It was a night that no one who was present will soon forget.
Iggy Pop, iconic frontman of The Stooges and raconteur, held a capacity room in the palm of his hand on Friday, at the ‘Songs and Stories’ event, set in the Harquail Theatre.
The concert was presented by Inclusion Cayman, a non-profit organisation that works to erase barriers for children and adults with disabilities. Its mission is to ensure that they should be included in all areas of life – not segregated from other members of the community.
The evening featured four local bands – Clever Knots, Kuhyah, Sugardaddi and Suckerbox – performing songs from the legendary singer’s impressive discography: a body of work that gained him the designation ‘Godfather of Punk’.
From the moment that Iggy walked out in full view, the crowd went crackers. I had the privilege of sitting stage left with him, poised to ask questions throughout the night about his career and the inspiration behind some of his songs.
He told stories about his early days with The Stooges, collaborating with David Bowie, conversations with Leonard Cohen and an interesting time opening for Madonna. He was witty and gracious, with an amazing recollection of events in his life. Hilarious tales were greeted with hoots of laughter and applause from an appreciative throng.
Iggy insisted on introducing every local act himself, and had memorised not only the bands’ names, but each individual musician’s name as well.
There was no plan for him to get up and sing, and yet, moved – much as the audience was – by Clever Knots blasting out of the gate with ‘Gimme Danger’ and ‘No Fun’, he was on his feet in a trice, commanding the stage and joining in the vocals. It was a dream come true for fans, who were up out of their seats, and dancing with gusto.
All the local bands were on their ‘A’ game, with Kuhyah adding a reggae twist to ‘The Endless Sea’ and ‘The Passenger’, much to Iggy’s delight, who again jumped up to participate.
After the intermission, Sugardaddi brought the energy right back up to the roof with ‘Lust for Life’ and ‘Bang Bang’, as Iggy took on lead vocals, crouching at the edge of the stage and roaring into the microphone.
By the time Suckerbox took its turn for ‘Search and Destroy’ and ‘TV Eye’, a solid group of people was well-established between the front row of theatre seats and the band, bouncing up and down and cheering. Once again, Iggy was front and centre, leaving no doubt as to why he is such a legend.
After a final chat, I got up to sing ‘Candy’ with Suckerbox, a song originally recorded by Iggy and Kate Pierson from the B-52s. Derrick McKay, bass player, was to sing Iggy’s part, but much to my delight, the man himself took over and sang it with me.
I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from the thrill.
Near the end of the number, he waved goodbye to the audience and exited the stage, leaving Suckerbox to close the night with ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’.
Organisers were overwhelmed by the event’s success, stating that it was a big win for music fans and Inclusion Cayman, which raised awareness of its importance in the community, along with some much-needed funds.
Parent Vijay Singhera had talked earlier in the evening about how much Inclusion Cayman meant to her family, touching on the struggles her daughter constantly faced in order to ‘fit in’. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Inclusion Cayman is eternally grateful to Iggy Pop for giving us not just an unbelievable fundraising opportunity, but also an incredible platform for reaching so many people in our community who weren’t aware of our mission,” said Nik Tatarkin, chairman of the organisation. “Hundreds of people’s lives in our islands will be positively impacted as a result of this amazing evening. We were heartened by offers of support from people in the audience, even as the show was taking place. Truly amazing.”
Social media lit up over the weekend with countless people raving about the concert, praising not just Iggy himself, but the level of local talent.
David Wilson, one of the main organisers of ‘Songs and Stories with Iggy Pop’, said, “[Iggy’s] generosity, offering to do this event for a great cause, was extraordinary, and only outshone by his ability to perform.
“While the focus of the evening was to raise awareness for Inclusion Cayman, there were many additional benefits such as showcasing local musical talent, gathering community support, and offering a palpable break from a stressful year. It was rad!”
Anyone who was there on the night would heartily agree.
Related Videos
