When Gaye Got To Play With Iggy

Gate Advert makes her feelings known for Iggy (1977)

If there is one thing of which Gaye Advert cannot be accused it is of hiding her love of Iggy and the Stooges. Over two night's (30th September and 1st October 1977) MAM promoters fixed it for the young lady to appear on the same stage as her hero when the Adverts were billed as support for the 'Godfather of Punk' over two nights at the Rainbow Theatre in London. In a career that, I think it is fair to say, never hit the heights that it should of, both Gaye and TV view this occasion as one of the highlights for their band. So much so in fact that TV wrote about it years later in his 'Punk Rock Poem'.

'Punk Rock Poem' by TV Smith

It was strange being in a punk rock band

People gobbed on us, then shook us by the hand

We played every toilet in this green and slimy land

First of all for fifteen quid, then - later on - a grand!

Thirty days of madness touring with the Damned

Turning up to soundcheck to find out we'd been banned

Driving back to London in the mini-van

Didn't get to the U.S.A. as planned

And, looking back, we didn't change the music scene a lot

But we did have one hit single, and supported Iggy Pop

And sometimes people tell me that the Adverts changed their lives

And that's nice

It was great being in a punk rock band.