Godfather of punk Iggy Pop to play huge UK show with Blondie, a Sex Pistols/Generation X supergroup and more

By Paul Brannigan
( Classic Rock )
published

Punk's not dead, as a new Iggy Pop-headlined outdoor show in London next summer will testify

Iggy Pop
(Image credit: Vincent Guignet)

Iggy Pop is to headline a huge outdoor show in London next summer, supported by Blondie and Generation Sex, a UK punk supergroup featuring former Generation X men Billy Idol and Tony James, and former Sex Pistols duo Steve Jones and Paul Cook.

The one-day event, titled Dog Day Afternoon, will take place at Crystal Palace Park on Saturday July 1, 2023.

Looking ahead to the punk all-dayer, Blondie vocalist Debbie Harry says, “Blondie and Iggy Pop… We are excited to reunite with our friend, the one and only Prince of Punk, Iggy, for this special show in Crystal Palace Park next summer. Once more, with feeling!”

Ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones is equally enthused about being part of the biggest old school punk rock show staged in London in decades: his band Generation Sex will be making their UK debut at the event.

“Just every now and then we find time to get together with old pals from back in the day," he says in a statement, “purely just for the crack and to have fun. If it ain’t fun then we ain’t interested, life’s too short. And it’s a great bill with Iggy Pop and Blondie.”

More bands will be announced for the show in due course.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am on November 18, via Ticketmaster.

Poster for Dog Day Afternoon, summer 2023

(Image credit: Festival Republic)

Iggy Pop recently announced that he'll be issuing a new studio album next year. The former Stooges' frontman's 19th solo album, Every Loser, is scheduled for release on January 6.

The record will serve as The Godfather of Punk's first offering through the partnership of Atlantic Records and Gold Tooth Records, the latter of which was founded by Ozzy Osbourne's producer, Andrew Watt, who's also worked with Post Malone, Miley Cyrus and more.

“I’m the guy with no shirt who rocks; Andrew and Gold Tooth get that, and we made a record together the old-fashioned way,” Iggy says in a statement. “The players are guys I’ve known since they were kids and the music will beat the shit out of you.”

Watt adds: “Iggy Pop is a fucking icon. A true original. The guy invented the stage dive..I still can’t believe he let me make a record with him. I am honoured. It doesn’t get cooler. This album was created to be played as loud as your stereo will go…turn it up and hold on…”.

Paul Brannigan
Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.