Spreading the good word...

[scientist_rock]

Heya Mike!

First of all, I have to say, it's an honour talking to you, well not strictly talking to you, but communicating with you.
I know you get that a lot but I had to say it or I'd feel rude.

*We're not worthy! we're not worthy!*

My problem is simple: I can't hear all of your wonderful, wonderful music.
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but I live in a little town in South-East England, and here it's almost impossible to get your mitts on any minutemen material.
I even went up to London especially to check out some record shops - but alas, I went home empty-handed.
Luckily I got 'double nickels on the dime' from Amazon, but it cost loads and I don't have enough money to order anything else online, or a credit card to shop with (such is the plight of so many others like me).
I'm left feeling like a really half-arsed fan with just one minutemen album.
Needless to say any Watt collaborations or alternate musical ventures are unheard of. I heard about 'Dos' and it sounds very interesting (being a black flag fan/ 'bass limelight fighter' also), and I'd love to check out 'the secondmen'/'the tom and jerry show'.

But it has been denied.

Basically what I'm asking Mr. Watt; is there anyway that all this great material can be transported over here to the shops of England? I know a lot of people would dig the minutemen and your other work but they just don't have access to it.

I only found out about the minutemen because of the little bit of 'history lesson pt.II' on the intro. of a Sublime song (Even that much of a song got me hooked!). That's just wrong. People should be told about the minutemen at birth or something.

I'm trying my hardest to expel the general rumour that the Meat Puppets are the only band who make country/folky/bouncy/punk/funky-rock music, which people seem to have round these parts. But on my own, I'm a pretty useless little dork.
But you're better than the Puppets, and they take some beating.

Mike I beg you - let the people of England hear your stuff!
If they can buy your msuic, I can advertise it as best I can and play it real loud out my front window on hot summers days!

Finally, I have to say this also:

'Double nickels on the dime' made me cry because I realized that nobody could make music like that anymore.
There I've said it...

*runs off masking his tears and trying to look all macho*

-Sam-

[Matt Till]

I don't know if this is anything Capn' Watt is in control of. It's the law of supply and demand my friend. If your CD store got enough people wanting to hear some Minutemen, they'd be stupid not to order some. Amazon.com is a pretty expensive site, you might want to look around a bit more for online resources. Good luck on your hunt for good tunes, this day in age it's less a journey and more an adventure.

[Wrong Robot]

There is lots of watt's stuff on the iTunes music store.

unfortunately there isn't much minutemen, but Dos, Firehose and Mike watt stuff is all there

eitherway, that's a fast, cheap way to get your watt fix. I would like to see more minutemen on the store though, I only have one album.

edit: just realized you're in the UK, so iTMS isn't an option, well not yet at least, from what I understand the international version is going to drop fairly soon.

[scientist_rock]

Originally Posted by StupidMatt

I don't know if this is anything Capn' Watt is in control of. It's the law of supply and demand my friend. If your CD store got enough people wanting to hear some Minutemen, they'd be stupid not to order some. Amazon.com is a pretty expensive site, you might want to look around a bit more for online resources. Good luck on your hunt for good tunes, this day in age it's less a journey and more an adventure.

Yeah you're probably right.
You're definitely right about it being hard to find good music nowadays.
To quote Noddy Holder; "...the old songs are the best..."

Anyone who hears the minutemen and fIREHOSE really likes them, so it's obvious people still want to hear all that great music.

Maybe people are just too lazy to find out about good bands from a few years back rather than just buy the Darkness' album or something equally awful.

The Darkness have been classified as 'heavy metal'. This is the most heinous sin against music I have ever witnessed.
If the kids grow up thinking that's how to make metal then we're all doomed.

[Matt Till]

I've never heard them called Heavy Metal. I've heard them called Def Leppard meets Queen. I don't mind them. Just so you know, they are half joking. Good simple riff rock. Just my opinion though. 90% of this whole rock n' roll revival that is happening in the American mainstream at least is a joke. Just because someone plays sloppy and can't sing doesn't make them rockers.



I thought you UKers loved the Darkness.

[Exedore]

SST records has metric tons of Minutemen stuff and some Firehose too.
SST Records
Insound also carries a lot of Watt's stuff
Insound.com

[watt]

hi,

thank you much for the good word. I don't know much about the store situation in england but there's always the online option now days. for instance, here's a link to minutemen stuff at the english version of amazon.com:

http://tinylink.com/?ziHGXLPwen

hope this helps some. thanks to everyone else who posted help finding watt stuff here.



on bass, watt

Originally Posted by scientist_rock

Heya Mike!

...Mike I beg you - let the people of England hear your stuff!
If they can buy your msuic, I can advertise it as best I can and play it real loud out my front window on hot summers days!

Finally, I have to say this also:

'Double nickels on the dime' made me cry because I realized that nobody could make music like that anymore.
There I've said it...

*runs off masking his tears and trying to look all macho*

-Sam-

[scientist_rock]

Thanks Mike!

I think I'll just have to accept that I can only get Watt stuff online. Ah well, it's worth forking out P&P for sure.

PS - will you be playing the ATP again next time Mike? I couldn't make it this year and I missed you guys playin' and - it pains me to admit....I missed sonic youth too.

This probably sounds a bit cheeky but maybe you could sell some little treats from the Watt discography at a few shows in england?!

Thanks a lot for replying and helping me out dude,

Sam

[watt]

sam,

me and george have been asked to do our duet where we do minutemen songs at the atp uk 2005 and I can't wait!

treats? hmm... I'm confused!



on bass, watt

Originally Posted by scientist_rock

Thanks Mike!

I think I'll just have to accept that I can only get Watt stuff online. Ah well, it's worth forking out P&P for sure.

PS - will you be playing the ATP again next time Mike? I couldn't make it this year and I missed you guys playin' and - it pains me to admit....I missed sonic youth too.

This probably sounds a bit cheeky but maybe you could sell some little treats from the Watt discography at a few shows in england?!

Thanks a lot for replying and helping me out dude,

Sam

[scientist_rock]

Originally Posted by watt

sam,

me and george have been asked to do our duet where we do minutemen songs at the atp uk 2005 and I can't wait!

treats? hmm... I'm confused!



on bass, watt

Dude, come on! every song you've been part of is a treat!
I'd love to hear Dr.Wu and spillage though.

Holy shniekies! You're doing the next ATP? Well you can count on me being there, that's for sure, even if I have to sell stuff to get there (wanna' buy a trombone?) and I'll literally DRAG all my friends along too.

I must prepare myself spiritaully and physically for the onslaught of witnessing before my very eyes - the world's greatest rhythm section....

I heard a bit of DOS off your hoot page too, and I really liked it. It's not what I was expecting at all, because it's like mellow but I think you and kira do a really good job of allowing the bass to take the role of the six-string. It was a refreshing experience, especially with all these new bassist-free bands coming out.
Musicians like you and Les Claypool continue to make the bass a highly experimental and diverse instrument, and you have my congratulations! Hopefully one day I'll get good enough to do my part in making sure those four-strings keep buzzin' 'til the end of time!

See you at ATP 2005! You have to sign my bass!