📰 Iggy Does It His Way (and Bowie’s) – 1 Page: Mar. 1977
- Iggy Pop
- Mar 12, 1977
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 12
Writer: Jim Evans / Record Mirror
Date: March 12, 1977
Length: 4 min read
A candid, chaotic snapshot of Iggy Pop’s Rainbow Theatre performance — with David Bowie quietly commanding the keyboards and refusing the spotlight.
A punk‑charged night where Bowie plays sideman and Iggy takes centre stage.
Record Mirror captures the raw energy of Iggy Pop’s London show, where punks, Bowie look‑alikes, and glitter‑clad fans converge. Bowie, dressed in cords and a sweater, slips behind the keyboards, refusing to sing and repeating “It’s all a coward’s trick” like a mantra. It’s a night of spectacle, restraint, and underground electricity.
📰 Key Highlights
• One‑page article in Record Mirror, March 12, 1977
• Covers Iggy Pop’s Rainbow Theatre performance in London
• David Bowie appears as keyboardist, not frontman
• Includes five black‑and‑white Bowie performance photos
• Quotes Bowie’s backstage remarks and onstage repetition
• Reflects the Berlin‑era ethos of anonymity and artistic focus
📰 Overview
In March 1977, Iggy Pop was riding a wave of punk‑era resurgence, and David Bowie — fresh from Low and deep into his Berlin period — was quietly supporting him as keyboardist on tour. The Rainbow Theatre show in London became a focal point for fans, punks, and Bowie obsessives alike.
Record Mirror’s coverage is both irreverent and revealing. Jim Evans paints a vivid picture of the crowd: punks, former Bowie clones, and “be‑jewelled women” all gathered to witness Iggy’s raw performance and Bowie’s understated presence. The article captures Bowie’s refusal to take centre stage, his quiet Berlin‑era persona, and his repeated declaration: “It’s all a coward’s trick, I’m not singing.”
The piece is part review, part backstage sketch, and part cultural snapshot — a moment where glam, punk, and Berlin minimalism collided.
📰 Source Details
Publication / Venue: Record Mirror
Date: March 12, 1977
Format: One‑page article
Provenance Notes: Verified from original UK print scans; consistent with Record Mirror’s editorial style and Bowie’s 1977 tour documentation.
📰 The Story
The article opens with a chaotic scene: punks and Bowie look‑alikes flooding the Rainbow Theatre, eager to see Iggy Pop and his band — and to catch a glimpse of Bowie, who was playing keyboards but avoiding the spotlight.
Jim Evans describes Bowie’s backstage demeanour: quiet, dressed in brown cords and a green shirt, chatting with journalists and fans. When asked why he liked Berlin, Bowie replied, “Because it’s so quiet.” That line becomes emblematic of his entire presence at the show — restrained, anonymous, and deliberately anti‑star.
Onstage, Bowie’s only vocal moment comes when he announces a song with a repeated phrase: “It’s all a coward’s trick, I’m not singing.” The repetition becomes a kind of performance art — a refusal to perform, a statement of withdrawal, and a nod to the emotional exhaustion of fame.
The article also praises The Vibrators’ opening set and captures the overall mood of the night: electric, unpredictable, and deeply rooted in the shifting aesthetics of 1977.
📰 Visual Archive
Five black‑and‑white photographs of David Bowie performing onstage at the Rainbow Theatre, primarily playing keyboards. One image includes another band member on guitar. Bowie appears focused, understated, and visually aligned with his Berlin‑era persona.
David Bowie performing with Iggy Pop at the Rainbow Theatre — Record Mirror, March 12, 1977.
📰 Related Material
• Iggy Pop – The Idiot (1977)
• David Bowie – Low (1977)
• Bowie’s Berlin Period (1976–1979)
📰 Closing Notes
This Record Mirror article captures a rare moment of Bowie in retreat — not absent, but deliberately quiet. His presence behind Iggy Pop’s band reflects the ethos of his Berlin period: anonymity, collaboration, and a refusal to play the star. It’s a snapshot of punk‑era electricity and artistic reinvention.
📰 Sources
• Record Mirror, March 12, 1977
• Contemporary UK press coverage
• Bowie/Iggy 1977 tour documentation
📝 Copyright Notice
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
Iggy Pop’s "Iggy Does It His Way", a one-page article in Record Mirror, March 12, 1977.
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