"Hi," smiles a bemused Iggy Pop to the fanatic shrieks of thousands, "turn the fucking lights on in this dump" - laughing at the seeming absurdity of rock's most successful failure making it to the Royal Albert Hall. "Fucking thanks for coming - fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck fuck!"
The sense of occasion is lost on no one. The traditionally restrained nature of the lower tiers of the Royal Albert Hall immediately erupts into carnage, as fans refuse to be seated - flocking on mass to the front with arms outstretched, grasping for a touch from one of the last living greats. And it's not in vain - he wants you to feel part of it. Put the grandeur of the venue aside and remember; this is a punk show after all.
Tonight of course, he's flanked by one hell of a backing band - with Josh Homme, Matt Helders, Dean Fertita, Troy Van Leeuwen all in tow. All decked out in Vegas-style lounge suits, they come together as a supergroup, but stand only to accentuate the greatness of the man who takes centre stage. Opener 'Lust For Life' alone proves that Iggy is still a runaway whirlwind of energy, but hearing it translated by further generations of collaborators on stage and inspire such a feral reaction to the people of all ages that fill this iconic room only showcases that his idiosyncrasies transcend time.
That's the entire focus of the evening, and at no point do the band pull away from that. The sight of Homme swaying and duck-walking before Helders' frenetic display is one that shall endure, but he's only too happy tonight to let Iggy be the frontman, doing all he can to hold the fort while he does his thing. The Bowie-collaboration 'Sister Midnight' has its darker shades refined by that Queens Of The Stone Age pensive menace, but it's still Iggy's canine snarl, decadent swagger and opulent poetry that hold you so enraptured. The rest of the room are just humbled by his presence, band included. They're held together by brotherhood, celebration and inspiration.
But that's not to say that Iggy's legacy hogs the spotlight, as what we have in tonight's line-up is a unit designed to highlight an artist living very much in the now. The Tom Waits twisted rock of 'American Valhalla' sees Iggy wander into a more expansive, uncharted territory, with a sideways glance at mortality. It was meant to be played in rooms like this. The esoteric grace of fellow Post Pop Depression tracks with 'Sunday', 'German Days' and 'Gardenia' too, throw any cartoon preconception of Iggy that anyone might have to the wind, as what we have here tonight is rock icon casually swanning through another immaculate reinvention with a statesmanlike compulsion.
Beyond that, the order of the evening is very much about breathing new life into the classics, as 'Sixteen' and 'Funtime' now bristle with a desert rock volatility, before the Berlin cabaret quirks of 'Nightclub' enjoy a new rush of bravado. 'The Passenger' has never sounded quite so loud, and the extended glam-metal jam of 'China Girl' provides an invigorating re-imagining that Bowie would have been proud of.
Crowd-surfing and rollicking about the lower tiers, Iggy spends as much time off stage as on, doing everything in how power to make the vast hall seem intimate, not at all phased by the opulence of the setting. He could be playing in your basement for all he knows, and tonight would still be as personal. He succeeds in getting in your face and in your heart, touching a nerve as he introduces penultimate track 'Paraguay' - a song about "good people hitting 30, getting fucked up by their own sensitivities and malevolence and fighting through that". Here stands a survivor, still so full of fight, and it's impossible to not be on his side.
"Wild animals, they do - never wonder why, just do what they God damn do," pine all members of the band in unison during its intro. Amen, and fitting sentiments they are too. Every moment holds together as a constant peak. This is a record that needed to be made, and tonight's was a show that with all the combined charisma and character was only ever going to be the live event of the year.
Iggy Pop played:
Lust for Life
Sister Midnight
American Valhalla
Sixteen
In the Lobby
Some Weird Sin
Funtime
Tonight
Sunday
German Days
Mass Production
Nightclubbing
Gardenia
The Passenger
China Girl
Encore:
Break Into Your Heart
Fall in Love With Me
Repo Man
Baby
Chocolate Drops
Paraguay
Success
