

From Watt’s current online Stooges tour diary:
“backstage w/us are the zz top guys – pretty happening for me cuz I saw them in the early-middle 70s and really dug their third and fourth albums big time, really fucking BIG time – I loved them and they were my kind of power trio in those days, my favorite. you know, when I do interviews about bass I’m thinking now I don’t give enough credit to dusty roads cuz I learned tons from him. I’m gonna make that right. I get to talk some w/frank beard, the drummerman – what a very nice guy. so is mr dusty, man, he is something. his fingers are kind of small, like thumbs but man, he can work a bass like no one’s business. he is very kind to me too. what nice cats….
“….I go watch most of their gig – their basshelperman, pulls up a case me to sit on and even gives me a dusty roads pick though I only see him use fingers the whole gig. he’s a great singer too though mr billy does must of it, they do a lot together also. mr billy’s an incredible guitarist and mr frank is really grooving – them all playing together is really something else. wow. I played a telecaster bass in the later minutemen days cuz I finally found one and I could play like mr dusty. now I got to see him work it up close – crimony! they get done and I tell him “much respect” even start foaming some but work hard to hold it back. he is very gracious. I talk to mr frank and he’s also very gracious – I saw him watch our whole gig – he says he dug the stooges show said “it was mach twenty the whole way!” mr billy goes talk to him and I thank him, also he’s big time gracious – they’re all so nice to me. I told mr frank about seeing them in my teen years – I tell him and mr billy I’m an old punk but they put HUGE influence in me and d. boon – why we wanted to be a powertrio, more than cream – be more like them w/their mic stands up there real close together.”
Ha. The second or third time I met Watt he said something like “We (Minutemen) pretty much set up on stage like Z.Z. Top.” Now I want to go listen to “Sleeping Bag” and the “Tour-Spiel” EP…