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I was lucky enough to
meet Joey Ramone in September 1994 after the
RAMONES played the Brixton Academy. I had
interviewed Marky before the show and had also
spoken to C.J. After the concert, I went to their
hotel where C.J. joined a few of us in the
hotel's lounge area. Eventually, Joey appeared
so I excused myself and went to join him, he
was sitting by himself. First off, I asked him about his
health. I'd heard rumours, same as everybody else had.
During the show, he went and sat in the wings while C.J.
sung a couple of numbers. That freaked me out, I guessed
the rumours must be true. He said he felt "great,
tip top!". I'd interviewed Dee Dee a few months
earlier, he'd said he was concerned about Joey's
health. I told Joey who acted surprised
saying, "What, after he wrote that horrible
song about me?!", referring to "I Hate
Creeps Like You". We spoke about the gig they'd
just done. Joey thought it was "really exciting, one
of the best ever London shows". I wasn't about to
call him a liar but it was the worst RAMONES show
I'd ever been to. Didn't matter, I'd seen more than my
fair share of wildly epiphanic and totally
unforgettable RAMONES shows in my time. I thought it
was great that he was still so enthusiastic. Joey
was very friendly, volunteering that he'd recorded
something with his brother that was going to come out on
Alternative Tentacles. He expressed disappointment that
the RAMONES had never got the success
or recognition he felt they deserved. I told him
that although it was true they'd never really had any
sustained commercial success, they were widely
acknowledged as one of the most important and influential
bands of all time. He grudgingly agreed. He asked me if I
knew anything about Noddy Holder's radio show. I didn't
but I told him about the Slade concert I went
to in 1973 when I was twelve years old! He said he'd
just missed Cheap Trick in New York because he'd had to
come to Europe. I mentioned that I'd seen Frankie Valli
the night before. Poor old Joey had just about lost his
voice so I thanked him for chatting with me and left it
at that. I was very pleased to meet Joey, someone I admired very much. To find that he was approachable and interested in what I had to say made it even more pleasing. Nowadays, Joey is a bonafide legend... an icon... a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer... a street corner, a city block. Hell, even my kids are impressed that I met Joey Ramone. Mark Bannister, England |
