IGGY AND THE STOOGES - Live In Detroit {MVD} Has there ever been a reformation as hugely anticipated as that of IGGY AND THE STOOGES? I doubt it. Filmed back in 2003 on the band’s home stamping ground of Detroit, this features 14 tracks of mind-numbing, sledgehammer power, sleazy rock ‘n’ roll genius.
The set is culled from the band’s first two albums and kicks off with ‘Loose’. The titles that follow speak for themselves....’1969’, ‘Dirt’, ‘TV Eye’, ‘No Fun’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’... Each track is delivered in such an astoundingly natural way; it seems the Asheton Brothers must have been born attached to their instruments instead of an umbilical cord. Ron’s guitar is unforgiving; it snarls and crawls and can be sublimely beautiful - at least to those with their ears in the gutter. Meanwhile, Scott stares virtually blankly from behind the drum kit never missing a beat. New Stooge, Mike Watt (ex-MINUTEMEN), deftly plays these songs that he grew up with. Even during the blackout in ‘TV Eye’, the music continues like a cathartic sonic boom.
And then there’s IGGY - the best frontman ever known or seen. Man, the guy works the stage like no other and that’s even more incredible given his age. He sprints across the stage, jumping, dancing and simply rocking out. He incites a stage invasion that lasts most of ‘No Fun’ and ‘Real Cool Time’ and it’s hard to think of another vocalist that could scream, "I am not a fucking product" with such conviction as IGGY does during ‘Funhouse’.
This ain’t just one show though; you also get as a bonus Iggy, Ron and Scott playing an in-store show in NYC. It’s intimate - Iggy even starts the show sitting on a barstool (although within 10 beats he’s up and dancing). This is probably more interesting to the die-hard fan as Iggy and Ron both tell stories of the songs’ origins and inspirations. It also proves these songs can be played at low volume and lose none of their visceral power.
Other extras include a ‘sing-a-long-a-Iggy’ section, a photo gallery and a fantastic Mike Watt journal reading during which he sounds, in equal parts, a blissful stoner, star-struck fan-boy, dry comedian, speeding obsessive and virtually born again since becoming a Stooge.
Great inner sleeve too with notes from Mike Watt and Creem magazine. It’s a really good package - the two shows are different enough to warrant inclusion and both are riveting.
I caught the STOOGES in Sydney, 2006 which proved that this DVD was no one-off money-making reformation. The band rocked, and hard. This DVD is a perfect reminder of just why I’ve played ‘Fun House’ for 20 years and still never tire of it. Essential gear.