MY TRIP TO NEW YORK TO THE JOEY RAMONE BIRTHDAY BASH IN MAY 2006: PAGE 3

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Copyright. 2006 -> Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone

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It was great to introduce East Village to the Hannu Jokinen and Timo Pullinen, like they saw Joey Ramone Place, we visited CBGB's Gallery and Arturo Vega. Also meeting with Arturo was a big honour for them. We also bought merchandises, I bought Ramones T-shirts, wallets and scarfs etc. for me, Bram van Schaik, Kimmo Aaltonen, Antti Niemi, M!ka Vesterinen, Päivi Rantala and Aki Laakkonen. With Hannu and Timo we also visited National Museum Of The American Indian. I can recommend also that experience.

May 17 I called Dave Frey of Silent Partner Management if we would do then interview, but sadly he was busy. Also my meeting with Celine Moray didn't happen. Diane Hatcher arrived from Texas to the New York in May 17 and Lynne Cameron in May 18. Diane helped me most with my first book and Lynne helped much with second one + also helps with third one. Lynne run also Marky Ramone fan site. I and Lynne spent holiday together few months earlier in Slovakia and Hungary and she also visited me in Finland. Of course I visited again Trash And Vaudeville few times while I was in New York and I also found lovely pink heart-shaped handbag which I can give as a gift for someone. This year I didn't found there any new leopard figured clothes. Diane also know with Jimmy Webb who run the store. Jimmy works lot too hard and I hope he would get chance to have one month holiday soon. Jimmy gave us Trash And Vaudeville T-shirt to take with me, Diane and Lynne to the Joey's grave.

Andy Shernoff of the Dictators was E-mailed me before that he and other guests has a Birthday Bash set rehearse in May 18 and I was welcome to go there also. Of course I was honoured to go there together with David Kelly. I was pretty nervous because I suppose to meet there first time with Richie Ramone. Most of the special guests of the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash were there and I also knew most of them. Like it was great feeling when most of the artists came to chat with us and change some lines. After discussion Cheetah Chrome (ex-Dead Boys etc.) wanted to show to me photos of his baby and wife. Bebe Buell (she's singer, mother of Liv Tyler, ex-wife of Steven Tyler etc.) came to ask if I has copies of my second book with me. With Richie Stotts I met first time in last year and we had plans of doing E-mail interview. He was changed his E-mail and we decided of doing interview while I'm in NYC. Tommy Ramone suggested if we would do there interview and of course it was OK for me. In May 15 (Uncle Monk show) we were discussed that we would do it in May 19. While doing it Wayne Kramer of DKT/MC5 came to chat and I and Wayne were remembering our book interview 10 months earlier at Ilosaarirock festival in Finland. Later David had nice chat with Kramer. Everyone was in good mood that night. After interview with Tommy, Tommy asked again more of my Ramones fan career.

I went back to rehearse room and during one break Richie Ramone came to hug me and say greetings and thanked me of my works and posting his messages concerning animal rights to my site. So like most of you fans knows, drummer Richie joined the Ramones in Febuary, 1983 and he left the Ramones in August, 1987. After that he put the Ramones behind him unfortunately for a long time. Most of the Ramones people didn't knew what he was doing or where he was. Then he attended Joey's funeral on April 17, 2001, two days after Joey passed away. Services began at 12:30 in Schwartz Brothers Memorial Chapels. Johnny, Dee Dee and Marky couldn't be there, but Tommy, CJ and Richie were in attendance - a very bold and heartfelt move from Richie, who had been estranged from the other Ramones for years. He also appears in End Of The Century movie. Then in late 2005 and early 2006 Richie E-mailed me about animal rights situations, read more here. And then came these news that he plays at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash on May 19, 2006! Many fans were so happily shocked.

I was happily surprised that he knew how I look like, probably he had seen photos of me on my homepage. We chatted few times shortly in that rehearse night in May 18, like he also sent greetings from his wife Annette to me. Richie was really friendly and we decided of having meeting next day. Richie also gave me his cell phone number. Somebody Put Something In My Drink really rocked that night when guys were rehearsing it. I was jumping by myself and tears were falling. I was really seeing that song played at live by Richie and other people. Song is from Animal Boy album and Animal Boy is among of my 4 favourite albums - other are Ramones, Leave Home and Mondo Bizarro. And what you can feel when Richie Ramone, Wayne Kraymer, Andy Shernoff, Richie Stotts and Cheetah Chrome are playing Kick Out The Jams....? Wayne was also explaining special things of the song to each other, it was great moment. They also played I Wanna Be Sedated twice. One another highlight of the rehearse was when Richie Ramone, Mickey Leigh, Andy Shernoff etc. were playing Something To Believe In. Especially during that heartfelt song I was sending power and thoughs to the Taina.

There was in Friday May 19 this ten-mile pilgrimage to the sacred spots in the Ramones legacy. I and David had decided meeting at the Bergen subway station with Hannu and Timo. From there it took around 1 hour by subway and then 15 minutes by walking to the Forest Hills High School. It was good to visit it again, I was been there once in past with David. Sadly it was raining heavily while we were walking to the school which was local school to the Ramones members when they were young. Joe Tuba and Ben Meyers were main organisators behind of the pilgrimage. It was nice to see there also Grace and Kelvin Crook whom I also met in May 15 in photo exhibition. Grace and Kelvin came from Exeter, United Kingdom to the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash. Luckily it wasn't raining when we started walking. It was also nice to discuss with the people while walking. I and David had to leave after 1.30PM because of the meeting with Richie. We went to the subway in Queens were David dialed Richie to confirm the address of the hotel. Richie said that he had to leave for the club by 4:00PM. He asked if it was just I and David coming to the room. Every great musician needs his alone time to mentally prepair himself for the show ahead. I and David had to use 4 different subway before we arrived to the station close of Richie's hotel. Of course it was raining heavily last minutes before getting there and I was wet again when my umbrella got broken. Richie asked us to come to his hotel room and he gave us a towel to dry off. He was really friendly and regardful in general. Richie told pretty openly of his feelings towards Joey. He went onto state that he and Dee Dee and Joey were very close friends. They would hang out one on one. Dee Dee and Richie had a lot of really fun conversations and late night hangouts. Joey and Richie were also close. He detailed some of the wonderful personality traits of both Dee Dee and Joey have. The kindness and hospitality and funloving nature of all three meshed in that great way. Dee Dee's writing talents were hoisted very high in Richie's comments. Richie asked if we want him to sign some drum sticks for us. And of course we I and David were happy to say yes. We left together by taxi to the Irving Plaza where Joey Ramone Birthday Bash was held. Richie didn't let us to pay taxi.


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