JOHNNY RAMONE/ DEE DEE RAMONE / RAMONES MEMORIAL EVENT IN LOS
ANGELES, USA ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2011.
BACK.
Copyright 2011 -> : Joe and Debbie Lunardon, Tommy Ramone and Jari-Pekka
Laitio-Ramone.
BASIC INFORMATION
The seventh annual Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone and Ramones outdoor event
presented by Linda Ramone in association with the JRA (Johnny Ramone
Army) chief of staff John Cafiero, was on October 1, 2011, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
(6000
Santa Monica Blvd.) in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
So, event had taken place in a area where are Johnny Ramone's memorial
statue and Dee Dee Ramone's grave.
Admission was 10 US$. Tickets were now available at Ticketfly.
Net proceeds benefit the Johnny Ramone Research Fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer
Research Center.
TOMMY'S COMMENTS
One Ramones member attended event, founding member, original drummer and
Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Tommy Ramone. So this was a great chance to meet Tommy and also
see from big video screen Tommy playing with Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee on Don Kirshner's
Rock Concert (television show) in USA, on August 9, 1977 (DKRC ran in 1973-81). Show
was screened in it's entirety.
- The Johnny Tribute went well as usual. It was great to see the fans again and we had a
good time watching the Don Kirshner show, I have not seen it in it's entirety in decades --
it is quite a good show!, wrote Tommy Ramone to me.
Some were thinking Tommy was pushed to the side and in a highligh were too much The
"Hollywood" movie stars in VIP area, and The Misfits and JuiceheaD (Jari-Pekka: personally I
has only good things to say of The Misfits, of my friends bassist-singer Jerry Only,
guitarist Dez Cadena (ex-Black Flag etc.) and drummer Eric "Chupacabra" Arce).
They were as well special guests and doing signings.
The Misfits and
JuiceheaD are artists of
the Misfits Records.
The Misfits released first full-length album of all-new,
original material in nearly a decade (and the first since 1999 to feature The Misfits
originals). The Devil's Rain debuted on Billboard's Top 200
at #70, and Billboard's Top Independent Album Charts #12. It is produced by Ed
Stasium, with some help by John Cafiero. Stasium has produced for example
Ramones albums Road To Ruin and Too Tough To Die, and Misfits album Famous Monsters.
JuiceheaD's new album is How To Sail A Sinking Ship.
Personally I like of both albums. JuiceheaD is doing
melodic and
modern punk.
Also sleeves are great and limited deluxe version of The Devil's Rain contains
glow-in-the-dark poster inside. I
am happy how current The Misfits' line-up is seemed to kick out from studio extra
pressures and with Stasium they recorded The Devil's Rain with good horror feelings. Not
trying to be too dark, not too horror, not too "Glenn Danzig era", not too "Michale Graves
era" etc. 16 songs works well in "album length", not work somehow well with
individuals, as it was with the single Land Of The Dead. Also Jerry Only sing better
than at live... Album is in a balance.
Btw, don't trust any bullshit Marky Ramone, Graves etc. are throwing to The Misfits and
to this
album. Listen album by yourself and decide what you like of The Devil's Rain.
RichieRamone.com & Ramones Forever were collaborating
and you had chance to get free signed giveaways autographed by Richie Ramone in this
event.
REVIEW AND STORY OF THE EVENT WRITTEN BY JOE AND DEB
LUNARDON.
"Report" on the Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone memorial event in 1st, October, 2011.
It was a good time. So, anyway: 1234!!
It was a beautiful warm night in Hollywood for the 7th annual Johnny Ramone Memorial
Event. We attended event with our friends Duane and Manya Buske. Duane is bassist and
founding member of San Diego's Ramones tribute band Hey!Ho! Lets
Go!"
The crowd was large and was made up of many Misfits fans this year, as the Misfits
were special guests - as well as
Tommy Ramone!
Before things got started we walked over to view Dee Dee Ramone's gravesite. A
beautiful print of "Saint Dee Dee" was displayed above, and a heart-shaped flower
arrangement on the ground below. There were people everywhere taking pictures of it.
Gravesite was gorgeous. Directly across from Dee Dee is the gravesite of
Maila Nurmi,
"Vampira" ,which was decorated with a giant spiderweb and fuzzy spiders. Nice to
see tribute paid to her also.
("Yes! Nurmi is born in Finland like Jari-Pekka! And she lived as a child in the state
of Ohio like me (Deb)! :D")
Johnny Ramone's monument was of course cool looking with colored lighting and a bed of
flowers. Always awesome. Tommy Ramone looked good; he was interviewed on air by
internet radio 103.1 about his days in the Ramones while event
attendees lounged on the lawn or walked around checking out the sights.
Later at the VIP area The Misfits' singer-bassist Jerry Only was standing by the
fence, signing and posing for pictures about 2 hours total. We managed to get his and
guitarist Dez Cadena's autograph even with a huge crowd there. After seeing how well
they treat their fans, we are really impressed with them, as well as their new music, The
Devil's Rain album. When they spoke on stage they talked about their 'professional
relationship' with Maila Nurmi
("Vampira").
Last year and this year's events they were keeping the celebrities hidden in a
tight-security tent with a metal fence around it. Most of the celebs only come out to
speak on the stage - within the secured area - after dark, so its hard
for "average" people to get pics!
Celebs seen in the VIP area were Rosanna Arquette (actress
etc.),
Steve Jones (Sex
Pistols etc., who
spoke briefly, or kicking soccer balls into the crowd), Lisa Marie Presley (the
only child of Elvis Presley), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili
Peppers etc.) and Pete Yorn.
Before the Ramones concert video started, Tommy Ramone talked to the audience about
meeting with the "Rock Concert" TV show's producer, Don Kirshner. Tommy said Kirshner
listened to everything they told him about how they wanted to be filmed and he did it
that way! The result is some of the best concert footage ever seen.
Can't remember seeing Johnny, or the rest of the band, any more fired up than this.
Pure energy and attitude and the music to match - it was epic. We lost count of how
many songs they fit into that show, because they didn't stop to breathe, they just
kept going like a full speed train. It kicked - hard - and sounded great. "It is the
Ramones in their prime", as said at the event. The entire audience was thoroughly
impressed, and rightfully so. Whew! Can't wait to see it again!!
The second movie was Plan 9 From Outer Space
in 3-D, with Bela Lugosi and Vampira. Movie is shown especially becauce Johnny Ramone
was huge horror film fan.
And that was the end of the evening. Of course, there was still a huge line of people
waiting in line hoping to get an autograph from The Misfits. before they went home.
We had a great time at the event, although it was feeling like it was more about The
Misfits this year. Many more fans seemed to be there for them, and not many Ramones
fans. Also, except for only Tommy's short comments, there was nobody speaking much to
the audience about their memories and stories of any of the Ramones. But seeing the
concert video, and hearing Tommy discuss it was great.
Btw, Rosanna Arquette read the ticket numbers of the 10 prize winners..., and I (Deb)
won a bag of cool Ramones and Misfits stuff!!
Thanks to Linda Ramone (she looked fabulous) and John Cafiero for a great event that
supports a great cause. Already looking forward to next year.
Text and photos by Deb and Joe Lunardo. Thanks a lot.