Iggy Pop on the vocalist who is the “opposite of nice”
As the frontman of The Stooges, Iggy Pop made his name as the most confrontational the world had ever seen at that point. Fusing the swagger of the established rock leads with genuine danger and breaking down the conventional line between musicians and the audience, his work was the perfect embodiment of a world leaving the dream of the counterculture behind and entering a period of bleak socio-economic strife.
From carving the letter ‘X’ into his chest to resting his member on an amp, Iggy delivered an array of unbelievable moments in the live setting that were so astounding that if someone did them today, he would likely be cancelled and thrown on the cultural scrap heap.
Yet, without Iggy Pop, there would undoubtedly have been no GG Allin, Slipknot, and other musicians who have made their name by producing intense shock. Blurring the line between performance artist and rock frontman, in addition to his snarling vocals, his efforts in the live setting were perfect for the blistering proto-punk of The Stooges, which went a great way in rewriting what was expected of a rock band.
In the years since his heyday, Pop has admitted that his distinctive style wasn’t wholly original. He has cited a disastrous performance by The Doors and frontman Jim Morrison as being a particularly galvanising force for him when he was still just James Osterberg Jr, as well as the work of other artists. Perhaps the most prominent figure he cites as an influence is The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, one of the most eye-catching leads of his generation.
When speaking to Rolling Stone in 2007, Pop was asked what he took from Morrison and Jagger in the early days of The Stooges. Here, he outlined how The Rolling Stones’ leader’s vocals, which he described as the “opposite of nice”, significantly impacted him.
Pop said: “From Morrison, it was the way to stand at the mike — the stance and the grab. He hung on the stand. Nobody else did that. The other thing was he might do anything — and he doesn’t respect you. You don’t get respect for ten bucks — sorry! From Mick Jagger, it would be his moving around while he performs the song. Also, the voice as an irritant. When he sang, it was the opposite of nice.”
Watch Mick Jagger in his heyday below.
