Saturday, June 6, 2009
Stooges update
Here's some rare footage of the '73 Iggy & the Stooges line up. Iggy sent out a press release a few weeks back announcing that James Williamson will be rehearsing with the Stooges in July for some as yet un-announced gigs--" the repertoire will be Raw Power" according to Iggy. After Ron Asheton died I assumed I'd never leave the house again, but I sure won't miss this one.
By the way, that's Nitebob's Firebird Williamson's playing (James had been compaining about how heavy his Les Paul was, so Nitebob who was their sound man lent him his Gibson Firebird), the footage was taken at the Academy of Music in New York City New Year's Eve 1973/74, too bad Ron's not visible, he was wearing one of his Nazi uniforms that night. CBS recorded the gig on a 24 track mobile unit but the tape has never surfaced, only a poor sounding audience recorded cassette that was issued as a bootleg called Night Of The Iguana.
I, and at least some of the band, was at that show. That was KISS, BLUE OYSTER CULT, THE STOOGES & TEENAGE LUST, I believe. Our BOC connection was probably why we were there (meaning we could get in free), although it was of course THE STOOGES we were really there for. I remember them doing I GOT NOTHIN, and then the Ig introducing the next three or four songs (at least)as I GOT NOTHIN', anyway. He was, as SIDNEY PORTIER would say about VIC MORROW in BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, "flying high on Sneaky Pete wine", although it was more he like he started the evening on Sneaky Pete wine. Fun night, and a Hap Hap Happy New Year for all.
ReplyDelete"I, and at least some of the band,"
ReplyDeleteScott is referring to the Dictators, his band.
May I take this opportunity to recommend the Norton release Everyday's Saturday, a collection of early demos and rare stuff that includes pre-Go Girl Crazy demos!
agree with Hound, except I'd go as far as to recommend ANYTHING on Norton!
ReplyDelete(Dictators fucking RULE, natch)
God bless Ron Asheton,
I've read about those businessmen who want to be rock stars, but this takes the cake. From Stooge to IEEE back to Stooge!
ReplyDeleteMuch as I feel pretty skeptical about most reunions, I'm down for this one in a big way (assuming it ever happens).
ReplyDeleteThe Ig did a show at Coney Island High about a decade ago where he basically tried on his Raw Power persona for the first time in years (this was around the time that the first Stooges reunion rumors started floating around, mostly suggesting that they'd appear at a Lollapalooza). That show was pretty great, and it wasn't even The Stooges, just the Ig and his touring band doing the Raw Power set. Given how great most of the recent Asheton/Stooges shows were, I don't doubt that an Iggy/Williamson/Rock Action/Watt live set would be phenomenal - probably at least as good if not better than most of the live sets they did back in the day.
(That's coming from one who saw the Raw Power Stooges twice, once at their best, and once at their worst - unfortunately the one that got recorded was the latter, showing up as half of Metallic KO).
JN
I hope Iggy remembers his roots when deciding which venues/cities to play...if it comes off. In other words, "Detroit still loves you Ig. No one who ever caught the Stooges in the early '70's will ever forget the energy of those shows." That's not a slam at the later stuff, it's just that no one ever forgets their first lay, or their first buzz, or the first time they saw the Stooges. In my case it was 1970 at the Grande Ballroom. Awesome doesn't begin to do it justice.
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ReplyDeleteThis cannot truly work, I believe so.
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