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| Michale Graves, Marky and co. |
There’s been a lot of punk rock karaoke going on lately. In March, Brian James and Rat Scabies produced a less than stellar reproduction of ‘77 era Damned in the same venue Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg played, and it made the impression that if the energy’s gone, no amount of authenticity will make up for it.
Thankfully, what Marky and co. provided on the night was an experience as straight up as the music of the Ramones. Marky popped out before to sign anything his fans wanted and was very approachable, vocalist Michale Graves (previously having paid his dues as a Danzig stand-in for the reformed Misfits) never tried to be Joey. The crowd wanted to hear all the best from the Ramones’ vast repertoire and by-god that’s what they got. Classic singles like “Sheena”, “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Pet Sematary” shot past like bullets, along with fan favourites like “53rd and 3rd” and “Cretin Hop”. Marky’s drumming was as spot on as ever, and the rest of the band bounded through the songs, giving them the airing they really deserved, and played in the definitive no breaks in between songs style. The band ended the show with a few select Graves-era Misfits songs and a grand finale of the archetypal Ramones song “Blitzkrieg Bop”. No punker trying to reminisce their glory days or youngsters trying to enjoy a taste of what they missed the first time round was disappointed.
