Hey, Ho, Don't Blow!

Let's hope the news that Fox Searchlight are in talks about a biopic about the Ramones bears fruit. And that the prickly question of musical rights is cleared quickly.

Of course the prospect of a movie being done well is another matter. The issue of a council clean-up and the need to turf out anything of no use here at Ramones Manor reminded me of that Stones/Brian Jones movie "Stoned" which was among the first things to be tossed out.Oliver Stone should hang his head in shame about some of the sillier aspects of "The Doors" and although I saw "Sid and Nancy" a couple of times while living in London in the '80s, it's not on my most-watched list these days.

Your suggestions for casting for the parts of Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy are welcome in comments.

Hey Ho, Let's Go...to the cemetery

A Johnny Ramone tribute with a screening of a colourised, 3D print of Night of the Living Dead in a graveyard? Why the hell not?

"We knocked 'em dead in Dallas..."

"They didn't know we were Jews."

If you know where that lyric comes form you'll want to read this.

A line-up that speaks for itself, no?

Oh to be in NYC for this...

Merry Christmas and goodnight (for a week or two)

Last post until early-January. Have a good break. I know I will.

A conversation with Bob Gruen

New York snapper Bob Gruen's one of rock and roll's premier photographers, as much for being on the spot at the right time as being adept at capturing the essence of his subjects. Some of his most famous subjects have been the New York Dolls, the Ramones, the Pistols, Blondie, The Clash and John Lennon. There's an interview in Crawdaddy online here where he reveals a lot of his best photos were captured spontaneously (as many of the greatest are.) He also sounds like the sort of bloke you'd like to have a beer with.

Dead, warring Ramones should be no election surprise

Hot off the Reuters wires:

Punk rock innovators the Ramones made a joyful racket, but offstage they were rarely in tune.

Band members were known to feud about everything, from their song list to politics. Guitarist Johnny Ramone was a conservative, while singer Joey Ramone was a liberal.

Johnny and Joey are both dead now, but their feud lives on in the presidential race.

You see, Johnny’s widow Linda, using the Ramone moniker, has been campaigning for Republican John McCain, and Joey’s estate is none too happy about that.

“I just want it to be clear that Linda Cummings does not represent the political views of the Ramones,” said Mickey Leigh, the president of Ramones Productions who is also Joey’s brother.

“As for Joey Ramone, the only Ramones song he would sing at a Republican event would be ‘Glad to See You Go,’” Leigh said in a press release.

It’s not the first time Linda has created dischord among the Ramones. She dated Joey but eventually married Johnny, causing the two band members not speak to each other for years, even as they continued to tour and make records.

Gabba Gabba Pray

With surefire "hits" like "Blitzkrieg Church", "Nazareth Affair" and "Beat on The Beast", the members of Chapel Hill's Christian Ramones (that'd be Matty, Markey, Lukey and Johnny) are surely bound for hell. Check the comments and you'll see the Bruddas' ex-road manager Monte Melnick is a fan. More here.