Iggy Pop says he will no longer be stage-diving at his live shows.
The move was famously popularised by Pop in his youth while frontman of The Stooges. Now however, the singer feels that the time has come for him to stop leaping into the audience from the stage, due to him being 75-years-old and, in his own words, "too rickety".
While in conversation with NME for their "Big Read" cover interview, the Godfather of Punk discussed his much-anticipated headline gig in London’s Crystal Palace Park on July 1 next year, which will see support from Blondie and Generation Sex.
Of his decision to retire the move at the ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ event and beyond, he says: “I’ve left the proscenium a few times if the crowds were too dull just to whip ’em up, but mostly I didn’t have to.
“I won’t do the dives again, I’ve managed to survive it mostly and I’m too rickety for that now.”
While Pop's announcement doesn't come as a surprise from a man well into his seventies, this isn't the first time he's vowed to stop stage-diving. In fact, in 2010, the charismatic frontman dived into a crowd at New York's Carnegie Hall, and landed straight onto the floor as no one caught him. This inspired Pop (who was 62 at the time) to retire the move to prevent further injuries.
Last month, the iconic vocalist announced the arrival of his new album, Every Loser, which is scheduled for release on January 6.
The record features a star-studded list of guest contributions, including the late Taylor Hawkins, Pearl Jam's Josh Klinghoffer and Stone Gossard, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan, Blink-182's Travis Barker and Jane's Addiction duo Dave Navarro and Eric Avery.
On collaborating with Taylor Hawkins on the record, he offered his own tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer in the same interview, declaring: "Taylor came in with incredible style.
“I’m very fortunate to have that colour on the record. I was really sad and shocked to hear about him. I happened to know that hotel where he was. I’ve stayed in that town. The whole thing was something else. He did have a wonderful career doing what he wanted to do, and by all accounts, a good life.”
“He drums up a storm on those tracks, and you can really hear it. He has this sort of bubbling quality, it’s really percolating.”
