Esquires hosts the Ramone who saved the punk legends

Richie Ramone, the man credited with saving the Ramones, performs at Bedford Esquires next month.
Richie RamoneRichie Ramone
Richie Ramone

Richie is regarded as s the fastest, most powerful drummer who ever played with the legendary punk rockers. He joined the Ramones in 1983 and first appeared with the band on their Subterranean Jungle tour.

Richie performed in over 500 shows around the world with the Ramones and wrote several critically-acclaimed songs for the albums Animal Boy, Too Tough to Die and Halfway to Sanity. Punk rock icon Joey Ramone remarked that “[Richie] saved the band as far as I’m concerned. He’s the greatest thing to happen to the Ramones. He put the spirit back in the band.”

Richie is notable as the only Ramones drummer to sing lead vocals on Ramones songs, (You) Can’t Say Anything Nice as well as the unreleased “Elevator Operator. Richie was also the only drummer to be the sole composer of Ramones songs including their hit Somebody Put Something in My Drink which remained a staple in the Ramones set list until their last show in 1996 and continues to be covered by new generations of bands worldwide.

Richie’s song writing contributions were supported by Joey Ramone: “I encouraged Richie to write songs...we never let anybody else write our songs.”

In 2007, Richie Ramone introduced his virtuosic drumming to the symphonic world with his Suite for Drums and Orchestra based on Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.

In 2011, the Recording Academy gave the Ramones a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in Los Angeles, where all three of the band’s drummers – Tommy, Marky and Richie Ramone – stood beneath the same roof for the first time. In 2012, Richie was the only surviving Ramone featured on the second Joey Ramone solo album, Ya Know?

On October 8, 2013, Richie released his first solo album, Entitled, which features new songs written by Richie as well as new recordings of songs he wrote for the Ramones.

A Richie Ramone show features a mixture of solo tracks and plenty of Ramones classic anthems. Richie’s band features members of Anti Product and Clam Abuse who used to pack Esquires out in their own right, as well as Claire Misstake from all -girl band tribute The Ramonas.

Richie Ramone comes to Esquires on Tuesday, February 5.

Tickets cost £12 and can be bought in person from Esquires Bar & Boutique Planet in Bedford and Mario’s hair Design in Kempston.

They are also available online from Seetickets.