Photos and review by ALYSON CAMUS
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – You can always count on Linda Ramone to book a memorable event. Since the pandemic, we haven’t had the chance to attend another Johnny Ramone Tribute at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, but June 2nd was the day: the annual tribute was back, better than ever – Johnny’s birthday is in August, but the date has always floated around the year.
This is a tradition; the cemetery is the ground for a birthday bash and the event is always attended by celebrities and many Ramones fans. This year was very special as John Travolta introduced “Pulp Fiction,” one of Johnny’s favorite movies. It’s hard to believe that Quentin Tarantino’s famous film is 30 years old.
Before the film, Linda Ramone introduced the band “Cretin Commandos” with the help of Rosanna Arquette, and CJ Ramone, one of the four surviving members (and only bassist) of the Ramones. We knew we were there for a real treat, and they took the stage led by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong. They played a few Ramones classics (“Teenage Lobotomy,” “Gimme Gimme Shocktreatment”) then CJ Ramone joined them for more beloved tunes such as “Listen to My Heart,” “Rockaway Beach”… and they even played Dick Dale’s surf rock instrumental, “Misirlou,” which is now immediately tied to “Pulp Fiction.”
The crowd was really into it and one guy even started a mosh pit behind me. Shepard Fairey, who had been the DJ of the day, sang along with the music, and fans in the front row spotted a few stars among the VIP section: standing next to Linda was John Travolta, and also on hand for the party were Collin Farrell, Tommy Lee, and X’s Billy Zoom.
Billy Idol brought the snarl and swagger when he came to sing the most famous Ramones tunes “Beat on the Brat,” “Blitzkrieg, Bop,” and “Do You Wanna Dance,” and he did it with plenty of conviction and passion.
When introducing “Pulp Fiction,” Travolta told us about his long and strong friendship with Linda and her husband Johnny who died from cancer in 2004. The proceeds of the annual event go to prostate cancer research, and the annual party shows Linda’s work promoting her husband’s music with the band he formed in 1974.
Even though the original members of the Ramones are now all gone, their legacy lives on. The Ramones’ songs are some of the most hook-filled songs of the punk era, and it was good to see that the annual event was back, better than ever.
