Iggy Pop has never played in the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall before, but the usually staid surroundings didn't stop him from turning the show into a wild party complete with numerous forays into the audience and even some stage diving!
Much has been said of how Post Pop Depression, the album Iggy recorded with Joshua Homme last year, sounds like a continuation of the work Iggy was doing with David Bowie way back in 1976 and 1977. In truth the new album doesn't really sound much like either The Idiot or Lust For Life, but somehow it feels like it does. And drawing almost exclusively from the new album, plus the two Pop / Bowie records, for the current set makes for an extremely satisfying evening. A certain mood is created and maintained throughout, with the new songs sitting very comfortably alongside the old ones. If anyone didn't know which songs came from which albums, I think it would be hard to guess.
Much has been said of how Post Pop Depression, the album Iggy recorded with Joshua Homme last year, sounds like a continuation of the work Iggy was doing with David Bowie way back in 1976 and 1977. In truth the new album doesn't really sound much like either The Idiot or Lust For Life, but somehow it feels like it does. And drawing almost exclusively from the new album, plus the two Pop / Bowie records, for the current set makes for an extremely satisfying evening. A certain mood is created and maintained throughout, with the new songs sitting very comfortably alongside the old ones. If anyone didn't know which songs came from which albums, I think it would be hard to guess.
The live band is also superb, able to recreate the warped Krautrock-meets-industrial-Detroit of The Idiot and the supercharged exuberance of Lust For Life in an instant, using all sorts of tech (some of the The Idiot songs surely feature samples from the album?) and more unusual instruments like steel drums and vintage synths - not often seen at Iggy Pop shows.
But crucially, what strikes you immediately is how strong, how powerful, how emotional are Iggy's vocals. Over the past few years it's seemed to me, not unreasonably given the fact that he's now 69, that Iggy's voice has been losing some of its power, some of it's range. But on Post Pop Depression there sang the voice of old, sonorous and commanding. And this is even more true in the Royal Albert Hall - Iggy's singing is arguably the best it's ever been. Physically he's still wearing his hair long and lank, but his lined face and sinewy body is as tough as leather and as weathered as Mount Rushmore. He adopts a serious, rock-hard face whilst singing, but without warning his face lights up into the biggest, widest and most infectious grin you've ever seen, childlike in it's pure happiness. He thanks the crowd effusively, his gratitude is utterly genuine and right from the heart. Iggy's been putting his heart and soul, and body, on the line for us for nearly 50 years, and he's still doing it. And as "Funtime" lurched into life Iggy leaped from the stage into the welcoming crowd and sang most of the song from somewhere within the audience. Stage diving, at the Royal Albert Hall!
Iggy limps, very badly now (apparently the result of long standing hip problems that Iggy won't have fixed in case it restricts his mobility), he hangs off the mic stand, but then, without any warning he'll be spinning across the stage like a possessed dervish, contorting his wiry but tough as old boots frame into weird positions, like an old Egyptian carving brought to life. During "Sister Midnight" he even briefly adopted the twisted pose from the cover of The Idiot. At times he's punching the air in front of him, seemingly extremely angry, pissed off, as if he's having a brutal fist fight with the Invisible Man. The show started with Iggy wearing a jacket, but this was discarded after a couple of songs and the rest of the gig saw Iggy bare chested, as usual.
The band, conversely, was dressed in ironically cheesy, shiny red jackets like some sort of preppy 50s frat band. Josh Homme seemed to be having a ball, churning out riffs and solos with equal aplomb - after a particularly tasty solo in "Tonight" Josh allowed himself a self satisfied smile which clearly said "Yup, nailed that one!". And whilst, musically, Homme was calling the shots, his eyes were fixed on Iggy for much of the show and he clearly fed off the energy that was palpably coming from Iggy. Drummer Matt Helders was utterly solid, with a terrific sense of groove. I especially liked the fact the "Lust For Life" was played at the original tempo as on the album - almost every other live performance since 1977 finds the various bands playing way too fast for my liking. Here, the song regains it's old swing and swagger rather than breathlessly sprinting. Locked in tight with Helders was bass player Matt Sweeney and together they proved worthy successors to Lust For Life's sibling rhythm section of Hunt and Tony Sales. Homme's band mate from Queens Of The Stone Age Dean Fertita doubled on various keyboards and guitars and even a steel drum and more guitar support came from another QOTSA member, Troy van Leeuwen. Iggy's bands have frequently been paired down to the basic power trio of guitar, bass and drums, but to do proper justice to a good number of the songs tonight - many are deeply layered and musically complex - you need this range of instruments.
Iggy limps, very badly now (apparently the result of long standing hip problems that Iggy won't have fixed in case it restricts his mobility), he hangs off the mic stand, but then, without any warning he'll be spinning across the stage like a possessed dervish, contorting his wiry but tough as old boots frame into weird positions, like an old Egyptian carving brought to life. During "Sister Midnight" he even briefly adopted the twisted pose from the cover of The Idiot. At times he's punching the air in front of him, seemingly extremely angry, pissed off, as if he's having a brutal fist fight with the Invisible Man. The show started with Iggy wearing a jacket, but this was discarded after a couple of songs and the rest of the gig saw Iggy bare chested, as usual.
The band, conversely, was dressed in ironically cheesy, shiny red jackets like some sort of preppy 50s frat band. Josh Homme seemed to be having a ball, churning out riffs and solos with equal aplomb - after a particularly tasty solo in "Tonight" Josh allowed himself a self satisfied smile which clearly said "Yup, nailed that one!". And whilst, musically, Homme was calling the shots, his eyes were fixed on Iggy for much of the show and he clearly fed off the energy that was palpably coming from Iggy. Drummer Matt Helders was utterly solid, with a terrific sense of groove. I especially liked the fact the "Lust For Life" was played at the original tempo as on the album - almost every other live performance since 1977 finds the various bands playing way too fast for my liking. Here, the song regains it's old swing and swagger rather than breathlessly sprinting. Locked in tight with Helders was bass player Matt Sweeney and together they proved worthy successors to Lust For Life's sibling rhythm section of Hunt and Tony Sales. Homme's band mate from Queens Of The Stone Age Dean Fertita doubled on various keyboards and guitars and even a steel drum and more guitar support came from another QOTSA member, Troy van Leeuwen. Iggy's bands have frequently been paired down to the basic power trio of guitar, bass and drums, but to do proper justice to a good number of the songs tonight - many are deeply layered and musically complex - you need this range of instruments.
The show opened with "Lust For Life" which is simply one of the best opening rally cries ever. Over the next couple of hours we were treated to all of the new album (except the dark and slow "Vulture") nearly all of The Idiot (no "Tiny Girls" or "Dum Dum Boys") and most of Lust For Life (all bar the warped confessional "Turn Blue" and "Neighborhood Threat" - which surprised me as I reckon this band could do a cracking version of "Threat"). The only other song outside of these three albums was "Repo Man" from Alex Cox's cult film of 1984. "Repo Man" was the first Iggy Pop song that the young Joshua Homme ever owned and playing this one live was apparently a dream come true. And it's a cracking version too - Iggy snarling away as the band grind out the punkish riffs.
Other highlights - "Sunday" is fast becoming my favourite from the new album and the live performance is tremendous, the band locking into an infectious loping groove, and the three guitar end section was superb. "Gardenia" is another that seems much stronger than the album version, and is truly excellent, such a catchy chorus.
"Nightclubbing" was astonishingly good - perhaps the only song that fulfilled Iggy's early promise that The Idiot was going to sound like James Brown mixed with Kraftwerk; this is definitely funky, and definitely electronic. The sampled beats pulsed massively in the RAH and there was a pleasingly retro treatment on the vocals. This one, and "Mass Production" made great use of the synths, massive slabs of electronic noise, wonderfully woozy and drunken sounding. And sequencing them next to the new song "German Days" was a masterstroke as this is similarly boozy and unsteady, perhaps more strident and commanding, but certainly conveying the same mood.
The main set ended with "China Girl" performed as close to the original as possible, even down to the twin guitar solo at the end, with Troy and Josh dukeing it out as Iggy waved bye bye and took a well earned break.
The encore was lengthy, another 30 minutes or more, and mixed more of the new songs with the first live performance of "Baby" from The Idiot and a brilliant "Fall In Love With Me" which was extended, wilder and looser than usual as Iggy decided to venture into the audience and take a tour of the floor. This took quite some time! After being slapped on the back, hugged, kissed and high-fived all around the auditorium he eventually made it back to the stage and the band crashed straight into the aforementioned "Repo Man". The show built to a climax via the world weary resignation of "Chocolate Drops" then onto "Paraguay". This closes the album with a furious stream of consciousness rant from Iggy about how he pretty much hates everything and wants to get away from the whole stinking lot of us. Interestingly Iggy performed this just as on the album, seemingly apoplectic with rage his face like thunder, and then, when it was over, somewhat pulled the rug from under us by disarmingly grinning like a loon and saying "Nothing personal you know. Actually you make me really happy!"
Finally, we reached "Success" - a gloriously silly celebration. Back in 1977 it was a list of hopes as 'making it' seemed to be just around the corner - well, it took a little longer but Iggy did finally attain a measure of success and this current rendition is tinged with a somewhat self-mocking air, especially after the You make me sick and I've got to get away emotions of the previous songs. Yes, he has success, well deserved and long fought for, but what do you really need? On the basis of tonight's show, I'd say all you really need is a bunch of brilliant songs and a cool band to play them with.
I've no idea how much longer Iggy can keep doing this. I know it takes a real effort for Jim Osterberg (a quiet, bookish intellectual, fiercely intelligent and thoughtful) to become Iggy Pop - the wildest expression of rock and roll exuberance known to man. But Iggy belongs on stage - no matter what you think of his albums he's always been one of the greatest, most exciting, most unusual, most original, most thrilling stage performers the world has ever seen. But the hints are there, both in the lyrics of Post Pop Depression and in recent interviews, that he's genuinely thinking about retiring. Both Jim and Iggy are nearly 70, which is hard to believe considering the sheer amount of energy on display tonight. Even after the band had taken their bows Iggy was still on stage spinning and leaping around, waving manically at everyone, lapping up the love from the crowd and revelling in it.
On the basis of this tour I fervently hope that Iggy and Josh make another album together. Josh seems to 'get' Iggy and another record could be wonderful. Or at the very least we could do with a live album from this tour. Interestingly there were some cameras filming the gig, so perhaps a DVD will be forthcoming?
I've seen Iggy loads of times, and this was, without doubt, one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever seen him give. He was having a ball, the crowd was having a brilliant time too. Never mind Iggy's goofy grin, I was smiling the whole night and it was just wonderful to hear all the Bowie / Pop songs (the songs that got me into Iggy in the first place) performed with such skill and passion and love.
On the basis of this tour I fervently hope that Iggy and Josh make another album together. Josh seems to 'get' Iggy and another record could be wonderful. Or at the very least we could do with a live album from this tour. Interestingly there were some cameras filming the gig, so perhaps a DVD will be forthcoming?
I've seen Iggy loads of times, and this was, without doubt, one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever seen him give. He was having a ball, the crowd was having a brilliant time too. Never mind Iggy's goofy grin, I was smiling the whole night and it was just wonderful to hear all the Bowie / Pop songs (the songs that got me into Iggy in the first place) performed with such skill and passion and love.
One last thing. Why do people insist on filming gigs on their phones? When Iggy did his grand tour during "Fall In Love With Me" people were sticking their phones in front of his face, actually obscuring their own view of the Real Iggy Pop with their phones! He was right there, ready to hug you but you'd rather see this through your phone?!
Madness.
I can understand wanting to film the odd bit perhaps, but most of the concert? A couple of oafs in front of me spent the majority of the show with their arms held above them squinting at the stage via their iPhones. The show was right there, all around us! People were dancing and yelling and feeling the music that was playing, but these idiots were motionless as they experienced a cracking Iggy Pop show through a stupid little screen.
Haven't they entirely missed the whole point of a live show?
And for what? So they can show their friends a teeny tiny video of Iggy Pop in the distance wobbling about on a badly filmed phone camera with shitty sound. Well I hope they enjoy that.
I, on the other hand, experienced and enjoyed a superb Iggy Pop gig, a gig that I will remember, in my head, for a long time to come.
I, on the other hand, experienced and enjoyed a superb Iggy Pop gig, a gig that I will remember, in my head, for a long time to come.
