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Mike Watt was raised in the L.A. county port town of San Pedro. Along with singer and guitarist D. Boon and drummer George Hurley, they formed the legendary punk trio the Minutemen in February of 1980. The Minutemen powered out 11 albums in six years backed with incessant touring that earned them the respect of all who loved everything original and independent about rock 'n' roll. Finally, after four years of constantly flipping the tour bus odometer, the group came to an end December 23, 1985 when a tragic van accident took D. Boon's life.
Watt retreated from music after the loss, though not for long. In 1995, Watt issued his first solo effort, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, enlisting no less than 48 different participants including members of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Beastie Boys, Soul Asylum, the Lemonheads, and the Screaming Trees. In fact, the tour line-up for Watt's first solo outing included Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder on vocals, The Germ's Pat Smear on guitar, and Nirvana's David Grohl on drums, with Grohl's new group the Foo Fighters delivering their very first live performances in the support slot. After two years of touring, Watt trimmed his caravan back to a three-man team and recorded his 1997 follow-up, the punk opera Contemplating the Engine Room.
Watt played bass for Perry Farrell's Porno for Pyros and continues to record with many other diverse artists. He also stays busy with a weekly web radio program, The Watt From Pedro Show (www.twfps.com) and his own site, www.hootpage.com. |
