Legendary Bassist Mike Watt to Perform at DDC, Mar 18
He's been called a seminal post-punk bassist by CMJ New Music, was handed a Bass Player Magazine lifetime achievement award by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and has shared the stage with punk godfather Iggy Pop and the reunited Stooges.
But despite those recent feats, Mike Watt is best known for co-founding highly influential bands like Firehose, Minutemen, and Dos.
D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley of Minutement in the early 80s
Watt first broke through as the bassist and co-vocalist of Minutemen in the early 1980s. He and guitarist/vocalist D. Boon were childhood friends and fierce proponents of the "jamming econo" ethos, which saw bands recording and performing in the most efficient, inexpensive way possible that reflected their working class politics and DIY attitude (the band was rounded out by drummer George Hurley).
A review of the classic rock documentary We Jam Econo about the band's legacy describes their performance style as a "three-pronged attack: Boon strangling his guitar and bellowing, Mike Watt popping his bass and puffing, and hunky Sean Penn look-alike George Hurley tapping away at his drum kit like it was a typewriter." Sadly that documentary also chronicles the far-too-soon 1985 death of Boon in a car crash, which haunts Watt to this day.
Despite Minutemen's tragic end, Watt continued to have a successful alt-rock career with both Dos (his duo with Kira Roessler of Black Flag) and Firehose, the latter performing sold out gigs well into the mid-90s before disbanding (only to reunite again in 2012).
Watt has had a lengthy career as one of alt-rock's highest regarded musicians
Then came Watt's 1995 solo debut Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, which boasted a who's who of alt-rock stars that befriended him or been influenced by him over the years, not least of which Black Flag's Henry Rollins, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, members of Sonic Youth, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more. Equally impressive: Vedder and former Nirvana drummer (and would-be Foo Fighters' star frontman) Dave Grohl joined Watt on tour as his backing band.
In short: chances are that even if you haven't heard of Watt, he's your favorite musician's favorite musician, and that his DDC set will be an in-your-face, full throttle alt-rock extravaganza. He'll be accompanied by beloved Shanghai rockers Round Eye, who had recruited Watt's fellow Stooges alumni Steve Mackay before he sadly passed away in 2015 (click "Read more" to check out my interview with Mackay at the time and my subsequent Q&A with him and Iggy Pop). It's sure to be one of the best alt-rock sets that Beijing will see all year.
Mike Watt will perform on March 18 at DDC with opening acts Round Eye, SKSA and Swinging Barbarellas. Tickets are RMB 80 presale, RMB 100 at the door. For more information, click here or see the poster above.
Photos: Occii, Billboard, Ground Control Magazine
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