Ramone$ Mania played first without Marky with their own drummer Chris around 10 songs. Set was fired with instrumental Durango 95. Their set was a good warm-up. Then Marky entered a stage and he spoke a bit, and noise got high when audience cheered. Marky had microphone next to him and drums, so he got chance to do speeches without moving from his seat. Then Marky said, "We're going to beach, this one is called Rockaway Beach". I was recording show and Marky from a few meters from Marky. He was hitting so heavy and quick way that I could only wonder... Also from time to time he did extra tricks.
Audience shouted Marky's name so loud way that it was hard to hear when Marky introduced I Don't Care as a second song, then without real break was turn of Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. "Now we're going to Cuba", meant Havana Affair. Stage wasn't so big, but it was a positive thing in my opinion because show was more intimate. But it also meant that Ramone$ Mania members couldn't move so much. Tom and Fitzy also played pretty well. Holgy's voice was smooth and he did his job without bigger courtship to the audience. Marky did most of the speeches. It was good to see in audience old Ramones tour shirts. There was no any real distance between stage and audience, and I was surprised that at first there was no any guards on stage. After one idiot jumped over to the Holgy guards arrived. Luckily Holgy was OK after that situation.
Photo: Ramone$ Mania singer Holgy and wild audience at HeadBangers Ballroom club on August 3, 2005.
Before Pinhead audience heard for example Commando and Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World. Before the trip Tom was asked from me in advance via E-mail if I can bring to the stage Gabba Gabba Hey sign. After his enquiry I tried to get through Häiriköt singer-guitarist Erkko Pinhead mask, because Häiriköt has got it. Sadly Erkko didn't knew where mask was. Anyway I pogoed Gabba Gabba Hey sign to the stage and I gave it to Holgy. Then set finished, but of course audience wanted more. Encore started with Beat On The Brat, Poison Heart and I Don't Wanna Grow Up. Tears were falling from my eyes during Poison Heart, "I just want to walk right out of this world, 'cause everybody has a poison heart...", is especially part in lyrics which makes me miss Dee Dee.
After show ended I was selling more Marky's autographed promo photos and my books, and then I also met Thomas and Ecki of band called Hamburg Ramones. We were met before in New York when we were in Joey Ramone's memory birthday bashes in 2004. Hamburg Ramones has recorded 9 songs, 2 of them are Ramones covers (Judy Is A Punk and Pet Sematary) and 7 of them are mostly Ramones tribute kind of songs with terrific lyrics. Songs comes out in August/ September, 2005, record is titled Free Phil Spector! I got honour to write opening text to the CD. I was as well really surprised to see my old friend Alexander Kaps. First time I was talking for example with Alex Killeit - who had Joey Ramone tattoo in her arm - and Heike Hams and Ramonez '77 singer Dieter.
Photo: Marky Ramone and Tommi Parkkila. Tommi is singer, you'll heard about him...
During August 4 I, Tom and Tommi picked up backstage passes etc. of the Wacken. Wacken is located pretty far away from Hamburg, travelling with car took around 1,5 hours. That day in Wacken played for example Nightwish and Candlemass. Next day I heard that Hanoi Rocks was cancelled their show. Hanoi Rocks was beside of Marky's and Ramone$ Mania's show only non-heavy band. I and Tommi were booked our hotel through Jookoskookos.com. Jookoskookos.com workers were ultra friendly while booking hotel, and also in Wacken. Like they came to told for me and Tommi that we can travel in their bus between hotel and Wacken area.
Tommi was a lot of the night, a Finnish way, close of bar desk. He got few new friends with whom we went to have fun that night. We were for example in bars close of Reeperbahn. One punky place was open 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). It was ramshackle, but in a cool way. We were there still - a Finnish way - around 6AM... Place seemed to be house for some people. They were sleeping there already around 3AM, and bartenders didn't care about that (and why they should?).
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