Following the release of Queens Of The Stone Age's new album In Times New Roman... frontman Josh Homme has been reflecting on the musicians that have inspired him throughout his career, citing Iggy Pop as a core inspiration, for his unique and unadulterated sense of self.
A life-long Stooges fan, Homme worked with Pop on his 2016 album Post Pop Depression. And during a new interview with Apple One's Zane Lowe, Homme recalled one particular moment in which saw him "fall in love" with the Godfather of Punk "all over again".
As he explains, Pop had always wanted to dine in Lawry’s The Prime Rib gourmet restaurant in Beverly Hills, and on knowing so, Homme made arrangements for the pair to visit the establishment together. On settling down to their meal, Homme then recalls witnessing Iggy being quintessential Iggy.
“We go to a goddamn Lawry’s, and he’s wearing just a vest with no shirt,” he says. Which is already a bit risque for Lawry’s. The first time I went, I had to wear a men’s mustard-colored jacket. He goes, ‘Is it hot?’’ And I was like, ‘No.’ And then he just takes off his vest.”
As per The Lawry’s website, the restaurant requires guests to abide to a "business casual" dress code, with items such as "beachwear, gym or athletic wear (gym shorts, tank tops, etc), cut-offs and flip flops" banned from being worn inside.
Already going against Lawry's rules, Homme goes on to reveal how Pop became all the weirder, clashing with their strict code even further.
“He's got no shirt on in Lawry’s, and he picks up the steak and he’s just eating it with his hands! That was the goddamn best thing I ever saw in my life because he was being himself. He wasn’t hurting anybody. He was just like, ‘I’m like this,’ and he wasn't giving two wooden fucks.”
He continues, “The manager comes over and he goes, ‘I’m really sorry to say this to you, but...[it’s] a health code violation for you to have your nipples out basically at dinner.’ And [Pop] was like, ‘I’m sorry about that – of course!”.
After re-dressing himself, Pop continues to eat from his hands, the act of which Homme found bizarrely endearing.
"It made me fall in love with him all over again because he was gentle and sweet...like, ‘I’m going to do me until somebody says I can’t, and then I’m going to decide if I’m OK with that" the frontman muses.
"If the request is respectful, I will listen to your side and put on my vest.’ And I love that because he’s sort of elegantly being himself. Or as Oscar Wilde said: ‘Be yourself – everyone else is taken.’”
He concludes: "Pop has always been my inspiration. He went from a junkie [who] was a pariah – people would say, ‘You can do whatever you want, but just don’t bring Iggy over here’ – to someone [who] really is such a celebrated, venerated monument.”
The new Queens Of The Stone Age album, In Times New Roman... is out today.
