Now, what do you think?
That was very catchy, very, very good.
(laughing)
I like that.
That's not fair.
They've got a good beat.
Ahhhhhh
They do it well
High praise, indeed.
You know, there is a lot to talk about here.
And first thing is
I don't think people today, appreciate how much
you guys changed the whole scene of music.
You were... started the punk movement.
You guys are doing it in '74 which is
two years before the British punk movement.
Isn't that right?
Right, right.
Actually even more.
...even more?
Yeah
Okay, so, we're talking maybe three, four...
Yeah
...you guys were doing this in the 50's.
You know, who appreciates us?
Green Day, The Offspring.
Right, right, there's a lot of bands now that have said
this was the band.
When you guys first came along
you didn't sound like anybody else
You didn't look anything like anybody else.
How did the average people react to you, back then?
Like we were aliens
(audience laughing)
preferably from Mars.
Right
I remember, we,
Sagency Premier,
they booked us
and they put, they wanted us to get more wider exposure.
So they put us on tour with, not on tour,
but we did a show with Toto
(audience laughing)
in the middle of...
(laughing)
St. Charles, Louisiana.
Aha
Supposed to be the most dangerous place on earth.
Aha
And we played in some basketball stadium,
was us and Toto.
And the kids just, we drove about 15 hours
out of the way to get there.
Ah mm
Cause we just had done like nine shows, like, prior.
We get there and you know, we're, you know, we're tired.
We're on, we play the show and everyone's just
staring at us, like we're from Mars or something like that.
Right, there's a story I read somewhere
where you guys are coming out,
you're coming out of a van?
Right.
And some woman saw you and she went up to your manager?
Do you remember the story?
Yeah, she went up to, to our road manager, Monty
and she said, "How nice of you to take care of these
(bleep) people.
(audience laughing)
(audience clapping and cheering)
Now, the Sex Pistols, of course,
they come along in '76, I believe.
Right
They come out and, and the Sex Pistols...
They came out in like '77.
Oh, okay.
We had...
(audience laughing)
...we had three albums out before they had their first.
Right!
You guys came first.
We established that.
We're not going to fight about that.
Okay
But the Sex Pistols, just said, they wanted to
fight you guys.
Isn't that right?
Because there was a perceived rivalry.
But the sex pistols actually wanted to fight you
and you didn't...
Well, when we first met them,
it was our first tour over there.
And yeah, they, they wanted to come on, like, you know,
they were kind of, you know, they wanted to, yeah.
That's how they were, they, you know.
Right
Like, they wanted to start something.
So, the first time,
in '77,
we came back,
we did a tour and Johnny Rotten wanted to come backstage.
So...
...so...
a little prank that we pulled on Johnny
was that we all, kind of, pissed in the beer.
(audience laughing)
And Johnny, like...
What do you mean, you kind of pissed in the beer?
(audience laughing)
We did.
Hahaha, okay.
We urinated.
There you go, yeah.
Pissed in the beer.
Yeah
(audience laughing)
And, and then Johnny, Johnny Ramon gave
Johnny Rotten, the beer.
Ah huh
It's like our little...
(laughing)
our way of saying hello.
Well, that's our greeting
Yeah
Yeah, well, that British beer is pretty bad.
He probably didn't notice
Yeah, he probably didn't know the difference.
(audience laughing)
You've written a million...
you guys have all these...
I was looking at the anthology.
And so many of your songs, it occurs to me,
you see them all,
stacked up one after the other,
are about the brain.
"Gimme, gimme shock treatment."
The brain is an important thing, right?
(laughing)
"Teenage lobotomy, I want to be sedated, psychotherapy.
My brain is hanging upside down, brain drain."
What, why this fascination with the brain?
We're screaming out for help.
(audience laughing)
(audience applauding)
I hope you get that.
Yeah
(audience clapping)
Help us, please.
Have you ever, I mean, this, you are probably...
have one of the most recognizable looks in Rock 'n Roll.
Have you ever thought for a second about doing
something different with your hair?
Cutting it?
(audience laughing)
I did think about it.
You did think about it?
But, I don't look good in short hair.
When I was a kid I use to have short hair,
my, my mom, you know,
they used to take me to the barber shop,
but, you know, that stick?
They used to, like, stick up your hair, like...
What?
No!
(audience laughing)
I don't think that was a barbershop.
(audience laughing)
I don't know what the hell was going on.
The thing was, um...
You know, when they grease you up at the barbershop.
(audience laughing)
I guess in the fifties, they would do that.
Right? Well, we actually, I disagree cause we actually
we have computer graphics here and we actually thought
let's see what Joey looks
like with the conservative hairstyle.
Can we take a look at this, please?
(audience laughing and applauding)
You like that?
That's me, that was me in the 50's.
(laughing)
It's a Keanu Reeves thing happening there.
Are you...you're still a single guy playing the field.
Do you ever think you'll settle down?
I hope so.
Yeah?
It's important.
You want to do that?
Or you like living the lifestyle?
I like the life.
Yeah, the life.
(laughter)
Let's talk more about the life, afterwards, shall we.
(laughter)
You know what we got to have you come back.
I hope you can come back and talk.
We'd love to have you guys come on...
Oh yeah
...and perform, 'cause we're huge...
Conan!
Yeah.
Telephone call from Joey, Johnny Rotten.
(laughter)
Don't say that, it's that microphone.
Yeah. It's your barber from the fifties.
Yeah. He wants you to shut up.
Hey ho, let's go!
The Ramon's anthology is in stores now.
And the book that comes with this thing is great.
They really did a nice job.
Yeah, Ronald did a great job.
Really tells the whole story
and you're doing a benefit
for the Independence, Thursday night,
at Don Hill's in New York city,
'cause their equipment got stolen, right?
Right, right, everything got stolen.
All their personal belongings and...
Right.
...their van.
They'll be performing nude, all right.
(laughing)
In the bow bowels
Yeah, it was a real pleasure having you on,
thanks for for joining me.
(audience cheering)
Joey Ramone everybody!
Let's take a break, we'll be right back