CLEM Burke is spluttering with laughter as he recounts an hilarious story about touring with Iggy Pop, when the godfather of punk provided the unlikely support act for the Rolling Stones and Latin rockers Santana somewhere in the badlands of America.

“Iggy was mad because Mick Jagger wouldn’t say hi to him, although Keith Richards was being friendly,” said Burke, the drummer for Debby Harry’s Blondie and Iggy Pop’s band.

“The gig was kind of famous because we had so much stuff thrown at us.

“Iggy went on stage wearing a mini skirt, a motorcycle jacket, nylon stockings, and a garter belt, and 70,000 fans were screaming, ‘We want the Stones’.

“And believe me that was the polite stuff.”

Burke continued: “Iggy was singing the song, ‘I Need More,’ and he was taunting the crowd, ‘Come on, throw more bottles, throw more chairs.’

“When the lights went up all this stuff starting raining down on us, glass, knives, fittings, chairs, anything they could get their hands on.

“The promoter thought it was so funny that he had all the roadies pick everything up and write down what was thrown.

“Before the Stones went on, he read out loud a long list of objects thrown at Iggy and the place went nuts again.

“I think Iggy had a semi-nervous breakdown after that.”

Fast forward nearly 40 years and Blondie’s latest album – Pollinator – was created at the Magic Shop studio in New York, where David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, was produced.

“There were many reminders of David Bowie in the place,” said Burke.

“His birthday is January 8 and there was a champagne bottle he’d signed, ‘David’s birthday 2015.’

“We took a break for Christmas and when we returned in January 2016, David had died.

“His spirit was still in the studio, though and I will always have this image of David in my head, with elbows on front of the stage, looking up at Debbie Harry at one of our shows, nodding his head.”

He added: “Our record was formed by David in a lot of ways I feel. Well, David and others as well.

“There is a song that Laurie Anderson plays on and a punk rock song inspired by the Ramones that Joan Jett sings on.

“Then the studio closed down after 28 years. We were the last band to make a full record at the Magic Shop.”

Burke is busy filing his rock and roll memoirs as he compiles a book about his life, and no wonder because there are enough vintage stories from half a century on music’s front line to fill Manchester Apollo where Blondie play in November.

“On Blondie’s first tour, we supported Iggy Pop, and, on the first night, the dressing room opened and it’s Iggy and Bowie,” he said.

“Introducing themselves, Bowie says, ‘Hello, I’m David, I play the keyboards,’ and Iggy says, ‘Hi, I’m Jim.’

“They were both very kind human beings and, even though we were an opening band, they treated us very well.

“One night David had his hair combed forward and he turned to me and said, ’This is my Tom Verlaine look.’

Burke adores pop culture and has a photographic memory, able to recall minutiae from the groaning archives of progressive rock to heavy metal and back.

He even drummed for The Ramones for a short spell, adding: “People always ask me how I remember things.

“I could always figure out who was in what band and I would go, ‘Yeah. That’s the guy from Uriah Heep,’ and so on.

“It’s how I make my living, so I don’t feel that I’m in some adolescent, teenage dream about following rock and roll.

“I think it’s much more important that that.

“I’ve worked with Dylan, and he is the biggest fan you would ever want to meet.

“You could talk to him about bands all day long.”

Burke said: “I’m reading the Bruce Springsteen book now. It’s profound. Every time I talk to Bruce Springsteen, it’s a thrill.”

Blondie’s raft of pop tunes – Hanging on the Telephone, The Tide is High, Heart of Glass and many others were worldwide hits.

“It’s funny we had four number ones in the USA, but we were always looked on as outsiders, but those songs have endured. We are very proud of them.”

Blondie, Manchester Apollo, Saturday, November 11, Details from 0844 477 7677