The fabulous Iggy Pop recently turned 70 years old. Quite a milestone, really, when you think about how often he flirted with his own mortality back in the day. On his birthday last year, we told you about Mr. Pop’s loopy 1979 appearance on the Australian TV program, Countdown. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and read/watch that first here.
 

 
In March 2013, the Stooges were about to tour Australia, and Iggy was interviewed on 7.30 Report, a news program brought to you by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the country’s government-funded network. ABC is the same network that aired Countdown, which, in case you didn’t know, was a very popular Australian music show that ran from 1974 to 1987.
 

 
For the 7.30 Report segment, Iggy is asked about being labeled “The Godfather of Punk,” what he was like as a kid, and his legendary reputation as a live performer, before the reporter says she has a video she wants to show him. Iggy guesses correctly what he’s in store for: “Oh, no, let me guess: Would it be Countdown?” But Ig is amused and game to watch footage of himself from decades past.
 

 
Pop cracks up as he views the interview segment, and once the video gets to the part where he’s miming “I’m Bored,” he begins watching intently, seeming to have forgotten all about it. At one point, the clip makes him giggle! That’s right, we get to watch Iggy Pop giggle.
 

 
Here’s what he had to say about his demeanor, as well as his attire:

Pretty tight pants…It was the first time in my life that I’d been thrown out on a promotional tour. I had a pretty successful attempt to allude to the fact that I thought I was on a silly show and without being a grump about it. And I could’ve gone on there and spat at the guy or whatever. I didn’t do that.

 

 
On “I’m Bored” and the studio audience:

That’s a pretty rocking song and it’s hard to deliver a rock song solo like that. Harder when it’s an audience that doesn’t know what planet you landed in from, and wishes you’d go away, and wants their daddy to get rid of you or whatever. (laughs)

 
Watch Iggy react to the infamous ‘Countdown’ clip after the jump…

A single for The Church’s 1981 track, ‘The Unguarded Moment.’
 
I don’t think that Australian music television show Countdown could have picked a better backdrop for The Church to perform in front of for one of their most memorable songs—“The Unguarded Moment” from their 1981 album Of Skins and Heart—than a stage rigged with lighting that resembled church-style stained glass. The 35-year-old footage is really quite surreal.
 

A shot of Steve Kilbey on the churchy-looking stage of ‘Countdown’ in 1981.
 

 
In his 2014 autobiography, Something Quite Peculiar, Church vocalist Steve Kilbey, (who also hosted Countdown himself a few times) recalls how that very performace on made such an impact overnight that people were turned away at the door of at their gig the following eveing, as the venue was quickly (and quite unexpectedly) packed to capacity. Kilbey also fondly refers to the early days of The Church’s career as his “halcyon days” thanks to the rather sudden fame the band experienced back in 1981 (as they had only formed the year before). I saw The Church (along with The Psychedelic Furs) last year and can personally vouch that Steve Kilbey’s voice is still as swoon-worthy as it was to my ears back in 1988 when I wore out my cassette copy of Starfish listening to “Under the Milky Way” and “Destination” over and over again. If you missed your chance to see one of the 2015 Church/Furs’ string of gigs, you’re in luck as the two bands are set to embark on a new fifteen-show tour of the US on July 15th, 2016.
 
Keep reading after the jump…

 
In honor of Iggy Pop’s 69th birthday today I thought I’d share this footage of Iggy’s very “Iggy” interview and off-the-rails lip syncing of “I’m Bored” that aired in 1979 on the Australian television show, Countdown.

The video starts with an interview with a glassy-eyed Iggy conducted by Countdown‘s host Molly Meldrum. Despite repeated requests to focus on the “questions” he was asking, Iggy jumps up and down out of his chair, sneers at the audience, and in general acts like a five-year-old version of himself because he’s plainly high as fuck. Then, in what appears to be an unplanned event, Iggy leaves the interview and is nowhere to be seen after a commercial break, which causes Meldrum to advise the audience not to worry about Iggy because he’s “fine.” Right.
 

Iggy Pop on ‘Countdown.’
 
I was lucky enough to see Iggy’s electrifying gig a few weeks ago in Seattle for the first stop of his Post Pop Depression Tour and can say without a doubt that Iggy is still “Iggy.” He has no need for such things as shirts, loves the word “fuck,” and jumps around on stage like his pants are on fire.

Happy Birthday, Iggy! Never change!
 

Iggy Pop ‘perorms’ ‘I’m Bored’ from his ‘New Values’ album in 1979

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
‘I am the f*cking greatest of all time!’: Iggy Pop live on ‘The Tube’ in 1983

 
John Carpenter’s The Thing runs riot on day-time game show Countdown. Bloody hell. An animation from Peeophole Circus. Awesome.
 

 
Via b3ta