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X, Bob Mould Slated For Noise Pop Festival

San Francisco rock gathering readies for eighth year.

SAN FRANCISCO — Two major figures from the '80s punk scene

will be among the headliners of the eighth annual Noise Pop Festival,

scheduled to be held here the first week in March.

Seminal Los Angeles punk-rockers X, known for such songs as "Johnny Hit

and Run Pauline" (RealAudio

excerpt), will play at Slim's on March 1, and Bob Mould, onetime

singer/guitarist for St. Paul, Minn., trio Hüsker Dü who released

such solo hits as "Megamanic" (RealAudio

excerpt), will be on the bill March 3 at Bimbo's 365 Club, according

to Noise Pop founder Kevin Arnold.

The festival, which launched in 1992 and has been credited with assisting

the careers of such Bay Area bands as Creeper Lagoon, Imperial Teen and

Snowmen, also has already booked Crooked Fingers, the Minders, Oranger

and Limp for shows March 1–5.

"Our idea originally was to secure a few national headliners, and then

use that as an opportunity for local talent," Arnold said. "It's grown

and expanded in reputation, but the formula remains the same."

Noise Pop also is expanding geographically. A Chicago version of the

festival will be held May 11–13.

"Chicago has a great music scene happening now, and we were able to hook

up with some really good people that we trusted to work with out there,"

Arnold said. "The idea is to hopefully expand the entire scope of Noise

Pop, to include more audiences and more artists of all kinds."

In San Francisco, though, organizers of the Poptopia Music Festival, which

began in Los Angeles and expanded to the Bay Area, are charging that Noise

Pop used its influence with bands and venues to squeeze out the competition.

Poptopia has canceled its San Francisco fest. The Feb. 1–6 Los Angeles

version is still on, however.

Poptopia organizers said Noise Pop pressured the Fastbacks, Chixdiggit

and the Groovie Ghoulies, as well as Bay Area clubs, to choose one festival

over the other.

Poptopia's San Francisco planner, Paul Kopf, "felt that his lineup couldn't

be strong enough with the competition the way it was, so he pulled the

plug," Jennifer Tefft, a spokesperson for Poptopia in Los Angeles, said.

"There was no reason why we couldn't have worked together. ... Maybe next

year will be different."

But Arnold said, "None of the disputed bands is even confirmed with us

at this point. [Poptopia] didn't have to cancel."

"We tried to avoid any kind of antagonistic relationship with them, but

some people just weren't happy," Arnold said. "The target [bands] could

have overlapped a little bit, but there was also plenty of difference."

Arnold said he and his Noise Pop partner, Jordan Kurland, have a significant

addition in store for their fest. This year Noise Pop also will include

a film showcase that Arnold said will complement the music.

"We mostly did it because we didn't think there was anything else like

it," Arnold said. "We're looking to present films or documentaries that

feature music or musicians prominently. For example, we're looking at

screening 'X: The Unheard Music,' and maybe having [X singer/bassist]

John Doe there to speak afterward."

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