Legendary Minutemen bassist Mike Watt this May will publish a new book called “On and Off Bass” that combines his 2000s-era tour diaries with his nature photography, and he’ll launch the memoir with a pair of release parties — including a New York show that’ll find him jamming with Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis and Murph.
The 112-page, 8-inch-by-10-inch book will be published in May by Three Rooms Press and will be promoted with a May 2 concert in New York City featuring Watt, Mascis and Murph performing as Hellride East, as well as a May 5 concert in Los Angeles at which Watt will play a set with his band The Missingmen.
Watt’s diaries cover the past 10 years, which include his first performance with Iggy and The Stooges and his series of rock operas recorded with The Missingmen, according to the publisher. The photos include shots Watt took while out finding “early morning sweet spots” and include “fiery sunrises, endless heavens, roiling waves and fog.”
The publisher adds:
“In ‘Mike Watt: On and Off Bass,’ tour diaries are distilled to their econo essence, and are juxtaposed with his photography. Watt’s writing is insightful, funny, intimate and honest, as he explores topics like John Coltrane, drunk female fans, long hauls and overcoming performance fears. … ‘Mike Watt: On and Off Bass’ is a legendary work by a living legend.”
The book will follows this spring’s reunion tour by fIREHOSE — the band formed by Watt and George Hurley following the 1985 death of their Minutemen bandmate D. Boon — and the release of “lowFLOWs” the Columbia Anthology (’91-’93), a new 2CD set that compiles the group’s major-label output plus four unreleased cuts.
Mike Watt “On and Off Bass” book launch events:
May 2: Le Poisson Rouge, New York City, NY (w/ Hellride East, aka Watt, J Mascis, Murph)
May 5: Beyond Baroque, Los Angeles, CA (w/ Mike Watt & The Missingmen)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- fIREHOSE collects major label output on ‘lowFLOWs: Columbia Anthology (’91-’93)’
- ‘Tribute to Repo Man’: Black Francis, Mike Watt, Matthew Sweet contribute to new CD
- fIREHOSE books 11-date reunion tour of western U.S. around Coachella appearances
- Coachella 2012: Pulp, fIREHOSE, Buzzcocks, James, Squeeze, Madness on the bill
- Video: ‘We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen’ — full 90-minute documentary
- Mike Watt to release ‘Hyphenated-Man’ in March, sets 51-date North American tour
