Photo by Prestoncovillaud

“It’s a little rainy today…ow! I just banged my head against the wall,” informs Marky Ramone from his hotel room in Italy….

What’s life been like for you after the Ramones?

It’s a never ending adventure. The Ramones legacy just keeps living on and living on in magazines, television, hall of fame and other bands. You just go along with the shots.

What have you been doing lately?

Spoken word shows, I play with a member of the Misfits and Black Flag, I’ve just compiled a three hour DVD of Ramones all over the world that I video tapped while I was in the band with Johnny Ramone. I just finished that in California before I came here. Just a lot of Ramones related stuff.

What keeps you motivated?

The fun. I’ve always enjoyed playing since I was ten years old. I keep doing it ‘cause that’s what I do, just like every other person that plays an instrument or does something creative.

When you were with the Ramones did it ever get to a point where it felt like it was like any other job?

If it did I would have left. That’s one thing that would go against my grain because it’s mentally abusive.

Photo by francisco antunes

When was the last time you actually had a vacation?

Sometimes I stay home for two or three weeks at a time and then I go out for three weeks at a time, then I go out again for two weeks. Coming to other countries for the things I do is like a vacation ‘cause you’re not at home. You get to see things too besides just playing. I guess you could call it that.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to see in Australia?

The wonderful weather, the venues that are there ‘cause the last time I played there, I know it’s not the same venues, but they were very professional and all the people were very professional, the fans were great! Before I went to Australia with the Ramones, I pictured Australia to be a combination of California and Hawaii and when I got there that’s what it was like.

Is life for you fairly normal?

When I’m home I have a normal life. I do what everyone else does. I watch DVD’s and go out and visit friends and my parents. I do things that people just enjoy doing.

Do you read a lot of press about yourself and the Ramones?

I get stuff sent in the mail. When you do an interview and you want to see what the writer is writing and what the editor has edited, if it was fruitful to what you were discussing. That’s my only concern.

Do you think the media in general has gotten it pretty right with you guys over the years?

I think so. I don’t think it’s totally truthful one hundred percent all the time, but it’s pretty accurate.

Does it still amaze you that so many people are still into the Ramones and that so many young people are just getting into it?

Yes. It is amazing. I’m very grateful, happy. I guess they relate to it because of the energy and the lyrical content, just the look – they put that all together.

What’s kept you humble over the years?

Seeing how other people live and going to other countries and realising that we should be grateful.

What do you think appeals to so many people about the Ramones? Why do you think you’ve been so successful?

The songs, the content of the songs, the way they’re structured; Joey’s vocals, and the productions are always good. A lot of punk bands when they started they didn’t think of these things like production or the longevity of the song themselves. They would just scream on it or produce it themselves without any knowledge. The Ramones always had good producers and good writers, Dee Dee and Joey. I think that’s what’s kept the longevity.

Do you think the essence of punk has been lost now days with the newer bands that are around?

They have good teachers. They have Ramones, Clash and the (Sex) Pistols. Every generation has their qualms, their complaints, times change but the music isn’t as real as when it first started ‘cause how can you really create any new scene like that. There’s a lot of bands that are good but they’re not going to create the explosion from 1976 in CBGB’s. How many times can that happen? Same thing that happened with the British Invasion in that era.

Photo by M i x y

Do you think that tings are starting to change though because historically a lot of the English punk was anti-establishment? Do you think that coming back to punk with things like Fat Mike’s PunkVoter.com?

That’s Southern Californian punk. To me that’s all fake. The guy has good intentions politically but musically it’s very sterile. That’s just my opinion, that’s just one guy’s opinion. I don’t think he has that much influence compared to the Ramones or the Pistols and a lot of those bands just took a lot of The Ramones stuff and put it into their music. I respect his politics though. It’s good that he’s having a drive to get people to register to vote.

The Ramones have influenced so many other bands, who influences you?

What did we like? We obviously liked the British invasion: The Kinks, The Who all those great groups, Phil Spector’s stuff, the tough girl groups that came out, and The Beach Boys. You throw that all together and you have the Ramones.

How did you feel being the first punk band to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame?

Wonderful because of al the great company, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimmi Hendrix, Jerry Lee Lewis – all these great great groups that we really always liked.

Didn’t Eddie Vedder present the award?

He’s a friend of ours and he is obviously a Ramones fans, so was Kurt Cobain so was the whole grunge movement. I guess the choice was okay. I would of chosen someone else.

With most bands you usually just hear about the front person, the Ramones seem to transcend that. Why?

It’s a group! Before The Beatles there were no groups. There was The Beatles then The Rolling Stones and then you had the Ramones. I guess it was the image, the look. Sometimes as a unit you look better as a unit than you do as just one person being advertised.

The Ramones wore leather jackets and jeans were it intentional you all wore the same thing or was that just what you wore?

That’s what we all just wore. I grew that growing up in Brooklyn. It’s a tough neighbourhood, New York, Queens, Brooklyn. That was the thing to wear. I wasn’t going to wear a three-piece suit, I wasn’t going to wear a cotton sweater and khakis. We weren’t yuppies. We weren’t into that white collar stuff.

How is it for you then when you go to see shows and you see people dressed how you guys dressed?

It’s very hard to go to shows unless I go backstage and hang out. The last show I went to I think was Kiss. My first guitar player produced their first two albums. They did a cover of one of the Ramones songs and I went back stage to tell them I liked them. Walking through the audience was kind of hectic.

Do you get recognised a lot where ever you go?

Most of the time yeah, it’s something I can’t avoid.

Does it get hard being in the spotlight sometimes?

It’s always good to try to separate the two but you can’t because you’re one person.

How did Joey and Dee Dee’s passing affect you personally?

They were very close, we were in a band and now they’re gone. It wasn’t good it was terrible.

Photo by JEKY

Do you get to see the other guys much?

Johnny I see a lot. We just finished the DVD, we commented over the scenes on it and he’s doing okay. Tommy I don’t see and CJ I don’t see ‘cause they’re retired.

You guys are all friends now though? I read you don’t always get along the best?

It was really just Johnny and Joey over a girl. We had to get along to a point in order to continue playing but when we went on stage I guess all that animosity would just come out in the music which was great. My closest friend in the band was Dee Dee.

What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from your time as a Ramone from the punk scene?

I don’t think I learnt anything. I just played and had fun. I learnt that I can produce. Being around all these great producers I learnt how to enjoy it. I learnt what not to do.

What your proudest achievement?

Being in The Ramones for fifteen years and ending up in the rock n roll hall of fame.

Was there any other option?

I wouldn’t want any. There wasn’t any reason to. I started recording my first album when I was seventeen. Most people aren’t thinking about what they are going to do at that age, they’re more concerned with partying and things like that. I went into the studio.

So do you have any regrets?

About what I did? Nah, it was my dream come true.

http://ramonesworld.com/

http://www.markyramone.com/