Iggy Pop’s song “In the Deathcar” from the 1993 movie
“Arizona Dream” might be a bit too close to Russian economic reality for
comfort. On the other hand, if you’re depressed, the song might be just what
you need.
The legendary punk musician, who just turned 70 this
year, is performing in Moscow this week as part of the world tour for his Post
Pop Depression album.
“A lot of geezers my age don’t work out of their
comfort zone anymore because once you become legendary, you don’t want people
challenging you,” Iggy Pop said in a press statement for the album release.
This is not true for Pop, who still has a cult-like following
among different generations, even though he is not someone you would associate
with the more accessible classic rock and roll.
Iggy Pop (real name: James Osterberg) and his band,
the Stooges, debuted in 1969, but their music didn’t reflect Woodstock and
hippie pastoralism.
The proto-punk singer’s now-infamous nihilism onstage —
cutting his chest with glass, smearing peanut butter over his torso, and banging
the microphone against his teeth — was last seen in Moscow in 2010 together
with the Stooges.
This time he will be alone on stage. The Stooges, who
were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, are now reduced to less
than half their original lineup — Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson. Bass guitarist Dave Alexander died in 1975, a
year after the band’s second breakup, followed by guitarist Ron Asheton in 2009,drummer Scott Asheton in 2014, and Steve
Mackay, the band’s tenor saxophone player, in 2015. The final break-up happened
last year when Williamson said that the Stooges were no more.
But throughout all this, Iggy Pop’s spirit has not
dimmed. A few years ago he greeted the audience in a New York club with, “Thank
you, upscale corporate New York ***holes,” making even those corporate
executives laugh. The same spirit should be on display in Moscow, where American
punk still rocks, despite all of the sanctions.
“I like aggressive music. It should sound like
iron pounding on glass,” Pop once said. Russian audiences should love
that.
This concert might be one to remember.
Iggy Pop will play Thursday at 8 p.m. at Stadium Live. Tickets available online here and here.