There followed a new E.P. titled 'Winona I'll Be Up My Nan's' (Vinyl Japan)- a vague attempt to woo the then unfallen heroine into his life. Copies were sent in Ryder's direction but there was no response. Devestated, Pop decided to quit music completely and embarked on a stupid lifestyle in Bristol.
And then, for some reason after years in the wilderness (and a bassist stint with men-merchants The Experimental Pop Band) Pop bangs back with a new album 'Withered On The Vine' released on System Sound and live stage show. Better best and getting even better.

David Cuff