[Edit 9:45 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14: Here's the transcription of Iggy Pop's lecture, and here's an audio download.]
None other than Iggy Pop has given a lecture for BBC Radio 6 Music's annual John Peel Lecture series. Speaking on the theme of "Free Music in a Capitalist Society," Pop spoke about U2's latest marketing scheme, Internet piracy, licensing his music for advertisements, and a whole lot more. (John Peel, of course, is the late, great DJ who is credited for breaking a number of artists, including the White Stripes.)
In a statement, Pop admitted "I've never given a lecture in my life." Nevertheless, he proceeded to offer some real gems. Some highlights:
On the unholy marriage of U2 and Apple:
The people who don't want the free U2 download are trying to say, don't try to force me. And they've got a point. Part of the process when you buy something from an artist, it’s a kind of anointing, you are giving people love. It’s your choice to give or withhold.
On Internet piracy:
I think that prosecuting some college kid because she shared a file is a lot like sending somebody to Australia 200 years ago for poaching his lordship's rabbit. That's how it must seem to poor people who just want to watch a crappy movie for free after they’ve been working themselves to death all day at Tesco or whatever, you know.
On "selling out":
The licensing of music by films, corps, and TV has become a flood, because these people know they're not a hell of a lot of fun so they throw in some music that is. I'm all for that, because that's the way the door opened for me. I got heard on TV before radio would take a chance.Pop also said that "almost all the best music" is released on independent labels, and advised listeners to "be generous, don’t be stingy" and to "stay away from drugs." The full audio from the lecture can be found here.
In other Iggy Pop news, the rocker is slated to play a serial killer in the upcoming film The Sandman.
