MARKY RAMONE, TEQUILA BABY AND THE QUEERS IN CURITIBA, BRAZIL ON AUGUST 6, 2006

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Copyright© 2006 -> : Helio Volpato and Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone.

I travelled 420 kilometers (approximately 5 hours) to Curitiba, Brazil to see Marky Ramone, The Queers and Tequila Baby playing on Ramonesfest at Curitiba in Master Hall on August 06, 2006. I couldn't believe that exactly 10 years after last Ramones show I would see Marky Ramone at live, once again. The last time I saw Marky at live was in my hometown Maringa in 1999. The night was very hot, and here is winter! Me and my wife Lilian arrived early at the place and a great queue was already formed. To pay half ticket you had to leave a food sack for donation. The venue became really full when the show time was coming on. I think there were one thousand people (some guys said that even 1 500, but I don't know for sure).

The first was playing Tequila Baby. The boys played all their classics in 45 minutes. The audience sang all songs, it was a very strong show. The Queers was the second band to play. They played a non-stop gig (like Ramones show), all songs very fast. It was the third time that they came to Brazil. I saw them now first time at live.

After a long time, I was impatient, Tequila Baby came back to stage with Marky Ramone. Marky said "Hello Curitiba" and Tequila Baby vocalist Duda Calvin said to audience that Marky really wanted to play in Curitiba because it is a very special place to him. I can't remember exactly order of the set-list but the show began with Rockaway Beach and Teenage Lobotomy. When the audience listened the first chords, the place became a big pogo circle. They also played Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, I Just Want To Have Something To Do, 53rd And 3rd, Commando, Beat On The Brat, Pet Sematary, I Believe In Miracles, Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World and Pinhead. Pinhead didn't came to stage this time. Marky and Tequila Baby played in encore Blitzkrieg Bop, Don't Come Close (Marky said: "The last time I played this song was 25 years ago") and What A Wonderful World which Joey Ramone recorded to his solo album Don't Worry About Me. They dedicated I Don't Care to Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny. It was a great Ramones Tribute Party. That was the best way to remember the 10 years without the Ramones.

A guy from the production team told me the name of the hotel where Marky and all bands were staying. Next day I was on hotel's lobby and I met Raquel (Tequila Baby manager) and some minutes later I saw Joe Queer. After him came Tequila Baby's guitarist James and vocalist Duda. Me and Tequila Baby men talked about the Ramones and some friends in common.

Joe Queer told me about Joey and Dee Dee and how they always went to Queers shows in NYC. Joe liked Joey a lot because they always talked a lot about music and Joey was very funny man. He said that Brazil is a amazing place 'cause you can see there everywhere a boy with Ramones T-shirt (yeah, it's true).

I talked with Marky only a couple of minutes 'cause he left the hotel soon after he woke up. We talked about the Ramones demo songs, I love demo songs, and he said he have whole Road To Ruin demo session and rehearsal, also have Brain Drain and Mondo Bizarro demos. He didn't talk about unreleased songs because he finished his coffee and went to the session of autographs in a shopping center.

(Thanks of the nice review Helio Volpato)