A Question Of No Consequence Answered Way Too Seriously

     The question was posed on Twitter last week, by Post Gazette music writer Scott Mervis, whether it was okay for Richie Ramone to be going around playing Ramones songs in a new band.

     As much as I would consider myself a purist, and as much as I bow down at the altar of the Ramones on an almost daily basis, the idea of Richie playing those songs out doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

     After all, Richie was actually in the band.  He played on Too Tough To Die, Animal Boy and Halfway To Sanity and somehow managed to make the Ramones' live set two minutes faster.  Richie was unceremoniously booted out of the band because of a dispute over T-shirt money.

     People need to understand that there is no punk rock pension plan or retirement package.  A lot of the musicians that were in punk bands from the 70s and 80s have nothing but the songs they wrote.  If they want to put together some sort of configuration of the band they were in to take advantage of nostalgia dollars, they should be able to do that.  As long as the bands are tight and the songs are treated with respect, more power to them for going back out on the road.  Now that being said, I was unable to make it to the show last week when Richie came through town so I can't say whether this band's proof is in its pudding.

     The songs that the Ramones put together belong in a live setting.  With the original four members no longer with us, at least Richie is out there keeping the songs alive, not unlike an orchestra playing classical music.  And what's an orchestra other than a snooty cover band in tuxedos.

     The Dead Kennedys tour every so often, minus Jello Biafra.  Jello took offense to the point where he sued the other band members to try to prevent them from playing the old songs out.  It seems like Jello forgot that he wasn't in the van or studio by his lonesome.  He might own the publishing but he would not have been able to do it without the rest of the band.

     There were dueling Black Flag reunions a few years ago that also ended up in litigation.  Suits and countersuits were filed mostly on the grounds that Greg Ginn might be a great guitar player but also an insufferable prick that doesn't know how to disburse royalty payments from his label, SST.  As much as I hate Stage AE, it was worth the price of admission to see Keith Morris rip through the song My War.  That show was also where I was exposed to, local punk band, Killer Of Sheep's live set for the first time.  Which was a fair trade for the cancer screening of a pat down I was given by venue security.

     Pittsburgh is saturated with cover bands to the point where original bands are marginalized. A strong, well nurtured local scene cannot develop when every stage in town is occupied by a cover band.  Instead of forging their own legacy, most musicians in town are saying to hell with it and starting a cover band to make beer money off of someone else's legacy.  At least Richie Ramone was a part of the legacy that some people are sure to say he's taking advantage of.