Iggy Pop: Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 (2LP)

Iggy Pop “Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023” is the first in a series of prestigious audio and visual releases featuring iconic artists performing at the iconic festival.

This performance followed the release of his album “Every Loser,” which entered the top 10 charts in major territories including #2 in Germany and #8 in France. Set list includes songs from every phase of his career. From Iggy and The Stooges to his collaborations with David Bowie and the “Trainspotting” soundtrack hit “Lust for Life.”

Gatefold LP features exclusive photos

At 76 years old, Iggy Pop has nothing left to prove—he’s already cemented himself as the godfather of punk, an unrelenting force of chaos and raw energy. But if you thought age would slow him down, Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 proves otherwise. In one of the most unlikely yet fitting settings, Iggy stormed the Montreux stage with the same reckless abandon that made him a legend in the first place.

From the moment he steps onto the stage, shirtless as always, you can tell this isn’t going to be some laid-back, jazz-infused set. Instead, Iggy and his razor-sharp band tear through a mix of classics, deep cuts, and newer material with an energy that puts most younger acts to shame. His voice may be rougher around the edges, but that only adds to the raw, lived-in quality of his performance.

Tracks like Lust for Life and The Passenger send the crowd into a frenzy, their infectious grooves proving just as powerful decades later. The signature Iggy sneer, the wild stage presence, the unfiltered energy—it’s all still there. His performance of I Wanna Be Your Dog is a reminder of why The Stooges’ music still feels dangerous and primal, even in a refined setting like Montreux.

But it’s not just a nostalgia act. Iggy brings material from his more recent albums, showing that he’s still evolving rather than just resting on past glories. Songs from Every Loser and Free add a different dimension to the set, blending his punk roots with jazzier, moodier elements that actually make sense in the Montreux atmosphere. There’s a looseness to the performance, but it never feels tired—it’s just Iggy being Iggy, as unpredictable as ever.

The band is tight, delivering every song with precision while still capturing that raw, spontaneous energy that makes Iggy’s music so special. The interplay between them and their frontman is electric—he feeds off their energy, and they, in turn, push him to go even harder.

If there’s one thing Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 proves, it’s that Iggy Pop is eternal. He doesn’t just perform—he lives every song, every moment, as if it’s the last time. Even in a festival known for its sophisticated and eclectic performances, he turns it into a raucous, unhinged spectacle, reminding everyone why he’s one of the greatest frontmen in rock history.

BY RUE MORGUE RECORDS