2) GO TO MAIN PAGE OF MY RAMONES SITE
Background information: Legal defense fund benefit show: The Phoids with guests Joey Ramone, Lenny Kaye and Alan Vega. Also D-Generation played. This review is written by Bruce G. Rosen.
I did go to the Ramones gig Friday,
December 20, 1996 at Coney Island High in New York. We arrived at the
club about 10:30 pm and
started the evening by listening to a band called D-Generation.
D-Generation did not live up to the standards and expectations of
Ramones fans.Joey Ramone and his band member counterparts finally came out. No Durango 95, No "one-two-three-four", and no Laabottomay!!. To satisfy the thirst for the familar sounds of our favorite band we heard Joey sing Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight). I thought my friend Joey's voice sounded as rich and full as ever.
His band members included a blond lady playing a tamberine, a brunette lady playing what appeared to be lead guitar, there was a rhytm guitar player, bass player, and a drummer. As soon as the first song ended I was chanting Hey Ho Lets Go! Hoping to hear Joey belt out Blitzkrieg Bop. It did not happen but the audinence was treated to I Just Want To Have Something To Do.
As Joey started to sing the first few bars the song simply did not sound right. Like a drill sargent, and probably like a mirror of Johnny, we heard "what the fuck are you doing! Thats not how the fucking song sounds"!. The audience heard the song start again with much more Ramones-like sound. Joey sang two other songs one of which was a christmas carrol (Christmas Carol?).
(THANKS TO: BRUCE G. ROSEN)