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BLITZKREIG BOP to the 88 bus stop outside
the Kensington Hilton. And after eight
years I finally get to meet the Ramones.
Back in 1976 the Ramones were about the
only thing in the USA that wasn't boring.
They played in London and fulfilled all
the hysterical promise of 'Ramones' (an
LP). Seeing them live was like driving a
car into a wall at 100mph –
continuously! After
two years of striving and starving in NYC
they crossed the sea and found a
(spiritual) home. Their impact was
phenomenal.
Joey Ramone remembers:
"That was the beginning, it was
great, historic. Playing the Roundhouse
and Dingwalls and selling out. Having all
those kids coming to our soundcheck. A
lot were to become the Clash and the Sex
Pistols and all the groups that followed.
It was great. Wild.
"Punk rock changed
the world. I feel we revolutionised rock
and roll. It was something that just
happened. I guess in the same way the
Beatles didn't know what was going to
happen, or Elvis Presley didn't know what
was going to happen. Things were getting
pretty dull then and it's getting like
that again now. All that synthesiser
stuff to me isn't rock and roll, it's
elevator music or something. I hear
better music in my elevator."
To continue reading
this article and to discover many more (over 140,000 words-worth!),
purchase Mick
Sinclair’s Adjusting
the Stars: Music journalism from post-punk London.
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