RAMONES MUSEUM BERLIN
BACK
COVID-19 UPDATE (DECEMBER 6, 2020):
Covid-19 is nearly everywhere in this world in 2020 (and probably also
in 2021). Surviving Ramones members had to stop touring. I asked from
Flo Hayler of the Ramones
Museum Berlin what is situation with the
Museum. So it is located in Berlin, Germany. Second Berlin Lockdown
started in Museum on November 1, 2020.
Jari-Pekka: Do you know date when Museum might be opened next time?
Florian Hayler: No idea. Might take a break in 2021 and wait
for this to be over, Flo answered.
1) NEW RAMONES
MUSEUM BERLIN
- Ramones
Museum Berlin Homepage.
- Ramones Museum
Berlin's Facebook site.
Ramones Museum Berlin is first real Ramones museum in a
world. Florian Hayler run the museum. There was a 10th anniversary
event at the Ramones Museum Berlin on November 29, 2015. CJ Ramone did
play then a short set. Next day stared officially CJ Ramone's
European
tour. Read more about Museum and it's history below.
ADDRESS:
Oberbaumstrabe 5,
10997 Berlin
Germany
Entry for Ramones Museum Berlin is five euros. Entry for bar and cafe is
free of charge.
Florian Hayler opened Ramones Museum Berlin on September 15, 2005 and
it had to close in November, 2007 because of expensive rent.
Florian Hayler (you can see him in photo in right together with
Arturo Vega) did re-open Ramones Museum Berlin on October 8, 2008.
Flo said: "There you will not only find the 300+ original
memorabilia items such as Johnny Ramone's stageworn jeans or Joey
Ramone's microphone stand and glove, but you will also get the chance
to sit down, relax and have a coffee, a beer or a snack in the cafe
while meeting Ramones fans."
Secong opening day of Ramones Museum Berlin (October 8,
2008) was Johnny Ramone's 60th
birthday and CJ Ramone's 43rd birthday."
Many of those items has special stories behind of them. Like Florian
referred for Joey Ramone's microphone stand. Joey destroyed that
microphone stand during the show at the Academy, New York, USA on
February 29, 1996. It was last Ramones show in NYC. Also known as the
night when Greatest Hits Live was recorded.
SOME OLDER NEWS CONCERNING NEW MUSEUM
- Ramones lightning and art director Arturo Vega was at the
Ramones Museum
Berlin on October 8-11, 2008. He had there a
memorabilia auction
on October 10 and 11 (including rare shirts, posters, photos etc.).
Arturo also had a photo slide show in October 11 at 6PM. Also he
sold
Ramones merchandise.
Arturo did show to me in New York in May, 2008 Johnny Ramone's childhood
photos, school dploma etc. He took them to Ramones Museum Berlin in
October,
2008.
- Ramones Museum Berlin will have the screening of music related
movies in December, 2008. All movies will be on a big screen inside the
Museum and free of charge!:
* December 12, 2008, 18:30 (6:30PM), End
Of The Century - The Story Of The Ramones
* December 16-17, 2008, 18:30 (6:30PM), free
entry to the museum to all
Die Toten
Hosen fans that show in a museum valid ticket for the Die
Toten Hosen show on December 17 at the O2 Arena in Berlin. They has a
screening of the Die Toten Hosen DVD 3 Akkorde Fur Ein Halleluja.
* December 30 (18:30 ->) and December 31 (18:00
->),
2008, screening of
the Ramones It's Alive show at the Rainbow Theatre in London, UK, in
December 31, 1977. There is also traditional memorabilia lottery, you
can win then tour T-shirts, posters etc.
* August 28, 2009: While touring in Europe, CJ
Ramone will have meet and greet and signing session at Ramones Museum
Berlin on August 28, 2009. It is 1PM. CJ Ramone will also sign
copies of my books, like of Ramones:
Soundtrack Of Our Lives book. Admission is free. Day before he
has show at Festsaal
Kreuzberg in Berlin, Germany, and after signing at Waldbuhne in Berlin,
Germany. Die Toten Hosen etc. will be also playing then.
* New Ramones Museum Berlin has first anniversary event on October 16-17, 2009. It is Dee Dee Ramone special with
guests, Ramones creative director Arturo Vega and Paul Zone. Paul Zone
was in music scene early, like he saw David Bowie premier Ziggy
Stardust at Carnegie Hall, Iggy Pop & The Stooges at the
Electric Circus in 1971, the first ever performances by The New York
Dolls at the Mercer Arts Cente etc. Zone was friends with the Ramones
members before the Ramones was even formed. Beside of Joey Ramone, Dee
Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Tommy Ramone Paul Zone has photographed
for example Stiv Bator, Blondie, Alice Cooper, Wayne/Jayne County, New
York Dolls, Kiss, Suicide, Marc Bolan, Ray Davies...
* December, 2009 Die Toten Hosen's singer Campino
did introduce the Ramones Museum to the audience in one German TV
channel, the ARD Morgenmagazin, at 5.30-9 on December 7. The singer
guided through Ramones history, dropping anecdotes andsharing his
memories about the Ramones etc. While walking at the Ramones Museum,
Campino said how all the things (items etc.) he see brings like dejavu
experiences. He also said he cried when the last intro for the last
Ramones show in Buenos Aires started in 1996. (that was last Ramones
show he attended. Die Toten Hosen also played that night there).
* New Year's 2009: Ramones Museum Berlin throw a
2 day party including
lottery with valuable prices, It's Alive will be broadcast on big
screen and Arturo Bassick from The Lurkers will play you some great
tunes.
* May, 2010: Finnish band Disco Ensemble had
exclusive fan-prelistening for new album The
Island Of Disco Ensemble at the Museum on May 4, 2010. They also were
DJ's. May 5, 2010, there was at the museum Another State Of Mind
featuring Social Distortion and Minor Threat, cult movie on a big screen
in museum's series Like It Was Yesterday.
* September, 2010: There is lot to see at the
Ramones Museum Berlin in September, 2010.
- September 1: legendary punk documentary on a huge screen: The Decline
Of Western Civilization The Decline Of Western Civilization (USA, 1981),
September 5, 2010: Royal Republic (Sweden) does play acoustic set,
September 17: Joey Briggs (The Briggs, USA) does play acoustic
set.
* March 31, 2011: Acoustic and free show start at
3 PM by a well
known indie-rock four-piece A Boxer Rebellion (London, UK). Singer
Nathan Nicholson and his friends will perform an exclusive acoustic set
and also introduce their brand new songs from the album The Cold
Still.
* April 7, 2011: Florian Hayler feels Foo Joggers
to be the next big thing from the far west of Germany. Foo Joggers
has free and acoustic show at 7PM. "They play folk-pop with a sharp
indie
edge. Frontman Jan's vocals sound like he just had a night out
with Tom Waits and Joe Cocker. Thank god he doesn't look like them.",
laughs Florian.
* April 13, 2011: The Blacklist Royals are from
Nashville, Tennessee and they play their southern flavoured punkrock at
7PM. Free show.
* April 15, 2011: This day is 10th Anniversary of
Joey becaming our angel.
Berlin's band Radio Dead Ones has acoustic record release show at 8PM at
Ramones Museum Berlin. New album is called AAA. Band raised by groups
like Rancid and Swinging Utters and have supported aces like US Bombs
and Backyard Babies.
* April 23, 2011: Florian Hayler tells:
"Remember Chikinki's number1 hit You Said? So do we, and we're stoked
that Brighton's finest chose the Ramones Museum to introduce their brand
new songs from the album Bitten to their fans. Bitten was recorded in
guitar player East's Berlin Studio, and this acoustic set in the Ramones
Museum marks Chikinki's return to their home away from home."
Free show start at 7PM.
* April 24, 2011: Free show by Teenage
Bottlerocket start at 2PM. The already legendary Monster Bash at
Berlin's Columbiahalle brings you performances by bands like NOFX,
Descendents, Millencolin etc. Teenage Bottlerocket soundalikes
Ramones, Queers and Screeching Weasel.
* May 15, 2011: Jeff Rowe from Alliston,
Massachusetts, USA, is singing his tales from this side of life. His
latest album Barstool Conversations sits right next to guys like Chuck
Ragan, Jesse Malin and Brian Fallon. Free show.
2) 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF NEW RAMONES MUSEUM BERLIN.
Ramones
Museum celebrated its 2nd Anniversary on October
29-31, 2010. Special guests included Danny Fields (Ramones manager in
early 70's), Arturo Vega (Ramones creative director),
Monte Melnick (Ramones' long time tour manager) and George DuBose
(official Ramones photographer and album cover designer etc.).
Events started every day 6PM. Admission was free.
Read here
story of this 2nd anniversary event.
Danny Fields,
is the first Ramones' manager (Tommy was first as well). Danny did
personally show never before seen images of the Ramones, including
photos from their earliest career steps such as buying their first
P.A., going to London, UK in 1976, visiting Washington, USA, and
hanging out at the Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles, USA.
Danny not only worked with the Ramones, but
also with the MC5, Stooges, New York Dolls and The Doors.
Monte Melnick,
- I will be presenting a PowerPoint lecture on the Ramones and will be
signing the new German edition of my book On The Road With The
Ramones, titled Auf Tour Mit Den Ramones, wrote Monte Melnick for
me before this event.
- Monte was babysitter, nurse and shoulder to lean on in one, putting
up with the endless touring and driving from one show to the next. For
our 2nd anniversary, Monte Melnick will be present and will reflect
his career with the Ramones, tell funny stories and incidents, show
never before seen photos and hang out with the fans - just like in the
old days!, continue Florian Hayler who run Ramones Museum in
Berlin.
Arturo Vega,
Arturo has become one of the main supporters of the Ramones Museum,
contributing some of the finest Ramones memorabilia that would
have never seen the light of day.
Arturo Vega was the Ramones' creative director since 1974, he designed
the Ramones' eagle logo and most all of the Ramones art, shirts, special
collections, etc. He worked as the Ramones lighting director. With the
Ramones he worked on 2 261 shows, and only missed 2 Ramones shows
altogether.
Arturo run Ramonesworld.com.
You can find lot of his Ramones stories from my books
Ramones:
Soundtrack Of Our Lives (2009), Rock In Peace:
Dee Dee And Joey Ramone (2004) and Heaven Needed A
Lead Singer: Fans Remember Joey Ramone (2002).
George DuBose,
George
Dubosehas photographed and
designed nine
albums with the Ramones. In
all George has photographed and designed over 300 album covers, has
collected around twenty gold and platinum albums for groups as diverse
as REM, The Go Gos, and Melissa Etheridge. George DuBose has also worked
with many other artists also, like with Tom Waits, Madonna, and The
B52s.
He also took photos of other Ramones related things, for instance he
took the promo shots of Dee Dee's when he started his rap career as Dee
Dee King.
George DuBose has released a great book entitled, I Speak Music -
Ramones. The book has 104 pages and about 60 of them include previously
unreleased photos. You can read George DuBose's stories about how the
various concepts came about and how these remarkable photos were
executed. You can find his long interview with lot rare photos from my
Ramones:
Soundtrack Of Our Lives book.
3) ORIGINAL RAMONES
MUSEUM BERLIN
OBS, FOLLOWING INFOS ARE OLD NEWS CONCERNING ORIGINAL MUSEUM. BUT
I WANT TO KEEP THESE INFOS HERE AS A PART OF THE
HISTORY... ALSO PHOTOS IN RIGHT ARE FROM OLD MUSEUM TAKEN BY ME.
Florian Hayler opened Ramones Museum Berlin on September 15, 2005 and it
had to close in November, 2007 because of expensive rent.
Florian wrote to me then in November, 2007 this way:
"The landlord of the
apartment of Ramones Museum Berlin raised the rent about 300 % and he
actually found someone who is willing to pay an astronomic amount of
money for our gabba gabba headquarters. So from now on people can buy
soap in the basement of Solmsstr. 30, formerly known as the home of the
Ramones Museum Berlin. ANYWAY: As we were hoping to the last second that
we were allowed to stay, we do not have a location to fall back on. BUT:
Of course Ramones Museum Berlin sees things positive and we hope to
reopen in an ever nicer, bigger, brighter and ground leveled location
any time soon. We'll use December (2007) and January (2008) to negotiate
our options and then decide where to move. (November 7, 2007)
News from October 18, 2007:
- The Ramones lightning and art director
etc. Arturo Vega visited Ramones Museum Berlin on October 19-21, 2007.
He had there some really rare Ramones stuff and also the latest Ramones
shirt designs etc.
They were for sale in this weekend only. Also you got chance to buy
there my
books Rock In Peace:
Dee Dee And Joey Ramone and Heaven Needed A
Lead Singer: Fans Remember Joey Ramone.
News from May 16, 2007:
- Ramones Museum Berlin did throw a two day party for Joey's 56th
birthday on May 19-20, 2007 (in both days Museum was open from 12-6PM.
Day was including Ramones lottery with valuable prices such as original
shirts, posters, buttons and other kinds of Ramones memorabilia. Marky
Ramone visited Ramones Museum Berlin on July 19, 2007, Marky was
then playing in Berlin.
News from December, 2006:
- Ramones Museum Berlin invited you to special It's Alive weekend event,
it was in
Berlin, Germany on December 30 and 31, 2006, exactly 29 years after the
recording of that legendary Ramones live album It's Alive at London's
Rainbow Theatre. You saw at Ramones Museum for example nine
never before seen photos from that show, provived to them by
photographer Paul Slattery who attended this show and captured the
excitement and rawness of this historic gig with his camera. So they
were on display on December 30 and 31 only! In a museum you got also
chance to see real two sided Gabba Gabba Hey/ Happy New Year sign that
the Ramones made for this New Year's event only.
News from November, 2006:
- 14 month after the opening Ramones Museum Berlin had the first
anniversary party, it was at Cassiopeia Club on November 17, 2006. Great
Ramones cover band The Rämouns were playing. There was some
contests, like Sandra Unglaube won a Joey Ramone lookalike contest etc.
One highlight was George DuBose's Ramones show with never before seen
Ramones photos. George DuBose shot many Ramones album covers.
Anniversary party was attended by more than 500 devoted Ramones fans!
News from July, 2006:
- On Sunday, August 6, 2006, came 10 years of
last Ramones show. Ramones Museum Berlin celebrated this 10th
anniversary with a special Ramones Farewell Show Lottery. Everyone who
came down to the museum on August 6 had the chance to draw lots
and win valueable prices.
News from April, 2006:
- Ramones debut
album was released on April 23rd, 1976!
Ramones Museum Berlin celebrated that day also cool way: Rob Freeman was
the man behind the console, giving Ramones its distinctive sound by
setting up the amps and the microphones in the studio and placing the
bandmembers in separate rooms of the Plaza Sound Studios in NYC. For the
first time in 30 years, Rob revealed all details about the
recording of Ramones:
- Who sang the background-vocals for I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend?
- Was it a real chainsaw that was used for the intro of Chainsaw?
- Who decided to change the lyrics for Today Your Love, Tomorrow The
World?
Rob Freeman's eyewitness story was flavoured with
never before seen photos of Ramones manager Danny Fields, Freeman's
printed report was available for free at the Ramones Museum.
News from September, 2005:
- The first Ramones Museum ever did open it's gates in Berlin, Germany
at 4pm Thursday on September 15, 2005,... It was then exactly one year
after Johnny got a call from heaven. Ramones
Museum in Berlin displays more than 300 unique memorabilia items of The
Ramones. On display is a pair of Johnny Ramone's stage-worn jeans, a
stage-worn glove from Joey Ramone (as seen in the video for I Wanna
Live, from the collection of Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick) and
a pair of Marky's sneakers, plus huge amount of posters (also from 70's,
like of the first Ramones show in Berlin in 1978), unpublished photos
and signed memorabilia from 1975-1996. Most of you fans not have also
seen hard to get promotional items, like Leave Home letter opener, first
Ramones promotional T-shirt from 1975, miniature Ramones baseball bat
which was promo item concerning first album etc.
Some stuff was pretty hard to come up with, like the Road To Ruin (Needles
And Pins) Pin Box, a brown Johnny Ramone pick, a signed Ramones frisbee
or some really early photos from 1976, taken in New Jersey just two
weeks after the legendary Roundhouse gigs in London.