November 28, 2025
Ep527: Tales from the Stooges with Mike Watt
The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music NerdsAbout this episode
Mike Watt played with Iggy & The Stooges for over 10 years - today he shares all about his times with the brotherhood - Iggy, the Asheton Brothers, Steve Mackay, the comeback tours, The Weirdness, the end of the road and more! Topics Include: Mike Watt discusses new Record Store Day release: 40-minute version of "We Will Fall" Without the Stooges, Watt believes punk movement wouldn't have existed as we know it Played with Stooges for 126 months after Iggy Pop called him in 2003 First heard Funhouse in 1970-71 when most people dismissed the band entirely Stooges music helped Watt recover from serious illness 25 years ago Initially met Ronnie Asheton at Minutemen gigs in Detroit's Greektown neighborhood Played with Ronnie in 1996 for Todd Haynes film Velvet Goldmine Iggy and Ronnie hadn't spoken for 29 years before 2003 reunion Watt received fateful call at Tallahassee club: "Ronnie says you're the man" Iggy's first concern: Would Watt wear T-shirt instead of flannel? "Fuck yeah" Thought Coachella would be one-off gig, became decade-long musical journey Being youngest member at 45 allowed Watt to absorb everything from legends Asheton brothers had telepathic connection, communicated through rhythm more than words Lost Ronnie in 2009, Brother Steve in 2014-2015: "You always think you got time" Watt never wore same T-shirt twice during entire Stooges tenure One time played shirtless in New Orleans after wearing orange triggered Iggy's nightmare After Ronnie died, switched from T-shirts to black flannel honouring his memory Final years wore Dickies work clothes, embracing mechanic aesthetic Iggy appreciated Still calls Iggy every April 21st for his birthday, ringtone is "TV Eye" Instrumental tribute albums with Larry Mullins represent "paying back the debt" High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide