ARTIST | Mike Watt

Bassist Mike Watt is the living embodiment of the punk rock spirit. As a founding member of the highly influential Minutemen, he created one of the most important bodies of work in the American underground canon, delivering adventurous, fiercely polemical music informed by such disparate traditions as funk, folk, and free jazz. Although his subsequent material -- most notably his records with the trio fIREHOSE, as well as his latter-day solo efforts -- lacked the sheer impact of his earliest outings, Watt remained true to the D.I.Y. ethos that originally inspired him, emerging as one of the most highly respected figures in contemporary music.

Hailing from San Pedro, California, Watt became close friends with D. Boon. Inspired by the burgeoning punk movement, he and Boon founded the Minutemen in 1979, with George Hurley on drums. The trio went on to release 11 albums in less than six years and toured maniacally -- but on December 23, 1985, Boon was tragically killed in a van accident following one of the band's live dates. Devastated, Watt and Hurley planned to retire from music but were coerced into returning to action by Ed Crawford, dubbing themselves fIREHOSE.

fIREHOSE debuted in 1986 with Ragin', Full-On, which was dedicated to the memory of D. Boon. That same year, Watt also teamed with his then-wife (and former Black Flag bassist), Kira Roessler, in the group Dos, a two-bass duo. 

In 1995, Watt issued his first solo LP, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, an all-star affair featuring guest appearances from members of Sonic Youth, the Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Soul Asylum, and the Screaming Trees. On a subsequent solo tour, Watt's backing band included Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Nirvana alum Dave Grohl. The same tour saw Grohl's new band, the Foo Fighters, making their public debut as the support act.

In 1996 Watt played bass in Perry Farrell's band Porno for Pyros’ sophomore LP Good God's Urge. In 1997, he released solo record, Contemplating the Engine Room, an autobiographical "punk-rock opera" also based on the lives of his father, a chief in the Navy, and D. Boon. That same year, Watt appeared on the self-titled debut by the Stephen Perkins-led experimental alternative jazz outfit Banyan.

In early 2000, Watt had a close brush with death due to flu-like symptoms and after successfully recuperating, Watt got back into playing by covering Stooges songs on a smattering of live dates accompanied by former Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis. Mascis invited Watt to play on his solo release More Light later the same year and participated in its ensuing tour. Another Watt project arrived in 2002: the bass-organ-drums trio the Secondmen (featuring Madonnabe Pete Mazich on organ and drummer Jerry Trebotic), who were soon slated to begin work on their debut album.

Iggy Pop invited Watt to join him and the reunited, surviving Stooges on select 2003 concert dates throughout North America and Europe.

Watt's long-delayed Secondmen album with Mazich and Trebotic, a concept piece about his illness and recovery called The Secondman's Middle Stand, was finally released in August 2004. Watt filled his time playing with other groups over the next few years, including Unknown Instructors, Black Gang, Floored by Four, and No Age, and recording with the Stooges for their 2006 comeback album The Weirdness.

In 2011, he released his fourth solo album, Hyphenated-Man, a 30-song “opera” that he was inspired to write after listening to the Minutemen for the first time since D. Boon’s passing in 1985.

Appears on:

BIG005 | Mike Bagetta / Jim Keltner / Mike Watt | Wall of Flowers - electric bass

BIG011 | mssv | Main Steam Stop Valve - bass, vocals

BIG021 | Psychic Temple | Plays Music For Airports - electric bass

BIG022 | Mike Baggetta, Jim Keltner, Mike Watt | Everywhen We Go - electric bass

BIG026 | Alicia Walter | Right Noise - electric guitar (1-4,8)

BIG027 | mssv | Human Reaction - guitars, lead vocals

Learn more about Mike Watt.