This Man Was A Huge Influence On Me

MIKE WATT

When I was around 18 or 19 I remember seeing this video on MTV's 120 Minutes for fIREHOSE's song "Riddle of The Eighties".  Little did I know how much it would affect my life.

I liked the song enough to go out and buy the album "fromohio".  Soon after that I picked up their first 2 albums "Ragin Full On" and "If'n". I learned that the bass player, Mike Watt, and the drummer, George Hurley, were previously in a band called Minutemen so I started buying their albums. I had never heard a bass so prominent and powerful in a band. Mike Watt became my hero. I saw fIREHOSE every time they came through Chapel Hill. 

Not long after buying my first fIREHOSE album I was inspired to play bass so I bought a cheap bass and amp in Jacksonville, NC and proceeded to teach myself to play bass by trying to play along with fIREHOSE and Minutemen albums. I turned my friend Chris Mann on to these bands and we started jamming in his garage which eventually led to a short lived band. After that I played in several bands for 6 or 7 years. Thank you Mike Watt for inspiring me to pick up the bass which led to many great friendships and experiences in my life. 

This past week my old friend Chris Mann was visiting and we had the good fortune to catch Mike Watt and the Missingmen last night at Safari Sam's. Here is a video I shot last night of them playing a couple covers from the great band Wire.