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MY RAMONIAC TRIP WITH MARKY RAMONE & TARAKANY IN SWEDEN IN JANUARY, 2005

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On that page start my (Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone's) picture-story-report of my trip with Marky Ramone & Tarakany in Sweden in January 2005.

I got in December 2004 information that Marky Ramone plays with Russian band Tarakany European tour in early 2005. Sadly tour didn't arrive to Finland, but to Sweden. There was in the end 3 shows in Sweden, one was cancelled.
January 22, 2005, Tivoli, Helsingborg, Sweden
January 23, 2005, Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, Sweden
January 25, 2005, Prisma, Västeras, Sweden

(Photos: Marky Ramone & Tarakany playing at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden on January 23, 2005. Upper photo from right to left: Marky Ramone, Alexey Soloviev and Dima (Dmitry Spirin)

Tarakany is formed in 1991 and they released their debut in 1992. Tarakany is nowadays Russia's best-known punk band and they're sold more than 500,000 albums. Tarakany's tenth album was their first to be released worldwide, it's titled Freedom Street. It was released on Zurich Chainsaw Massacre Records (ZCM Records). Their eleventh album, Rockets From Russia, just came out and it's released on FM Molchit Records with exclusive distribution outside of Russia by ZCM Records. ZCM Records was also just confirmed that they're European section of Road To Ruin Distribution. Marky played first time in Russia with Tarakany on April 13-15, 2003. Shows were under name Marky Ramone And The Pinhead Army. Marky played with Misfits at SH Luzhniki in Moscow, Russia on September 24, 2004 and then support bands were Tarakany, Mean Idols (Finland) and Scream Of The Presidents (Japan).

I went to Stockholm, Sweden by ferry boat and I did enjoy Hanoi Rocks there. Drummer Lacu was put me + my friends Juki and Andie and Andie's boyfriend Magnus to the guestlist. I and Juki did travel to Helsingborg by train. We arrived to Helsingborg at 6PM and then I did call to Tarakany manager Ilia Ostrovskiy. Luckily showplace Tivoli was really close of railway station and we found it easily. Tarakany was then doing soundcheck and singer Dima (Dmitry Spirin) greeted us really nicely when he noticed us. Other Tarakany members are guitarist Dmitry Vatoff, bassist Alexey Soloviev and drummer Sergey Prokoviev. Soon I did met with Marky and he seemed to be happy to meet me. Tank was touring as his "helper". Also with them was tour manager Helena Schmid, Shelley Slater and bus driver Andrea Jakobs. Shelley owns with her husband Josef that Zurich Chainsaw Massacre Records. Acceptance was really friendly. I gave to Marky some gifts and really cool minituare drum set which was gift for him from Lynne Cameron from Scotland. I gave to Dima as a gift 2 Marky Ramone & The SpeedKings single and a wine bottle. Tarakany gave me so much gifts that I had pretty self-conscious feelings, like they gave Rockets From Russia CD's, Russian vodka bottle, Ramones.ru T-shirt and cool flyers from show in Winterthur, Switzerland. Dima told me he was wrote to me first time already in 1998. More we were E-mailed 2 years and I "knew" him from that time.

Marky asked if we can put to my site text by him, and if I can then send it to different places. It was really great text. It goes this way: "Now after Joey getting a street named after him in NYC and Johnny statue in LA, now what we should concentrate on, is a memorial for the great Dee Dee Ramone, who wrote half of the groups hits and was considered the Paul McCartney of the Ramones. I'll visit Johnny's and Dee Dee's gravesites in mid February alone. I'm glad to see that this memorial was done and now it's time to celebrate life, long live the legacy of the Ramones around the world forever. - Marky Ramone -"

Before the first show I was hanging in a audience and it was nice to talk with people who knew me, some of them I was also seen before, but couldn't sadly remember all of them (from Dee Dee's and Marky's shows from 2000-2002). With Mikael Hägg etc. I was wrote in advance that we meet. Tarakany played always at first 1 hour set. Show in Helsingborg started already at 8PM, but there was already lot people and they seemed to like of Tarakany set. Tarakany's members didn't drank alcohol before the show and so they were in tight form. They told me later that they want always to give best and don't wanna destroy shows with alcohol etc.



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