andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Glazing the city of Toronto in celebrity magic for one week in September, the Toronto International Film Festival has always boasted the ability to create a buzz and shed the spotlight on industry newbies.

Such is the case for Toronto native Mike Lobel -widely formally known as Jay Hogart from Degrassi: The Next Generation- who is experiencing his first induction into TIFF this year with the rock n’ roll comedy vampire-flick Suck.

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Iggy Pop and his band the Stooges are appealing for the public’s help after thieves in Montreal made off with “priceless” vintage instruments belonging to the punk group on Monday.

Eric Fischer, the band’s road manager, told the Detroit Free Press that the truck transporting the equipment was stolen from outside a hotel where the band was staying.

Among the tens of thousands of dollars worth of missing items is bassist Mike Watts’ Gibson guitar, which he has used since the early ’80s when he played with the Minutemen.

“That bass would go in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some day if we could find it,” Fischer said. “We’re all just gutted.”

Watts has posted an extensive list of the stolen items, along with pictures, on his website.

The band is also asking anyone with information about the theft to contact Fischer via e-mail or cellphone. His contact information and more details can be found at www.hootpage.com.

Iggy and the Stooges, who were in Montreal to play the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, will be in Toronto tonight (Wednesday) as they continue on the North American leg of their international tour.

They will be using rented and donated equipment and instruments for their scheduled show at Massey Hall.