The Stooges 2003: Mike Watt, Ron Asheton, Iggy Pop and Rock Action.
Photo courtesy of Peter Whitfield.
The Stooges 2003: Mike Watt, Ron Asheton, Iggy Pop and Rock Action.
Photo courtesy of Peter Whitfield.
IGGY AND THE STOOGES
COACHELLA FESTIVAL
Coachella, Ca
April 27, 2003
The gig is located waaaay out in the desert, about three hours from LA. It’s
a huge two-day affair, with four stages, lots of tents, vendors, and security.
Still, it’s fairly laid-back, on the site of several polo fields with smooth
green grass underfoot. There’s a full load of interesting acts to catch
on Sunday, including the Von Bondies, Primal Scream, Sonic Youth and some others,
but let’s face it, the only reason to go to this is THE STOOGES. So we
miss everything else but a small sliver of Primal Scream.
There’s obviously many of a similar mind. I meet Stooges
fans from Seattle, Arizona, Texas, Michigan and Japan. They’re all hanging
out by the beer tent ($6 Heineken) impatiently, discussing Stooge strategy.
The sun is going down and the wind is coming up, far out in the California desert,
where the ocean once stood.
After a tedious, tortured, and tepidly received set by the “It Group”
of the Moment, Detroit’s White Stripes, there’s a quick changeover
as the crew sets up the Stooge stage. Rock’s green drum set, looking brand
new, is put up dead center, and Ron’s bank of Marshalls are switched on
while a tech tunes up his white Fender guitar. Mike Watt’s set-up is to
Rock’s right, a little behind the line of Ron’s amps, and just about
even with Rock’s throne. Two mikes are set up for Iggy, and then Eric (E-wreck),
Iggy’s son and road manager, checks ‘em out.
The crowd is pretty quiet. About 6000 people crammed in close to the stage.
All our previously laid plans of manuevering right up to Ron’s amps are
thwarted, first by the 10-foot wide moat in front of the stage, and second by
the mega-thick crowd determined to stand their ground. Most of them appear to
have been born after 1969.
Ron Asheton cranks it
out. (Peter Whitfield photo)
With nary an intro, on comes the band and cranks up right away.
It sounds good, ‘cause it’s “LOOSE” and Ron’s got just
the right amount of feedback into his lead. Rock hits the cymbal just about
perfect, and on comes Iggy to a great cry. He’s wearing his usual stage
outfit of nothing but tight blue jeans. Ron is playing with a quiet discipline
and Scott looks real solid pounding away with a backwards baseball cap. It’s
a little hard to hear all of Ron’s authoritative playing, because we’re
in front of the speakers and they’ve got Watt’s bass up a little too
loud, along with Rock’s bass drum. Iggy is doing his patented run-all-over-the-stage
thing, but he seems to lack a bit of intensity, maybe ‘cause I’m used
to seeing him up close.
Next up is “DOWN ON THE STREET” and the band is sounding better and
better. Ron’s playing and presence is that of a master. He’s obviously
ecstatic to be playing HIS songs again, as they were meant to be heard, before
a huge crowd. Having never heard Rock Action with the Stooges before, he sounds
a bit more tentative than I remember his playing with Sonic’s, but he’s
getting into it more with every beat. Watt is hanging bit a back, acquitting
himself quite well, and gives an average guy insight; like he’s looking
around, blown away by playing with the Asheton Brothers, backing up Iggy, and
trying to pin it down at the same time.
Iggy on the prowl
(PeterWhitfield photo)
They jam a bit on “STREET” and sound better and better.
They’re starting to get into it, and segue into “1969”. It’s
a full-on version, it sounds FUCKIN’ GREAT. Hey, nobody can play the Stooges
like the Stooges! At that moment, I consider my $75 and 11 hours of driving
well spent. IT’S THE FUCKING STOOGES, MAN!
After a brief bit of blather from Mr. Osterberg, they go into “I WANNA
BE YOUR DOG”. Once again played as it should be, with Ron’s guitar
on the edge of feedback and a relentless pounding of Rock Action. Watt’s
a little florid on the bass line, but what the hey. Iggy’s getting into
it now, more demonstrative as always. He seems a little blown away by the whole
thing now, even though it was supposedly always his call. “We’re the
Stooges!!!” They go into “T.V. EYE” and I’m gettin’
one from the chick standing next to me - always a great moment. The volume has
gone up a bit, and you can hear Rock even louder. Once again, Ron demonstrates
his sheer “master of the ‘caster” role, he’s in total control
of his instrument but pushes the music up and out, like the way it was meant
to be played. Thanks Ron! You’re the greatest!
TV EYE has a perfect ending, and Watt looks quite pleased with himself. Why
the fuck not, Watt? Way to go! Iggy has a brief rap about being “nobody”
(earning a big chuckle), and that’s the intro into what else, “DIRT”.
This is a Stooge opus, and Rock is just that. Meanwhile, Ron takes his license
and plays the first of 3 solos, the first fast, the second spaced-out, and the
third a mixture of the previous two, taking the whole thing up a notch while
the singer gets into the ironic aspect of the tune. It occurs to the crowd that
maybe we’re all dirt. Every bit of nonsense, garbage and lies we’ve
sucked up since 1970 vanishes into the cosmos and we’re all STOOGES on
the DIRT.
Watt and Pop interract.
(Peter Whitfield photo)
Iggy gets a little more loquacious after that, and asks “Are ya happy
now?” (as if, happy THE STOOGES are finally playing again) - “I’m
happy, FUCKIN’ happy”. The crowd roars. In general, though, he’s
got not much to say besides the F-word. Then, it’s “REAL COOL TIME”
and I’m not sure, but this is the one they had to start over. I’m
wishing Ron would turn it up a bit. “NO FUN” is up next, and by the
end Iggy is back by Rock’s drum kit, exhorting him and in general turning
it up. Watt looks valiantly for clues as to where this thing is going to go
next, and hangs in there. It’s teetering at the edge of abandon, as it
should, and comes crunching to a quick close. Next up is a song I’m not
sure about, ‘cause I can’t read my own writing, but it rocks. Then
Iggy goes on a rant, ‘WE ARE THE STOOGES’ ‘I’M FUCKIN’
IGGY’ and they blast off into “1970”, Iggy clearly into this
one. He’s coming over to our side of the stage, energy showering off of
him, the crowd gets a dose and leaps up together. On the other side of the stage,
he’s up on a riser, the wind from behind whipping his hair, what a forgotten
boy. He FEELS ALRIGHT! On comes legendary sax player Steve MacKay, and the tune
goes immediately to the next level. Iggy’s gotta get it turned up in his
monitors and eventually the whole place can hear Steve’s gut-busting tenor
drive. Rock is pounding away, suspending the beat perfectly, and Ron’s
tonal shards perfect counterpoint.
“FUNHOUSE” is the logical successor and it starts quick and gets down
& dirty. Iggy gets in, and they bring it down. With the live tenor sax pinning
it down, you can really hear the soulful roots of THE STOOGES. This is an R
& B band we’re hearing! Never mind all the post-mortem analysis of
“primitive” “basic” “punk” (continuing right up
to this day!) ---- this band has way more to it than those dismissive phrases
could ever mean. It’s a beautiful organic sound, fully grown and of a whole,
one that sprang up from SE Michigan mud and festered and flowered for 30 years.
COME INTO THE FUNHOUSE, ‘CAUSE WE BEEN SEPARATED, BABY, FAR TOO LONG!
They came to play, and that’s what they did. It was cool. Wish you all
coulda been there. Whether or not THE STOOGES will tour is unresolved, it could
have been a one-off. But this is a world-class band, now or 30 years ago. I’d
put them up against anyone, in or out of the ring.
Thanks Ron! Thanks Scott! Thanks Mike! Thanks Steve! Thanks Jim! Thanks Goldenvoice!
Thanks JM! Thanks Indio! Thanks Cali! Thanks All! KEEP REAL-O-MIND!
-ig (eye-gee)
