UnPop's unlikely merger with Pop makes big difference
Nate Munn’s fledgling UnPop Festival has joined forces with the bigwig capitalist swine over at Pop Montreal. I ask Munn how much it costs to sell out in 2006.
"There was no selling involved, unfortunately. It looked like [UnPop] wasn’t going to happen this year, then I got a call from Pop who offered up a stage at Parc des Amériques. I did wrestle with it a bit, but decided that it was more about the bands than my own credibility."
Munn is well aware of the irony of David bedding down with Goliath, but contends that this relationship maintains his initial mandate, and that the reality of putting on a fest of UnPop-ular music forced his hand.
"The criteria holds up: Everything is free [application and admission], selection is on a first come, first served basis, and it’s only local bands. I lost $800 of my own money last year, and this time I just didn’t have it. Lots of people volunteered services, but what I needed was money."
Pop Montreal’s Dan Seligman, in between bites of a $100 bill sandwich, says people’s impression of their fest is a little skewed.
"I wish we were rolling in money, but financially, the longer we’re established, the bigger we become, the more it costs, the larger the overhead. Nobody gets into the arts to make money."
Since Munn is now squeezing the entire fest into a single day and night, he has picked 10 bands at random to fill up the Saturday afternoon bill, while Sunday night at Foufounes, Raw Madonna, Dead Messenger and his own group, Ghettonuns, perform. Last year, two songs into his performance, he fell off the stage and broke his femur and his hip, so this time around he’s rocking $17,000 worth of gold and titanium in his lower half, which, I mention, seems pretty expensive for a broke guy.
"Yeah. A big thanks to the Quebec government for that one."
UnPop Festival (day)
w/ Fold Me Up, The Real Deal, John School Dropouts, Infinite Moksha, Amanda Mabro Launie Anderssohn, Metis Yeti and more
At Parc des Amériques (corner St-Laurent and Rachel), Aug. 26
UnPop Festival (night)
w/ Ghettonuns, Dead Messenger and Raw Madonna
At Foufounes Électriques (87 Ste-Catherine E.), Aug. 27
1 comment
UnPop co-opted by it’s nemesis – say it ain’t so! Actually considering the alternative was the likely demise of Unpop, I’ll take the news in stride. After all, on the surface nothing has changed – the same criteria or lack thereof apply and judging by the appreciative audience that took in the show at Parc des Ameriques this past Saturday, no one, least of all, me is complaining!