Iggy Pop and Joan Jett -a rebel rocking line up to be sure. In a time of cold digital slop music in the mainstream, these raw Rockers continue to kick back.
I didn’t get a chance to see ZED this evening, but I have heard that they have really been delivering the goods in a top way during this series of festivals across New Zealand. Keeping the audience happy in times like these is a major deal, and they have been doing it well.
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
The group were important evidence that talented woman could rock hard and deliver, as well, if not better than many boy bands.
The girls could play for real, and many of them went on to have successful careers. The Runaways slogged it with the conviction, and the hard road led them to stand the test of time.
Jett propulsion! At the Spark Arena Joan Jett rocks it as hard as she ever did. Her voice sounds youthful and forward.
She embraces her legacy by playing her battered Gibson Melody Maker. Her trip is written all over it, literally. It was meant to be, she acquired the guitar from Eric Carmen of The Raspberries, so its Rock and Roll history goes way back when.
She performs Cherry Bomb early in the set. A classic song by The Runaways to this day in Los Angeles, it holds the street credibility and popularity with punters and musos the same way Bliss does in New Zealand.
She puts a cherry (bomb) on the cake with her much-loved version of Crimson and Clover.
Of course, I Love Rock and Roll is a stand out at the gig, an anthem that she managed to chart highly when released on her own label Blackheart Records. It was a good prod to the industry that in its lack of ability to spot a real talent had rejected her potential as a signed artist.
The band is solid and authentic. Raw and simple pedal boards and plugged in with coiled guitar cables. They have the stage aesthetic of The Ramones, using straight mic stands, and they have the same Punk energy as they race down the home straight with Bad Reputation.
Iggy Pop
In 1989 he played Mt Smart Stadium in the support slot to Jimmy Barnes. Pepsi sponsored the event. Pop was disgruntled by his placement on the bill and loudly told the crowd I’d rather drink my own piss than drink Pepsi.
Tonight, Iggy walks on side stage whipping the audience and band into a frenzy. He’s not faking it. He’s winding things up, himself included. He is noted for spending his stage time shirtless. He looks pretty raw, but he is his own man. I’m sure it helps to ground him in the moment under the circumstances and demands of performing concerts night after night.
Iggy Pop is wired for sound, running across the stage like a crazy school child on a sugar hit, but what we are seeing is a natural vitality that he always possessed.
At times he appears snotty, then smilingly happy as he looks into the audience at all angles. He had mentioned online that he was truly excited about visiting New Zealand in the summer, and it may have naturally enhanced his joy of expression.
He is strong and determined. He has suffered from abnormal spinal curvature since youth, but he has never had fear of pain throughout his career. He almost summoned pain, at times rolling in broken glass. Bring it on.
Tonight, he twice fell flat to the floor. It seemed to make him laugh. Into the microphone he uttered Mercy. He definitely enjoys throwing things around, and at times, smashed the monitor speakers with his microphone used as a hammer.
Lust For Life elevates things even higher. The fullness of his baritone voice is on full display when he performs Nightclubbing.
Steering off track, he pulls out Real Wild Child, showing some love for the previously disowned Blah Blah Blah album. The 1986 Bowie produced record was Pop’s most commercially successful release, but Iggy tagged it as a Bowie album in all but name.
As rough as guts as the Stooges were, the passage of time has delivered his current band, a tight, and well-rehearsed group that has youthful, visceral energy.
Near the end, Iggy sits stage front stating, I might die soon, I need a drink. He is delivered a classy glass of wine. He goes on to say, I feel better now than when I walked on. Thank you for treating me nice, I f—king appreciate it
Iggy Pop was underground. Back in the day, listening to his music in a mouldy flat with your stoned punky roomies, one might have felt they were one of the few who were into what he was doing. Tonight, I can see that he reached a wider audience than I had ever imagined. He is the real deal.
We just got word that tickets are still available for the Lake Wānaka show this Saturday, January 31, and can be purchased at greenstoneentertainment.co.nz or at the box office.
