Iggy Pop Review: Unstoppable Energy of Nature, Still Spitting Fire, Shirtless, and Sounding Phenomenal

Perhaps the most iconic footage of Iggy Pop performing live dates back to 1970 when a local TV crew captured the Stooges’ set at Cincinnati’s Midsummer Rock festival. This particular moment in rock history showcases a truly heroic image: the audience lifting a shirtless Iggy Pop above them, grasping onto his legs as he confidently points ahead with a silver-gloved hand. This footage challenges the widely-held belief that the Stooges were generally met with incomprehension and repugnance. At least in Cincinnati, the crowd adored them. However, no one present could have possibly anticipated that the singer would continue to perform half a century later.

And yet, here we are 53 years later, witnessing Iggy Pop headlining a one-day festival, surpassing even Blondie and the Buzzcocks. Within seconds of stepping on stage, he strips down to his waist, flips off the audience, and refers to them as “fuckers”. His appearance is extraordinary, his wrinkled torso adorned with prominent veins. While there’s a vague hint of a paunch around his middle, it’s important to remember that Iggy Pop is now 76 years old – old enough to be the father of most of his audience, which primarily consists of middle-aged individuals and a sprinkling of younger fans. On one hand, this isn’t particularly unusual considering that rock stars nowadays continue to perform well into their 80s. However, what sets Iggy Pop apart is the fact that he still embodies his quintessential stage presence, a characteristic that has remained consistent throughout his career. He throws himself to the floor, climbs over speakers, hoists his microphone stand above his head, and hurls it across the stage midway through performing “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. During his rendition of “Nightclubbing”, he punctuates his vocals by inserting the microphone into his mouth and mimicking oral sex. He even seeks out a cameraman filming his performance for the big screens and spits directly into the lens.

One might expect this behavior to appear pathetic – a nearly 80-year-old man reenacting the same antics he engaged in during his 20s, resembling a grotesque pantomime. Surprisingly, this is far from the case. It’s absolutely captivating, as defiant and confrontational as the legendary performances that once culminated in violence and bloodshed. Part of the allure lies in Iggy Pop’s phenomenal voice that remains a rich baritone capable of reaching a powerful howl. Additionally, he has surrounded himself with a remarkable backing band, complete with a horn section that occasionally delves into the free-blowing style reminiscent of saxophonist Steve Mackay’s contributions to the Stooges’ 1970 album “Fun House”. The horns mostly support the guitar riffs, lending extra weight to tracks like “Lust For Life” and “Loose”. The setlist is meticulously curated, featuring a mix of songs from this year’s release “Every Loser” along with selections from the Stooges’ discography and Iggy Pop’s 70s albums, which were greatly influenced by his collaboration with David Bowie. The inclusion of unexpected gems prevents the show from becoming a tired run-through of predictable highlights. For instance, instead of performing well-known songs like “No Fun” or “1969”, Iggy Pop surprises the audience with a grinding and potent rendition of the 1972 out-take “I’m Sick Of You” and a captivating version of “Mass Production” from “The Idiot”.

Ultimately, the success of the performance largely rests on Iggy Pop himself. He continues to summon a tremendous amount of wild energy, allowing his declaration of being a “streetwalking cheetah with a heart full of napalm” to sound convincing rather than absurd. It does beg the question of how much longer he can realistically sustain such a physically demanding endeavor. However, if retirement is indeed drawing near, Iggy Pop seems determined to exit the stage just as he entered it – with a bang.