So...whats next?

Lucas wrote:

I think Mike Watt should be counted as a 'real Stooge', he has been in the band for 11 years now.

Without question! Watt was in many ways instrumental in the reformation of the band. His natural modesty and respect for the older guys maybe has meant he doesn't get the full credit he undoubtedly deserves.

Anyone who wants to hear wild Stooges music played live with genuine raw power and the spirit of improvisation that the band always expressed need only go to Watt's Hellride project. He carries the torch onwards for Ron and Scott.

Mike Watt was a very good, perhaps excellent stand-in. That's it. That doesn't mean I give him any less credit, though.

You just did.  

But come on, Watt is obviously much more than a stand-in in the history of the band.  If it hadn't been for Hellride and the hook-up with J. Mascis and then with Ron and then with Scott there might never have been a reformation at all.  Didn't Iggy start to prick up his ears when he heard that there were whole sets of Stooges music being performed without him?  It was Watt who started that ball rolling.  Ron and Watt were playing Stooges together for a good stretch of time before Iggy caught up with them.  

It's entirely possible that without Watt and Hellride working with Ron there might never have been a reunion of The Stooges at all.  Not that this was Watt's preconceived plan, but give the man credit for playing an absolutely vital role in the history of the band.  Not to mention the quality of his playing and his influence on the creation of The Weirdness.  I bet he was a usefully steadying influence on the road too.

Would Ron, Scott and Iggy have started gigging together in 2003 without Watt's groundwork and involvement?  I doubt it.  

Watt is a 'real' (ie crucial and influential) Stooge, no question.  'Stand-in'?!?  Pfff....

Woody is spot on - it was the Mascis / Watt / Asheton / Asheton tour that really sparked Iggy's interest in reforming the Stooges. Iggy was touring Europe at the same time as the Mascis tour and kept hearing about how good the Asheton's were, how brilliantly the Stooges' songs were being performed that he finally allowed himself to think - these were his songs, he should be playing them, with Ron and Scott, no one else.
Mike Watt is way too modest to ever acknowledge this, but he was most definitely the catalyst, and he was the glue that held it all together.
He is absolutely a Stooge. No mere stand in. No way.

And who would he be stand in for? Dave Alexander?

Watt has done great - immeasurable - service representing and furthering the work of Dave Alexander and thereafter the bass work of his dear friend Ron. He's done this with great humility, respect and inspirational (and inspired) skill. 'Standing in' on bass does make sense but only as the greatest compliment. But it's his furtherance of the sheer business of the whole existence of the C21st band which is massively undervalued I think. Is Watt in the Hall of Fame? It's an outrage if not.

Let me start by saying that I have nothing personal against Mike Watt. I can't even remember the name of the band he was formerly associated with, and maybe it was a great one,  the band he should be remembered for. But as for the Stooges I totally agree that he was just a good stand-in, no different than the rotating bass player for the Stones since Bill Wyman quit. I mean on the group photo for The Weirdness CD, he wasn't even included which goes to show you how much they valued him.

As for J.Mascis or Mike Watt facillitating a Stooges reunion, don't make me laugh. The Stooges were going to reform when IGGY DECIDED they were going to reform, and not a minute sooner. At the time of the Stooges reformation, Iggy's solo career was in the toilet, his solo albums selling no better than the first few Stooges albums, despite him being a near household name. And so he had no other choice other than to play his Trump card, a Stooges reunion, or face career oblivion.

And make no mistake about it, the Asheton brothers were at Iggy's beck-and-call. They knew how much a Stooges reunion would mean monetarily. The Stooges reunion made Ron a millionaire, and I assume it did the same for his brother. I guarantee you that Ronald Frank Asheton never had a 'personal assistant' before the Stooges reunion.

As for Stooges bass players, I would have to rank Jimmy Recca ahead of Mike Watt, if only because Jimmy played on some amazing material while Mike only played on a lot of mediocre material. Just sayin.

But I don't want to imply that the Asheton brothers only did it for the money. I sincerely believe that they loved The Stooges to the end.

sizeable bulge wrote:

don't make me laugh.

It's unlikely! You always sound way too bitter.

sizeable bulge wrote:

As for J.Mascis or Mike Watt facillitating a Stooges reunion, don't make me laugh. The Stooges were going to reform when IGGY DECIDED they were going to reform, and not a minute sooner. At the time of the Stooges reformation, Iggy's solo career was in the toilet, his solo albums selling no better than the first few Stooges albums, despite him being a near household name. And so he had no other choice other than to play his Trump card, a Stooges reunion, or face career oblivion.

Indeed - the Stooges would never have reformed if Iggy hadn't wanted to do so.
But the reason he did decide to reform the Stooges in 2003 was precisely because J Mascis had been touring with Ron, Scott and Mike Watt, playing sets of Stooges songs. Iggy has admitted this on a number of occasions. The Mascis tour absolutely convinced Iggy that a Stooges tour would be a viable option.

Iggy's solo career was not in the toilet - since he signed with Virgin in 1990 his albums had all sold reasonably well, not spectacularly, but reasonably, and consistently. Iggy was comfortable, financially. There was no real financial reason for him to reform the Stooges. For one thing, by doing so, all profits from touring would then be split between all Stooges - a good deal for the Ashetons, not so great for Iggy. As I said, money - for Iggy - was not a major factor in the reformation of the band.

And this was never a 'trump card' to stave off a 'career oblivion' which simply wasn't happening - it was a very successful attempt to show what the Stooges could do, on stages across the world, bringing them to audiences who weren't even born the first time around. Back catalogue Stooges albums sold very well since 2003, the two new albums didn't, being two of the poorest selling records in Iggy's catalogue. But that wasn't the point.

Iggy could easily have carried on doing solo albums, and solo tours. He didn't because he felt he had unfinished business with Ron and Scott, and Steve Mackay, and later with James. They all wanted to mend fences, rebuild relationships that had meant so much when they were younger. They all wanted to prove to the world that the Stooges were a fucking great band, and frankly the ten years between 2003 and 2013 proved that without a shadow of a doubt.

And I'm not overstating things when I say that without Mike Watt's unceasing devotion to this band and these songs, then I genuinely don't think the reunion would have happened the way it did, or been as long lived and successful.

'Unceasing devotion' is a choice phrase. Nice one, a.

To really understand Watt's influence and importance it's useful to be familiar with his radio show over the years, or to read his tour diaries. It's always about more than just the music, it's about being in a band.

I don't care why they reformed, I'm just glad they did. Thus I got a chance to see them live, being too young to have witnessed them first time around. During the reunion years I saw them several times, both with Ron on guitar and then with James on guitar. They were great every time. Some of the best shows I have ever seen by any artist. Mike Watt was great, the right guy for the job. The Stooges have had several bass players over the years, he was one of them. Now with the Ashetons gone, it's over.

Here's what's next, Iggy's new band with Thomas Dolby guitarist. http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/county-news/iggy-pop-invites-local-musician-to-play-in-band-1-6444884

Perdu wrote:

Here's what's next, Iggy's new band with Thomas Dolby guitarist. http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/county-news/iggy-pop-invites-local-musician-to-play-in-band-1-6444884

Nice find! Fascinating band that Kevin Armstrong has put together.
Both he and Seamus Beaghan played with Iggy on the 1986 / 1987 tours and Seamus also played in the Instinct band the following year.
Ben Ellis has worked with Catherine Wheel and Artmagic (the side project of Richard Oakes from Suede) and is friends with drummer Mat Hector who drummed on Thomas Dolby's last album (hence the Kevin Armstrong connection).

So Iggy is working with a band of exclusively UK musicians for the first time since the Blah-Blah-Blah tour. Should be interesting.

Still waiting for some smaller gigs though. Wonder what the chances are of those, or will Iggy just play the big festivals?

Cheers,
Richard

Kevin Armstrong went to the same school as me and his band Local Heroes SW9 were pretty good. A few years later he was in Bowie's band for Live Aid, playing to a TV audience of millions.

If any other at all. This is what Armstrong says in the interview:

He said: “I’ve been asked to be Iggy’s band leader and guitarist for the Wembley concerts in June opening for the Foo Fighters. It’s a great opportunity and I’m incredibly excited.”

Doesn't sound like a tour or anything else besides the Wembley gigs.

Lucas wrote:

If any other at all. This is what Armstrong says in the interview:

He said: “I’ve been asked to be Iggy’s band leader and guitarist for the Wembley concerts in June opening for the Foo Fighters. It’s a great opportunity and I’m incredibly excited.”

Doesn't sound like a tour or anything else besides the Wembley gigs.

Well they are definitely playing ATP in Iceland in early July, and it would be very surprising if a band that has already started rehearsing (according to the band members facebook pages) played only three gigs!
So I'm pretty sure that more festivals, at the very least, will be added to these summer dates.

adams66 wrote:

Lucas wrote:

If any other at all. This is what Armstrong says in the interview:

He said: “I’ve been asked to be Iggy’s band leader and guitarist for the Wembley concerts in June opening for the Foo Fighters. It’s a great opportunity and I’m incredibly excited.”

Doesn't sound like a tour or anything else besides the Wembley gigs.

Well they are definitely playing ATP in Iceland in early July, and it would be very surprising if a band that has already started rehearsing (according to the band members facebook pages) played only three gigs!
So I'm pretty sure that more festivals, at the very least, will be added to these summer dates.

I reckon a bigger tour is coming together. Idiot and lust for life tour.

jacqui_A wrote:

I reckon a bigger tour is coming together. Idiot and lust for life tour.

I would love that!
But is this just wishful thinking, or have you heard something more concrete?
Cheers,
Richard

He did say to us when we met that 2015 would be solo iggy year. He also said 2014 radio work (which happened).

Kevin on guitar but hose gona lay drums and bass Sales brothers?
Mike and Toby?

I'd be surprised if Iggy wanted the Stooges rhythm section. Probably a fresh start would be more appealing.

gupio wrote:

Kevin on guitar but hose gona lay drums and bass Sales brothers?
Mike and Toby?

Kevin Armstrong - guitar.
Seamus Beaghan - guitar, keyboards.
Mat Hector - drums.
Ben Ellis - bass.

http://festileaks.com/2015/02/iggy-pop-en-la-roux-onder-eerste-namen-les-ardentes-2015/ luik 11july

https://www.facebook.com/MatHectorDrummer rehearsals started