The punk legend Noddy Holder called a "real drama queen" and "total madman"

22 July 2026, 11:08

Iggy Pop opened for Slade in the early 1970s and Noddy Holder has some stories.

Slade came of age in the 1970s where rock and roll was as famous for its excess as it was the music, with plenty of craziness happening both onstage and behind it.

And one artist that could definitely give Noddy Holder and the lads a run for their money in that regard was Iggy Pop.

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The Staffordshire boys and Iggy crossed paths in 1974 when the Raw Power era of The Stooges supported Slade for a couple of shows in the US, shortly before their second break-up.

Iggy supported Slade on January 18 at the Allen Theater in Cleveland and on January 19 at the Toledo Sports Arena.

Quizzed about their interactions half a century on, Noddy Holder hailed Iggy as a "great guy" but also called him a "total madman" and "real drama queen".

Slade - Everyday on Top Of The Pops (1974)

“Erm… well, it was different, I’ll put it like that!" Noddy told NME in 2022.

"Iggy opened for us in America before he was well-known and he was a total madman."

He continued: "We were both into shocking audiences, but whereas we’d do it with our crazy look, Iggy would slash himself with razors and jump into the audience trying to get them to beat him up.

"Each night, he was carried out of the show to hospital. If one of Slade nicked one of his girls who were hanging outside the hotel after the gig, he'd throw a wobbler and slash himself again.

"Then he’d get carted off to hospital again. He was a real drama queen! He was a great guy – but he was more of an eccentric than Dave Hill – and that’s saying something!"

Iggy and the Stooges split less than a month after their Slade support slots following an explosive live performance on February 9, 1974, which was immortalised as the Metallic KO album.

Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power Documentary (Iggy & James Travel To London)

They would reunite in 2003 for a series of live shows and the 2007 comeback album The Weirdness.

After the death of guitarist Ron Asheton in 2009, Raw Power guitarist James Williamson returned to the lineup and the band released their swansong Ready To Die in 2013.

They split for the last time in 2016 after the deaths of drummer Scott Asheton and saxophonist Steve Makay.