Punk and more on menu from ex-Ramone Richie

Groove Tube with Jimi McDonnell – tribunegroove@live.ie

Even after four decades, the music of American punk band, the Ramones is as iconic and vital as it ever was, and fans of the band should put Thursday, December 15, in their diary as that’s when their former drummer Richie Ramone will play Monroe’s Live. Speaking from his home in LA, Richie gives an idea of what punters can expect.

“I have two solo albums out,” he says. “The second one, Cellophane, came out in August.  So, I play some songs from those, I play some songs I wrote for the Ramones, and I play some classic Ramones songs that everybody knows.

“I have two guitar players but I come up front twice during the set and front the band. It’s hard to sing and play. From the drums, there’s a bit of a disconnect, so I need to get up front once in a while, kick the kids in the head and have a good time with them.”

Richie’s band is made up of Ronnie Simmons (lead guitar), Ben Reagan (guitar/drums) and Clare Misstake, a bassist who is also a founding member of the all-girl Ramones tribute act, The Ramonas.

“We’re all based in LA now,” says Richie of the group. “Over the years, you meet people, and I’ve had a few different members along the line. But this line-up I really like, think I’m going to stay with now. I change guitar players – they’re a pain in the ass! But I’ve got Ronnie now, he’s really working out.”

The band recorded Catastrophe in a week at Red Bull Studios. It’s a direct, punky record with some surprises, including a cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence. Why did a punk rocker like Richie decide to do such a synth-heavy song?

“There are a lot of things about it,” he says. “First of all, it works with my vocal. And it has an interesting message which can mean a bunch of things. It’s almost relevant now, in that we got Trump here. It kind of speaks for that too.”

Is he referring to the lyric ‘words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm’ with that comment?

“Yeah, you’ve got that. And y’know the line, ‘all I ever wanted is here in my arms’ – we’re all here. We’ve got to keep the positive attitude, because this Trump thing is getting out of hand here. It’s really, really bad.”

Richie, a lifelong Democrat, is very concerned about the incoming administration.

“It seems like he’s bringing out the racist shit and all of that,” he says. “The alt-right and the Nazis are having meetings. He’s taking the country back when we were doing so good and moving forward.  Now Trump’s exposed it all, and he’s starting to put his cabinet together and he’s got a few white supremacist guys there. It’s very disconcerting right now.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.