Marky Ramone, the long-time drummer for the hugely influential New York punk group The Ramones, will be holding a seminar/presentation event about navigating the music industry, overcoming drug and alcohol abuse, and also just talking about his tenure in one of the most influential bands to come out of the mid-1970s New York Punk Scene on Monday (tomorrow) at UMass.
Marky Ramone, born Marc Bell in 1951, got his start playing with an early 70s metal band called Dust, with whom he released two albums, and with another seminal punk group called Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He joined the Ramones in 1978 for their Road to Ruin album after their former drummer Tommy Ramone decided to be their producer, and he continued up until the dissolution of the band in 1996. Under his tenure in the band, the Ramones toured the world, released tons of albums, diversified their sound, and got to see their influence played out on a new generation of bands in the 80s and 90s, and the throbbing drumbeats behind grunge, hardcore, and pop-punk were all influenced by Marky Ramone’s playing.
Since then, Marky Ramone has been keeping busy doing various music projects such as playing with the Misfits, his former Ramones bandmates, DJing a few radio programs, doing speaking tours like this one, and even marketing his own pasta sauce and line of cookies.
The event itself will be taking place in the Student Union Ballroom from 7:00-11:00pm on Monday March 24; the event is free and you can receive tickets in the SORC. Get ‘em before they’re gone because you won’t want to miss this guy talk about his life as a rock and roll superstar and as the last living member of a band that launched a new genre of music into the mainstream.