Mike Watt

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Mike Watt (2009)
Mike Watt (2009)
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
  US 130 03/18/1995 (4 weeks)

Michael "Mike" Watt (born December 20, 1957 in Portsmouth , Virginia , USA ) is a musician, songwriter, radio presenter and producer. Best known are his bands Minutemen and fIREHOSE , of which he was co-founder and bassist .

Life

In the late 1970s, Mike Watt was inspired to play the electric bass by the mother of his friend and future colleague D. Boon . The Minutemen are regarded as pioneers of hardcore as well as pioneers of crossover . After the end of the Minutemen due to the death of D. Boons, he actually wanted to stop making music, but was asked by the Saccharine Trust to help out as a bassist.

Ed Crawford later suggested that he just move on with a new band, which he did. This band was called Firehose and existed until 1993.

He then recorded the album Ball Hog or Tug-boat , where he worked with musicians friends from the alternative rock scene, such as the remaining members of Nirvana or the Beastie Boys . He gave everyone involved space to develop their personal focus. The appearance of Bikini Kill / Le Tigre singer Kathleen Hanna is not a musical contribution, but a rejection spoken on the answering machine to make a contribution to this album. She did not want to be "sandwiched" between all the stars of the alternative rock league. With this concept he established a new type of solo album, which is more like a class reunion.

Watt was later hired by Iggy Pop as a bassist for various bands such as Porno for Pyros or The Stooges and, as before, started numerous other collaborations. In 2000 he got a serious illness, after which he had to learn how to play the bass again after it was cured and which he addressed on his album The Secondmen's Middle Stand .

In 1991 the Red Hot Chili Peppers dedicated their successful album Blood Sugar Sex Magik to him (for which he appeared in 2006 in Germany , Austria and Switzerland with his band Mike Watt & The Missing Men as tour support) ; the 1995 song Wattershed by the Foo Fighters (whom Watt cites as a major influence) is also a throwback .

In 2004 Watt showed political commitment by joining the punk voter movement, which opposed the re-election of George W. Bush as President of the United States.

Mike Watt is known on the one hand for his individual, ostensible bass playing and on the other hand for his immense creative power, which is why he is an important influence for many musicians.

Some of his bands

Discography

  • 1995 Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
  • 1997 Contemplating the Engine Room
  • 2004 The Secondman's Middle Stand
  • 2013 La Busta Gialla
  • 2014 Canto Secondo

Fonts

swell

  1. ↑ Chart sources: US

Web links

Commons : Mike Watt  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Watt, Mike
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Watt, Michael (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American musician and producer
DATE OF BIRTH December 20, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Portsmouth , Virginia