While stage diving has always been a part of Iggy Pop’s wildly energetic live performances, the punk pioneer says fans should no longer expect him to hurl his body into the crowd.
These days, he prefers “to stay on the stage,” he says.
“I’m not doing that right now,” the 75-year-old singer says. “I hit my limit. I did about 40 shows last year, and I crossed over a few times, but not with a full dive. A couple of times I sorta fell in and a couple of times I walked around, but if I don’t have to, I prefer to stay on the stage. It’s too much wear and tear at this point. I would get hurt.”
That’s not to say Pop has anything against stage-diving. “I prefer to stay on the stage, but now at some of the shows people do it themselves,” he says. “They leap up, touch toe, do a grab and dive off. That’s cool with me.”
Pop’s new album, Every Loser, arrives on Friday.