⏵Play
June 16, 1987
It was a balmy summer evening. I was sat with my eldest brother, Forbes in the public bar of a fairly non-descript hotel. It had seen better days. It’s probably somewhat of an understatement to say that I was in a state of excitement. I was gulping back the pints of 80-shilling beer like nobody’s business. I’d been to plenty of gigs by this point in my nineteen-year-old life. But nothing quite like this. I’d already been to see The Clash, Public Image Limited, The Smiths, Big Country, U2 (on the cusp of becoming massive) and a whole host of others live.
My recollection of being in the hotel bar has faded with the passage of time. But it would have included the usual anticipation of what setlist to expect shortly when we crossed the road to the Edinburgh Playhouse which was playing host to the Godfather of Punk himself, the esteemed Iggy Pop.
⏪Rewind to 1976/1977
The 8 or 9-year-old-me was impressionable. By virtue of being seven years older than me, Forbes seemed worldly-wise. Despite being in primary school, I’d sneak through to his bedroom on weeknights to listen to the John Peel show on Radio One. This was done without our parent’s knowledge. I suspect even now that they’d have disapproved. Little was I to realise then that these evenings of radio joy were to be life-changing and would stick with me permanently. I soaked up the music of the Peel show like a sponge and the emerging Punk Rock sounds of bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Stranglers, Buzzcocks, Adverts, Generation X. Need I go on . . .?!
⏩Fast Forward to 1987
I left school in 1985, moving straight into a job in the civil service. I worked in the Jobcentre in Wester Hailes, a sprawling housing estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. It was busy but I found the work rewarding. It was through work I was to meet Ian. Unfortunately, I don’t recall our first meeting, but we were soon to become close drinking buddies – sharing as we did a number of common interests – Hearts FC for one, the Tour De France. And, of course, we shared similar tastes in music. This was the beginning of us becoming lifelong mates and, despite his sometimes-eccentric behaviour, sharing a number of adventures together. He proudly boasted (and to this day, still does!) that he’d been the front man in a little-known band, The Munch. Despite the quality of their best song, Bondage Baby, fame and fortune evaded them. But they had fun. And that’s important.
⏪Rewind to June 16, 1987
The atmosphere in the Playhouse was electric. Excitable chatter pervaded throughout the theatre. And then it happened. Suddenly the house lights dimmed, plunging the auditorium into darkness. The stage lights came on. The band took their places and the opening bars of I Got a Right blasted out. Then Iggy bounded onto the stage and roared out the words of the song in a feral howl, his voice raw and urgent. I took my chance and bolted forwards so that I could get as close to the stage as possible. One of the bouncers thought differently and forcefully stopped me in my tracks. I looked the big bear in the eye and said, 'who the F@£k do you think you’re pushing?' I was vaguely aware of his fist swiftly approaching my face. The next thing I remember is being dragged up the aisle; the heels of my shoes clumsily scraping across the theatre carpet. No prizes needed for guessing who came to my rescue - Forbes. Even in my stupidity, he was right there by my side. We watched the rest of the gig together. It was a cracker. And one to reminisce about for decades to come.
⏩Fast Forward to 2013
I found myself in challenging circumstances, having recently separated from my wife. I needed morale support. A beer. A blether. Company. And occasionally a bed for the night. Right at the front of the queue were, of course, Ian and Forbes. Admittedly Ian wasn’t in a position to offer salubrious surroundings at that time. In his spare bedroom, I faced the inconvenience of an uncomfortable camp bed, compounded by the risk of encountering a mountain bike positioned beside the bed and a fully assembled drum kit. But his thoughtfulness will always be remembered, as will the mound of dirty dishes I had to wash and dry to clear enough space for me to prepare dinner. Forbes, on the other hand, was able to offer slightly more luxurious surroundings. But both very much appreciated.
⏩Fast Forward to 3 June 2025
I was beside myself when I spotted that Iggy Pop is due to perform at Glasgow’s 02 Academy at the beginning of June. It sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale and I was lucky enough to be amongst the fortunate few who managed to secure tickets. Iggy has recently turned 78 years of age and who know how many times, if at all, I’ll get to see him play live on stage again. Forbes and Ian will be by my side for that gig and although that’s still to come, it will be a belter!
⏸Pause
You might be excused for concluding that I am overly obsessed with Iggy Pop. There may be some validity to that. But this is a straightforward narrative about friendship. Pure and simple. Iggy Pop is merely the golden thread that weaves together the component parts of the friendships.
⏹️Stop