Spun out

If the normally unreadable Spin magazine is going to claim to be relevant and review the return of the Stooges, you'd think they'd get some basic facts right. Like Ron Asheton being the original Stooges guitarist. A breath-taking faux pas. Don't forget to read the understandably irate comments - one of the posters appears to be the late Ron's sister Kathy.

Mike Watt correction

I mis-labelled Watt's bass in a recent post about him honouring fallen Stooge Ron Asheton by applying the guitarist's photo to his instrument (aka the Thud Stick.) Herewith a message from the Man:

barman,

you are very kind, thank you.

I have to tell you though that bass in the picture is a gibson! sorry.
I use a 1965 gibson eb-0 w/the stooges. I removed the original pickup
and added two rio grande pit bull pickups to replace it.

big respect to ron asheton.

thank you again.

on bass, watt

Mike Watt remembers

The Stooges bassist honours fallen brother Ron Asheton every time he takes his Gibson bass on stage. You can hear him interview bandmate James Williamson here.

You Don't Want My Name You Want My Action

Tha's the name of the Stooges 1971 box set mentioned here a few weeks ago and it is about to ship. It features live twin-guitar fireworks from the brief six-string pairing of Asheton and Williamson. You can hear sound samples here.

For audience recordings, these aren't too bad. Just don't expect to get it in a shop. It's online sales only.

Make Mine Japanese - Destroy All Monsters

Here's a special YouTube treat: A rare studio film clip interspersed with live footage from the latter day Destroy All Monsters fronted by Niagara and including Ron Asheton and Mike Davis. This dates from 1983 according to Dan Boyd (aka The Wizard of Livonia).

Stooges '71

Ever hear the short-lived Stooges line-up with Ron Asheton AND James Williamson on guitars? Little survives except a St Louis show, booted on an obscure label from a tape that was traded among colectors for years. UK legacy label Easy Action have been on the case, however, and have come up with a box set dating from that 1971 US tour.

There's a considerable back story to this which I might relate at a later time. Meanwhile, you can watch as more details go up, hear sound samples and pre-order here.

New Stooges book

I'm just re-reading Paul Trynka's magnificent Ig tome "OPen Up And Bleed" right now with its often forensic examination of the terminal-stage Stooges' death throes tour laying it out in all its stark and harrowing glory, but you can never get too much Stooges.

Photographer Roberet Matheu has authored this newie and knows the principals well so you know it's going to be worthy.

The New Order

No, not that New Order but the L.A. band Ron Asheton put together with Dennis Thompson and Jimmy Recca, post-Stooges and MC5. Machine Gun Thompson tells the whole story on his blog.

The Mother Hen

Simpson the cat is ailing, advanced in years. Ron Asheton breaks off from his stories of heroin, macrobiotic rice and aluminium afros to attend to him gently, pouring a saucer of milk and checking on his medication. This is the man who similarly ministered to his fellow Stooges, cooking for them in the house in which we sit, working in the Pigments Of The Imagination head-shop to subsidise their meagre earnings, removing lit cigarettes when they’d nodded out. These days – 1995 – he simply ministers to their legend.

More of Paul Trynka's eloquent tribute here on his blog.

Fitting tribute.

I can't really add enything to the email I got telling me about this.

Ron Asheton Tribute Night featuring Bored! with guest vocalists Fiona Maynard and Mike Keane playing the songs of The Stooges and Destroy all Monsters! Also playing Kim Salmon, Mick Harvey and Deafwish! Its a benefit for injured wildlife in the Victorian bushfires so come on down!!!
$10, at Cherry Bar, in AC/DC Lane.

I Wanna Be Your Dog

Hiawatha Bailey of the Cult Heroes joins Scott Morgan and Powertrane for a run through of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" from the Ron Asheton Tribute at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor recently.

Booting Things Up on a Monday

No better way to start the working week. This is a little-known line-up and I'll let YouTune poster WizardofLivonia tell the story:

Destroy All Monsters after the psychedelic era featuring a more standard line-up with the only original DAM member Niagara on vocals, Ron Asheton of The Stooges on guitar, Mike Davis of the MC5 on bass, Bill Frank of NonFiction on drums, and Charley Tysklind of the Blue Front Persuaders on Sax. Rest in peace Ron and Charley

Ron Asheton Tribute Night

That's Ron's schoolmate Scott Morgan and his band Powertrane making the running on "1969" and ex-Stooges roadie Hiawatha Bailey (of the Cult Heroes) on "Down On The Street".

Locals say goodbye to Ron

Nice wrap=up of the Ann Arbor Ron Asheton tribute night here.

Nobody Knows - Destroy All Monsters

Airfare wanted

Mortality happens in threes

First Ron Asheton...now Lux Interior. Should the adage about these things happening in threes be true, I've formed a view on who should be next. Click here to find out.

Party Girl - Destroy All Monsters

I suppose one of the things with Ron Asheton's passing will be people posting previously unseen footage like this. Anyone want to clue me in on who's in this DAM line-up?

More Ron

At the Houndblog's blog, with some nice pix taken by his wife, Gillian McCain, who co-authored Please Kill Me. Go here and listen to an unissued Stooges track.

Ig on Ron

A 24-minute interview on classic Detroit radio here.