MIKE WATT

For the second time in two years in Zagreb, Croatia, same spot, club Mocvara, but different music group. How does it feel to be in Croatia again? What do U remember from your last visit to Zagreb?
I loved that last gig I did at Mocvara! The people were very kind and both open hearts and open minds to let me and my Missingmen do what we did to them. I remember interesting people w/genuine good feelings they were not afraid to share w/us. Much respect from me for them. I really look forward to returning to your land - actually I also get to play in Rijeka again this time too. My Secondmen organman Pete Mazich Ma is from Rijeka.



This time will be seeing you with the new band/project Il Sogno del Marinaio. Could U explain the connection to those guys, how did it all started, who found who, all those small things? What is the best way to describe the sound of Il Sogno del Marinaio?
I would say Il Sogno del Marinaio is heavily influenced by Stefano Pilia and Andre Belfi. Their background is got more avant garde influence but I'm learning from them! It is a trio that tries to play very close together and tries to make use of dynamics as much as we can. Of course, we all three come from the punk movement, but not the way some people define punk as a style of music, cuz we think of in more as a state of mind. I think also in some strange ways some sounds of Italy and some sounds of U.S. combine to give us our character. it's hard to talk about your own band w/out sounding too self-important!

What is, in your perspective, the main difference in sound between your two last projects - The Secondmen, The Missingmen and Il Sogno del Marinaio, and what are the similarities?
I put the Secondmen together to realize my second opera "The Second Man's Middle Stand" and the Missingmen for my third opera "Hyphenated-Man" - Il Sogno del Marinaio is nothing like these two projects. In fact, I am not Il Sogno del Marinaio's leader and I did not even form the band - the guitarman Stefano Pilia started it by first asking his friend Andre Belfi to do drums and then he asked me to do bass. You can read more on click here. You already asked me who found who by I thought I would wait to answer it here. Il Sogno del Marinaio and Mike Watt have two albums together. Any chance for the third?
I think a problem people have is thinking Il Sogno del Marinaio is a Mike Watt band. it is not. Mike Watt + the Missingmen are a Mike Watt band, Mike Watt + the Secondmen are a Mike Watt band, but Il Sogno del Marinaio is a collaboration between three guys, each of us contribute about a third of the compositions. There's also a two seven inch ("mud puddle"/"we come to learn") and a three song seven inch ("the whistling ep") but yes, we are planning for one. Before though, we're working on "lo sguardo focalizzato", which is a nine minute we all three collaborated on equally in composing. It will be one side of a ten inch ep w/the tunes from "the whistling ep" on the other side.

After the end of the fIREHOSE, you´ve played in many different projects and bands. Could you tell me which were, for you, the most significant?
I actually started dos before there was a band called fIREHOSE, that was my first side proj. All the projs I'm involved in are important, cuz I believe everyone has something to teach me, if I keep my mind open enough. By putting me and my bass in different situations, I make the idea of "life is a forever classroom" real, not just words or a slogan.

Clenchedwrench label, that's your record label? Tell us a little more 'bout that part of your music life, please. How hard is it to run a record label?
These days it's very easy to run a label like mine cuz I just put out my own projs. digital makes things very doable for one person also. it's nothing like the old days.

I remember that Minutemen's music idols were British post punk groups, like Wire and Pop Group. What do you think 'bout British music today, are there groups that can touch you like those post punk bands?
The Minutemen were very influenced by some england bands from those days but also u.s. ones - from New York and also ones we saw in Hollywood. Have you heard my radio show? I play lots of new stuff from England, there's lots of good music coming from there. I like the go! team, mr susan, bilge pump, as I watch you from afar (actually irish), adibisi shank (also irish), estele (again irish), dj scotch egg (actually in berlin now), position normal, now and wire - they're still going - so is the pop group!



You are still playing Minutemen's songs live, please tell me how that feels, so many years later?
I actually play songs I wrote for the Minutemen. I don't do songs written by D Boon and George Hurley except for one, "anxious mo-fo" - on that one George Hurley wrote the words. I used to think of Minutemen songs as one thing, but on closer examination I discovered mine were a little different. I think D Boon and George Hurley wrote better songs for the Minutemen than I did. I also feel my tunes do have a certain place in my own personal journey through music and that's why I'm doing them for people more than thirty years later. it gives people a perspective on what I'm doing now. For example, my third opera "Hyphenated-Man" was very influenced by my work w/the Minutemen.

Did the book "Our Band Could Be Your Life" helped Minutemen cult even more?
I think Michael Azerrad did an important thing by letting folks know something about that era that was ignored by most journalist cuz they weren't part of it. I think the book said stuff more about the movement, about the Minutemen being part of that movement. Of course, I believe a lot the bands in that movement each brought something special to contribute and us, Minutemen, were influenced much by our peers.

Could U name few records in your youth that affected your life? Do U have some recent albums (from last five or ten years) that have same impact on U?
When I first met D Boon, the only rock band he knew was Creedence Clearwater Revival, so those first six album by them were very important. T-rex "Electric Warrior" was very important to me also. Cream made huge impact on me as bass player, cuz of Jack Bruce and the same w/John Entwistle and the Who. the first four Blue Oyster Cult album influenced me big time w/all kinds of things, also Bob Dylan's albums from the 60s. Richard Hell and the Voidoids first album was major punk influence, so was Wire's first three albums and everything from the Pop Group. I found out about Roky Erickson through the punk movement and he had big impact on me. The most recent records, that really move me, are the albums from Migu and the first 2NE1 album. I love everything I've heard from bassman Koja, I got turned on to him by a cat from your parts named Stanislav Zabic about eight years ago, or something like that. He is big time inspiration to me.

How do U feel 'bout vinyl revival?
I think it's a great thing and support it big time. For a few years now I always do vinyl release (usually seven inch) on record store day and more recently also record store day black friday.

Do U have your favourite music player?
Music is music, so I'm not that particular, but if I had a choice, of course, it would be vinyl. remember I was born in 1957!

See U soon in Mocvara. What can we expect?
We will play every song from the second Il Sogno del Marinaio album "canto secondo" plus a few from the first album "la busta gialla" and one song that we've never recorded. We will play w/all our hearts and try our hardest. Getting to play in Zagreb means much to me and my fratelli understand so give it our all!

Thanx for the interview!
You're very welcome. See you soon.
On bass, Watt.

jura // 14/10/2016