Thursday, December 22, 2022

A Punk Magazine-Iggy Pop holiday 'Loser' extravaganza at Metropolis

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Iggy Pop recently announced that he has a new record, Every Loser, (his 19th studio album) coming out next month. 

As part of this release, there's also a new edition of Punk Magazine (No. 22 for those of you keeping track) — 47 years after the very first issue. This edition is available along with the record via Iggy's website

Ahead of this release, East Village resident John Holmstrom (above), the co-founder, editor and illustrator of Punk Magazine, provided a sneak preview of the edition on Saturday night at Metropolis Vintage on Broadway and 11th Street.
The party included some Punk fans and contributors, such as illustrator Bruce Carleton and East Village-based photographer Godlis...
In a recent newsletter, Holmstrom provided the back story on how this Every Loser issue of Punk came together. 

It started with a text this past July from the record's producer, Andrew Watt, who is a Punk fan (especially Mutant Monster Beach Party in issue No. 15). 
This guy, Andrew Watt, said he wanted me to devote an entirely new issue of Punk to Iggy's new album. He wanted it to be an authentic Punk magazine, with the whole scraggly, hand-lettered mess of photos and comic strips we usually came up with. 

"What was your last issue number?" he once asked.

"Twenty-one," I replied. (Our CBGB Tribute!) 

"Then this will be Punk magazine Number Twenty-two," Andrew said. (And to be honest? He stuck to this promise all the way through. This is an authentic Punk Magazine. I enjoyed complete creative control throughout.) An entire issue devoted to Iggy Pop… Great idea, right? How could I say "No!"? So I agreed to do it. What could go wrong? 
And... 
Andrew told me how he was sure I would like the new Iggy LP. I have to admit I was skeptical at first. You know: "That’s what they all say." A few weeks later, he sent me the tracks, and I was blown away. "Best Iggy Pop solo LP!" I gladly told him. By now, I would have killed an army of Nazi Disco Zombies to produce this new issue of Punk Magazine that details Iggy's amazing career and highlights his amazing new album! 

To me, Iggy was the first "Punk." He started it all, the most important person in the history of punk rock, best musician, most influential, etc. Once I heard this amazing new Iggy LP I started putting ideas together and researching everything about Iggy I could find on the Internet. I have to admit I hadn't kept up with all of the intimate details of Iggy's career since the 1970s, but he was always there. I always noticed that he was up to this or that. 

There's a lot about Iggy Pop on the internet, but most of it refers to The Stooges and Iggy's drug years before he cleaned up his act in the early 1980s. Well, yeah, these are all interesting stories, but mostly old and retold many times over. 

So rather than tell the same old dismal stories about "The Depths of Drug Addiction" or track down the many photos where he cut himself on stage, I decided to focus on Iggy's amazing creative career and his work: a bunch of great studios LPs, lots of quotable Iggy quotes, a massive number of film roles, (too many music videos to list), etc. So I got started on putting together the magazine.

This issue of Punk can only be purchased through the official Iggy Pop website

You can subscribe to Holmstrom's newsletter here

Previously on EV Grieve:


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's Aido! (The guy in the newsboy cap.)

Grieve said...

Yes! Aido and Eileen repping Mona's!

Anonymous said...

and drew and skeleton boy! what a party!

Anonymous said...

Right on - Love that store and the Krewe - Where is Richard?? Rock on y'all

XTC said...

Funnily enough Iggy rejected the Punk Label when it first came out, but later glommed on to it when he saw it was good for business. Or maybe he just played along with it because why not. After Transporting came out, the movie 1996, he garnered enough commercial support to revivify his "career" and went on to make some outstanding records, particularly the last two, Free and Post Pop Depression. Saw an amazing performance of the reunited Stooges at Roseland quite a few years ago where Iggy plowed into the VIP section and started knocking over tables. At 75 he's one of the few artists who's edgy, articulate, soulful, and can still rock you up your asshole.

OlympiasEpiriot said...

Good to hear about this!!

Can you add captions identifying everyone in the photos?

Grieve said...

The Blogger template I use doesn't have a caption function...

DuchessofNYC said...

Always thought Iggy was the coolest resident of the Christadora House, when I used to spot him exiting the building or hanging on Ave. B. What a great idea for a Punk issue! John Holmstrom, so glad yr keeping it goin on! I miss the dayz when you were editor in chief of High Times!

Exterminator said...

was anyone else lucky enough to see Iggy at
the A7 club? It was summer 1981. He came
down with his lefty Strat guitar and jammed
all night with Cheetah Chrome and Jon Spacely.
incredible evening.