Last night, I went to see Marky Ramone's Blitzgrieg at The Dome in Tufnell Park. Marky Ramone AKA Mark Bell joined the Ramones for their fourth album Road to Ruin when original drummer Tommy Ramone left. Marky was an accomplished drummer, having played with Richard Hell and The Voidoids previously. Until he arrived Ramones records did not have drum rolls and fills. Until Tommy left the band kept up the pretence that they were all brothers. When it was announced that Mark Bell was becoming Marky Ramone, it caused a degree of consternation amongst die hards. Many think that Road to Ruin was the last great Ramones album. I wanna be sedated is one of their absolute classic tracks. It was a bit calmer and poppier than the earlier albums, as the band attempted to become a more mainstream band.
Marky was the longest serving drummer in the band, doing two stints. The band finished in 1996. I probably saw them 30-40 times, they were always brilliant. The three mainstay members, Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee has all died by 2004. Tommy passed away in 2014. The Ramones were the reason I got into music. I documented the moment in a 2012 blog. This was picked up by the Roundhouse and they put a quote from the blog on the wall, at the top of the stairs. For me, that is a bigger honour than an OBE or a Knighthood.
I am not a massive fan of tribute bands. I don't want my memories of the Ramones sullied by poor impersonators. But Marky is a Ramone. I felt I had to go. I really didn't know what to expect. What did we get? Well as you may expect, Marky does the job absolutely properly. At times it could have been The Ramones, if like me you are a bit short sighted and you forgot your glasses. It was wonderful. I reminded me of why I went on my journey as a musician. He does the music justice and if you weren't there in 1977, and haven't seen them 30 or 40 times, as I was, then you might get some idea of what it was all about. For that I will have an eternal debt of gratitude to Marky. I cannot think of another band who would play 20-30 songs (I wasn't counting) and I knew them all apart from one.
The band weren't pretending to be Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee, although musically there was not a Rizla thickness difference between the noise coming out. If, like me, you loved the Ramones and thought you'd never get another fix of them, then check them out. I had no idea what to expect, if I am honest I didn't expect too much, but felt it important to support Marky as The Ramones never made any real money. It was wonderful. If anyone ever asks me why I don't like Queen as a band, I always say "Because I saw The Ramones". Fair play to Marky, he reminded me why I've been saying that since the 6th June 1977. They are Rock and Roll stripped down to its absolute bare essentials. There is nothing flash, no showing off. No vocal contortions or guitar solos. Just a wonderous noise that no one else in the history of the Universe has ever quite figured out why it is so good, but it just is. If you don't get The Ramones, you don't get Rock and Roll. That is fine, it is a free country, but don't bother chatting to me about music as I will be talking an alien language. Without the Ramones, I would simply not exist in my current form. I would be a different, lesser human being. The Ramones made everything make sense in 1977. I was surprised to learn that in many ways, they still do. And as for Marky Ramone's Blitzgrieg, it isn't the Ramones, but seeing them was to me like kissing the toe of the statue of St Peter is for Roman Catholics at The Vatican. It isn't St Peter, but its the nearest thing we have, so lets celebrate them and cherish them.
Here is a few clips.
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