Questions via Codi Glancy; Intro by Jhoni Jackson
Alongside the likes of Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Keith Morris of Black Flag, Mike Watt is one of the most elite players in what is considered the historical bedrock of indie rock, garage and punk. From his vital roles in the Minutemen, fIREHOSE and Dos to playing in a reconfigured version of the Stooges to his continued work as Mike Watt and the Missingmen, the renowned bassist is somewhat of a living legend. To have some insight into the shows that shaped this guy—as well as the ones which remain his fantasies—is a privilege, and AMG was lucky enough to snag such insight as part of our 5GB series.
What’s the first gig you ever attended?
It was T-Rex at the Long Beach Auditorium. [Late Minutemen frontman] D. Boon’s pop took us, even sat [with] us. He was way into Buck Owens and knew nothing about Marc Bolan.
What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?
So many Stooges ones, so many Minutemen ones. This is too hard a question for someone like me to answer. Sorry, Cod.
What is the best gig you have ever seen?
I’ve seen so many good ones [with] my best friend Raymond Pettibon that this [is an] impossible question to answer. I wish I could’ve seen John Coltrane, that would be incredible.
What is the gig you would most like to play?
I wish I could do some kind of collaboration [with K-Pop artist] Minzy from 2ne1, also something [with] Roky Erickson.
What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
T-Rex + John Coltrane + Richard Hell
Check out live footage of Mike Watt and the Missingmen playing “Crawdaddy” in Dublin last year below.
Mike Watt and the Missingmen play the EARL on Thursday, Oct. 25, with King Tuff and The Intelligence.
