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Saturday, December 24, 2011

IGGY and THE STOOGES LIVE 12.1.11 at the HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

Iggy and The Stooges live at the Hollywood Palladium, 12.1.11.
Above, fierce, enduring, and still transgressive front man Iggy Pop.
Above and below, the mighty James Williamson.
They ARE the best classic band (original or reunited) out there. The Rolling Stones perform as superbly as they always did, but these Stooges play even better than they did back in the day (when they already were one helluva strong ensemble) by Olympian tenets even: "faster, tighter, stronger, longer," (fortunately not subscribing to remainder Olympian tenet "higher." That's why they're even better nowadays.)
And with no props, no light show, no dancers (ptoooie!) nor backup singers, just great original hardest rock material from their legendary three releases in the 1970s, their innate mega-intensity plus 1,000 mph speed and precision to fortify Iggy's forays into the maw of his audience, both figuratively and literally. Stage dives into audience surfing galore. The Ig still uber-fit and buff. (That gets rather harder at our age, you know.) Band playing at speeds that would tangle other musicians' fingers into spaghetti. Able replacement for recovering Scott Asheton Toby Dammit (Larry Mullins,) dynamic bassist beyond belief Mike Watt, perfect fit saxophonist Steve MacKay, and, with his "Raw Power" riffs and techniques that launched a hundred thousand punks, guitarist James Williamson, all of 'em on fire!

Above two photos, Iggy's P.O.V. during post stage-dive foray into the Palladium audience of his adoring public (always a trip to photograph,) and below...
...having to be carried aloft bodily from same.

Below, Iggy invoking his primal powers with audience...

Above, Derek See (guitar tech for Williamson, eclectic DJ, and musician in The Bang with wife Angeline King) provides the celeste part for "Penetration," one of the "Raw Power" uber-favorites in the set. Below, Steve MacKay, band saxophonist extraordinaire.


 
West Coast quotations culled from both the Hollywood and San Francisco gigs:


Harvey Kubernik: "Heather, your avid cheerleading and yelling for the truth for Stooges and reality on display at the Hollywood Palladium... Henry Rollins in L.A. Weekly... actually every single review come to think of it. Now everyone loves what was once your own pornography."

Amy D'Allesandro: (upon first seeing/hearing the band hit the stage live): "Where's the second guitarist?" (inadvertently echoing verbatim my exact response to first hearing Jimi Hendrix in 1967. Answer: it's all Straight James Williamson live, no overdubbing.)

Zaz Harris, my niece to whom I gave Stooges tickets for Xmas, via her real time Tweets: "Occupy the Stooges! (for "Shake Appeal" stage invasion by audience.) Aaaaa he stuck the mic down his ass crack. They just don't make front men like this anymore!"Kristi Kremes: "I kept looking for (Watt) to play more notes...but he just molds that bass to his body and becomes one with it....a solid partnership up there...and that gave Iggy room go wild."

PHOTO OPS DELUXE at Iggy and The Stooges' after party
Above, my three favorite guys in music together in one shot, James Williamson, Mr. Twister and Loren Molinare of The Dogs at Iggy and The Stooges' after party at the Hollywood Palladium.

Above, a candid by Stooges' own photographer Robert Matheu immortalizing rock and roll couturier Evita Corby, my better half Mr. Twister (who photographed 3 magazine covers of The Stooges back in the day) and yours truly (2 Stooge magazine covers.)
He's still ahead.


Left,
James
and Evita.
Below
right,
Evita
and
Loren.











Below, the joint still lousy with pro photographers (although we all remained commendably well behaved, even Johnny Depp must concur,) photographer Richard Meade, photographer Amy D'Allesandro (who assisted my session with James and his spiffy new custom Trussart Guitar, see LINK,) drummer of The Dogs Tony Matteucci and Dire McCain, co-editor of Paraphilia magazine and comely frequent subject of Meade.

Below, Dire, the genial Frank Infante of Blondie, Joel Turrisi (of late '70s band 20/20, still works in music and film) and Evita mingling in the VIP sector.



Above left,
Mr. Twister photographs Joel and Dire, not Depp.
Above right, guitar luthier
James Trussart with James Williamson.

Below, Corel Shields, Loren and Evita.
Below, Corel, Dire and Evita, then Corel and Evita. For Corel and Evita, it was a poignant but joyous reunion with this band, as both were Stooges' inner circle when they all lived in Hollywood circa the mid-1970s, Corel with Iggy and Evita with James. Ms. Corby attended James and Linda Williamson's wedding some 30 years ago, proclaiming of the intervening decades, "I'm happy for our friendship and his success in life."

Below, Evita, Robert Matheu and Allie Shields, daughter of rock scenester Sabel Starr, Corel's beloved sister who passed away in 2009 and was commemorated with her next innamorato in Iggy Pop's ballad "Look Away." Allie obviously inherited her mother's vivacious great looks.
There's fun footage galore of Ms. Starr to be viewed in Bob Gruen's documentary of The New York Dolls "All Dolled Up" for the curious.


Left, Amy, Dire
and Tony
impersonate
Ghidorah (my
favorite
Japanese
monster)
as Dire admitted.
Above right, more photographers! Robert and Bob Gruen himself.

Below, another ridiculously attractive trio: Joel, Leanna Asheton, daughter of and representing for Stooge Scott "Rock Action" Asheton, and Evita.


Left, Robert and Leanna's brother
Aaron Wallis;
right, Mr. Twister,
David Arnson and
Andrew Scott of
Stooge tribute band The Raw Power
Rangers who portray Iggy and James, respectively.
Above, Robert, Jimmy Ashhurst (Buckcherry, Izzy Stradlin's Juju Hounds) and Frank.

Below, Robert, Dire, Evita and Mr. Twister. I somehow missed getting shots of James' charming wife Linda or Steve MacKay who appeared inordinately engrossed in a assorted conversations nullifying any inclination of mine to dare interrupt. Nonetheless, a terrific time was had by all!


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