Mike Watt – Ring Spiel Tour 95 – Ltd Ed, Orange, Colored Vinyl, 2XLP, Grohl, Vedder, Sony, 2016

Double vinyl LP pressing. Live archive release from the alt-rock/post-punk veteran, “Ring Spiel” Tour ’95 is a live album by former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Watt. Available for the first time commercially in any format, Ring Spiel Tour ’95 is a thrilling audio document of ‘the man in the van with a bass in his hands’ trailblazing 1995 solo tour, recorded at the legendary Metro club in Chicago, featuring an all-star backing band. In February 1995, Columbia Records released Ball-Hog Or Tugboat?, the first solo release by Mike Watt, the influential punk rock bassist/musician whose bands-Minutemen and Firehose- helped define the sound and direction of rock. Watt’s relentlessly energetic set at The Metro on May 6, 1995 is an astonishing sonic time machine, catapulting the listener back to that historic gig, with Watt and his fired-up and raw back-up squad, the musical lineup constantly shifting between performances to accommodate the different feel and shape of each song.
Watt’s touring band consisted of Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, Pat Smear, and William Goldsmith. Grohl wanted to play more guitar so he only played drums on eight songs with Goldsmith handling the rest.