The Ramones

Guitarist Johnny Ramone and vocalist Joey Ramone playing at Manchester’s Apollo Theatre in December 1977. The New York punk band, formed in 1974, played tracks from their new album Rocket to Russia. As... read more I was photographing them from the Apollo’s orchestra pit the crowd surged forward in the seated theatre and the wooden barriers came down spilling fans into the pit. The bouncers produced ’hammers and nails’ and started rebuilding the barrier. The Ramones played on with ’Sheena is a Punk Rocker’ and ’Pinhead’ with it’s Gabba Gabba Hey chant. This photograph was used on the cover of ’Live at the New York Palladium’ re-released CD in February 2004.

This was my first punk image taken at the Roundhouse from above and behind the band.

I think this picture captured the persona of Johnny Ramone – requisite Ramones tee-shirt, guitar slung impossibly low, drainpipe jeans plastered on skinny long legs spread out wide and all of this... read more capped by a contemptuous sneer on his face. Johnny Ramone’s super-fast ‘buzzsaw’ guitar had a huge impact on the punk scene and he could make a two-minute song sound like an epic. The Ramones were synonymous with CBGB’s the legendary New York club on The Bowery that kickstarted the careers of many US punk bands. Considering his punk credentials I was taken aback to hear Johnny paying tribute to George Bush at the Ramones induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and not even mentioning lead singer Joey Ramone who had recently passed away. Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer in 2004.

the Ramones. This image has not been signed by the photographer, it is approved with the Lex Van Rossen estate stamp.

With Ikea and a very unhomely motel on the other side, this was not a glamorous shoot, but The Ramones were not a glamorous band. The location was perfect to encapsulate their no nonsense, rough attitude... read more towards everything. The gig that night was the first time i had seen The Ramones perform, they had a 25 track set list and played for just under an hour, the next time i saw them the set list had not changed but their speed had, and they thrashed their set out in about 45 minutes!