Marky Ramone discusses the origins of punk, life after The Ramones and his upcoming gig in Salisbury

There’s always debate about the precise moment punk rock was born. Did it start with The Velvet Underground’s debut release in 1967? Did it begin with Iggy Pop and The Stooges in the late ’60s? Or did it emerge in England in the mid-’70s with the rise of the Sex Pistols?

There will never be a definitive answer, and it doesn’t really matter, anyway. But to drummer Marky Ramone, there’s no question as to which band spearheaded the punk movement.

“The Ramones were the first real punk band to play all punk songs,” he said. “There weren’t any bands playing like that, ever.”

When The Ramones released their self-titled debut album in 1976, no other band was playing rock songs that fast. Most bands were wearing “platform shoes and velvet pants,” playing disco or glam rock. And while some other groups had demonstrated elements of punk, most of them also featured slower songs that didn’t fit the genre.

“They wouldn’t stick to the formula,” Marky said in his thick New York accent. “In England, there was no punk until The Ramones came there.”

He concedes that the band, originally formed in Queens in 1974, was influenced by some of Iggy Pop’s early work, but they were equally informed by The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Kinks and The Who. The innovation that separated The Ramones was that they took these classic rock influences and applied them to an ultra-fast, unrelenting sound that never slowed down for a second.

“The Ramones were really just a doo-wop oldies band with a bunch of Marshalls in the back, playing at hyper speed,” Marky said.

Born Marc Steven Bell, Marky served as drummer for The Ramones for 15 years. The band’s three founding members—singer Joey, guitarist Johnny and bassist Dee Dee—have all died within the last decade. But Marky is keeping the music alive with his current band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg. They’ll be at the Tupelo Music Hall in Salisbury, Mass., on Saturday, Feb. 13, for a concert and meet-and-greet.

Fronted by ex-Misfits singer Michale Graves, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg features an arsenal of 32 Ramones songs, along with a couple of originals. The band gives young Ramones fans a chance to hear the songs played live, and their set list includes tunes the original group rarely performed onstage. 

“Whatever’s on the records should be reproduced live if that’s possible,” Marky said. “We’re not competing with The Ramones or anything. We just want to do it our way.”

Marky Ramone’s drumming career began in the early 1970s with Brooklyn-based hard rock band Dust. He later teamed up with cross-dressing performer Wayne County (now the transsexual Jayne County) and his band The Backstreet Boys. In 1976, he met Richard Hell and formed The Voidoids, performing on their groundbreaking debut album “Blank Generation” and touring the U.K. with The Clash.

It was in 1978 that Marky met Dee Dee Ramone and joined the band that would eventually earn him a spot in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Original drummer Tommy Ramone had left the band weeks earlier, opening a spot for Marky just in time to record the breakthrough album “Road to Ruin,” which featured The Ramones’ single most famous song, “I Wanna Be Sedated.”

The core foursome of Marky, Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee would remain intact for most of the band’s career until they finally broke up for good in 1996. Marky was with The Ramones at the height of their stardom, appearing in the 1979 cult movie “Rock ’n’ Roll High School.” The film, which cost a mere $200,000 to produce, still holds a special place in Marky’s heart.

“I had one line in it—I think we all did—and I thought I was gonna win an Academy Award,” he said with a laugh. Asked to recite his line, he didn’t miss a beat: “That was a good one, Mr. McGree.”

Marky was also prominently featured in the 2004 DVD “Ramones Raw,” a documentary consisting largely of video footage Marky shot during several international tours. It remains The Ramones’ bestselling DVD and is certified gold in three countries, offering a candid look at the band’s backstage antics and constant playful bickering.

“It’s amazing how through all the craziness we were able to go onstage and do a 100-percent show. We never let anything get in the way of that,” Marky said. “When fans see the band onstage, if there’s any animosities, you see that.”

Much has been made of the inner-band feuds between certain members of The Ramones, particularly the bitterness between Joey and Johnny. Marky admits there was some bad blood, but he thinks it’s been exaggerated. 

“Joey and Johnny didn’t get along,” he said, but “things weren’t as bad as people think. Me and Dee Dee were the best of friends in the band, I got along with Joey very well, and we had a really good time.”

But Marky, himself, became the target of acrimony in 1983, when he was asked to leave the band due to his excessive consumption of alcohol. Marky acknowledges that alcoholism impeded his career and forced him to reassess his priorities.

“It’s not good when you achieve something, you rehearse, and then all of a sudden you’re drinking and next thing you know it’s interfering with what you’re doing. When that happens, you’ve got to stop, get your head together and live a sober life,” he said. “I felt it was more important to play than to continue drinking. I didn’t drink every day; I was a periodic. But I knew if I didn’t stop at that point it would get to me.”

Marky cleaned himself up and rejoined The Ramones in 1987, after two other drummers failed to keep up with the band. “I’m the only drummer in rock history to be asked to join the same band twice,” he joked.

By the time The Ramones called it quits in the mid-’90s, Marky had played more than 1,700 shows with the band and recorded 10 studio albums, earning songwriting credits on “Mondo Bizarro” and “Adios Amigos.” He also performed on Joey Ramone’s 2000 solo release “Don’t Worry About Me,” as well as a couple of albums by The Misfits.

In 2001, U2’s Bono presented the surviving members of The Ramones with MTV’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The following year, the band was inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Marky is the only surviving member of the The Ramones’ core four. Joey lost his long battle with lymphoma in 2001, Dee Dee died of a heroin overdose in 2002, and Johnny succumbed to prostate cancer in 2004. The deaths were difficult for Marky, but they also increased his resolve to keep going.

“It sucked. I didn’t get over the fact that Joey died. Then Dee Dee died and then Johnny died, so I got hit with a lot of deaths within three or four years,” he said. “That’s why I want to keep this legacy alive and keep the songs alive.”

One of the pleasures of performing with Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg has been watching a new generation of fans gain exposure to The Ramones’ music, Marky said. Although Graves recently authored a new song called “When We Were Angels,” which is available exclusively on iTunes, the group’s sets are predominantly comprised of old Ramones favorites. Watching young fans react to decades-old songs is a surreal experience for Marky.

“That’s something that’s unbelievable,” he said. “We never expected that. We just played. I did 1,700 shows with the band, and as we were coming to our end, we noted also how (much) younger the fans were getting.”

He attributes the band’s longevity to its tormented but rebellious lyrics, which often address the everyday problems young people face around the world. Even as the decades pass, kids are forced to deal with the same age-old conflicts involving their families, schools and jobs, he said.

“People don’t change, technology does. Everyone still has the same angst and things that they’re confronted with in life,” he said. “Each generation goes through a lot of the same stuff. That’s why these songs are timeless, because they bridge the generation gap.”

With Marky on drums, Graves on vocals, Alex Kane on guitar and Clare B on bass, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg is playing four New England shows in February. In addition to the concert in Salisbury on Feb. 13, they’ll be at the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry on Friday, Feb. 12. Marky said he gets the same adrenaline rush onstage now as he did during The Ramones’ heyday.

“Can’t wait to play the songs,” he said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to play them. There’s a lot of energy required.”

Marky is also keeping busy offstage. He launched his own clothing line with Tommy Hilfiger in 2009, and he has his own brand of pasta sauce. He’s also at work on a documentary about his life and career, called “The Job That Ate My Brain,” which he hopes to release later this year.

“It’s about my times in The Ramones and the punk scene and everything since I was a kid all the way up to now,” he said. “I was there, so whatever I say is not hearsay.”

Marky is currently in his fifth year as host of the radio show “Marky Ramone’s Punk Rock Blitzkrieg” on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. His work as a DJ enables him to expose listeners to some of the modern punk bands he admires. He pointed to the popularity of bands like Green Day, Rancid, The Offspring and Gallows as evidence of how prevalent punk rock has become. And although some hardcore purists see a paradox in punk becoming mainstream, Marky thinks it’s about time.

“Finally,” he said. “In the beginning, when punk came out, everybody was afraid of it. Nobody wanted to play it. Now that it’s being played more than ever, it’s being accepted more than ever… and I think that’s great.”
 
Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg takes the stage at 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Tupelo Music Hall, 4 Ocean Front North, Salisbury, Mass., 978-462-5888. Tickets are $30. Visit www.tupelohallsalisbury.com.