andPOP » Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop to Stop Stage Diving

Sara Harowitz — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:34:42 +0000

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Well, it’s not like many other guys his age are doing it.

Iggy Pop has promised to stop stage diving after suffering a brutal fall at a recent show, reports NME.com.

The 62-year-old rock singer has said that he dived for the final time during a show at New York’s Carnegie Hall. At that show, no one in the audience caught him, so The Stooges’ lead singer was left bruised and battered.

“When I landed it hurt and I made a mental note that Carnegie Hall would be a good place for my last stage dive,” he said, according to Jam! Showbiz. “The audience were just like, ‘What are you doing?’”

Pop said recently that The Stooges are planning to record new music after their “Raw Power” tour.

TIFF ’09: Suck’s Mike Lobel Talks With andPOP

Jeremy Singer — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:43:55 +0000

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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.

“I’m really psyched for tonight,” says Lobel, who’s premiere played at the Bloor Varsity Cinema in Toronto on Friday night. In the midst of running around the city for those last minute “day-of” errands, the 25-year-old reeks of optimism for his first festival outing.

“I’m just running all over the place,” he says. “I’m loving it so far though. Got to get a jacket, Much On Demand later on for some promotional stuff, and then picking up my date.”

Adds the actor, “I’m just anticipating a wicked time with the guys later on.”

Directed and written by Rob Stefaniuk, Suck tells the story about a struggling rock band ironically called the Winners. Led by lead singer Joey Winner (Stefaniuk), the band tries to make it big on their tour across Canada and the US- despite their lack of popularity. After their bassist Jennifer (Jessica Paré) is turned into a vampire by the Vampire Queen (Dimitri Coats), the band experiences a surprising turn of events. Injecting a heavy dose of rock n’ roll vibes into the film are rock legends Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop who don minor roles as a vampire bartender and the latter as a studio owner.

“They’re all such committed actors,” says Lobel who plays the band’s drummer Sam. “They work hard for what they do, they came to set and were right on.”

Lobel seemed most fond of co-star Malcolm McDowell who plays Eddie Van Helsing- a vampire hunter trying to chase the clan down.

“Working with the guy was amazing. I was a big fan of A Clockwork Orange. He’s just so creative and passionate about what he does.”

Acquired by Alliance Films, shooting occurred in Toronto last November for 20 days with a low budget of $3.5 million (CAN). Most of the clubs throughout the film are underground clubs and bars in the city.

Lobel admits that once he had a chance to eye the script, he was -without a question- hooked. He fought so hard to get the role, that he even sent in an audition tape of himself jamming out on the drums.

“I knew that Stefaniuk’s work was fun and comedic, so I thought this was a really cool opportunity to portray the vampire genre in a different light.”

As his six-year role on Degrassi gained him some street cred, Lobel feels that it’s now time to switch things up and take a stab at feature films. And TIFF’s reputation to give concentrated career boosts can only mean great things for a guy who hopes to continue his new-found path in the film industry.

“I would like my work to speak for itself,” he says, “and I’m just gonna keep on working hard at my craft. It would be great to have the chance to parlay into another feature film, and I’d definitely be open to the opportunity.”

Iggy And The Stooges’ Gear Stolen In Montreal

Eva Lam — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:46:45 +0000

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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.