IGGY POP

Date: 30th August 2005

Venue: London Hammersmith

Review by Skivi

The Stooges Play Funhouse

“ We are the motherf**kin Stooges and we are lucky to be here . . . . we’re lucky to be anywhere! ” Iggy 30/08/05

Before I start you will probably know from G.I’s blog you ain’t gonna get an unbiased view of this concert. I still haven’t come down from the whole experience.

Support: The Cool Kids of Death were well named cause they certainly died that night. You need to be pretty well liked or something different to open for Iggy and they were neither, Poland’s sub standard answer to the Kaiser Chiefs. (I refer you to my opening gambit.)

So we hung around after them listening to 60s garage the tone was set.

After what seemed like a long wait with no warning Iggy comes screaming on to the stage followed by the remaining Stooges and from then on in it is a bit of a blur.
Ron Asherton on guitar, Scott Asherton on Drums and Mike Watt of the Minutemen covering for the late Dave Alexander.

This was the first of the Don’t Look Back series of gigs where bands perform a seminal work live. For The Stooges it was Funhouse. Good Choice as it is by far there best and most Stooges-like album.
The album was played right through only 7 tracks but a couple of them involve some pretty chaotic musical jams at the end that were totally feckin amazing.
By this point my T shirt is off and I’m in a screaming, pogoing, moshin heaven. (And, surprisingly enough, surrounded by real Stooges fans.)

Prior to the gig I had told G.I. that I was all growed up now and I just wanted to watch the gig this time. He looked at me with that knowing smile of his and said “I’ll hold yer coat”.
And as usual he was right, after two attempts and a six foot fall from the top of the crowd I made it on stage for Real Cool Time jumping around like a teenager again.
But no one puts more effort in to a gig than Iggy, the man’s in his late 50s and gave me a run for my money. Not so difficult these days though!

Two encores many songs and solos later it was all over, bruised, battered, soakin’ totally knackered and happy as a pig in shit I left Hammersmith.

The gig was amazing every song a classic (with the possible exception of the two new songs from the last album but even they sounded good on the night).

Iggy delivered the goods as always and as I missed The Stooges reunion gigs it was extra special for me.

There will never be another Iggy Pop enjoy him while you can!

Skivi