ISL Public Relations :: 303 Fifth
Avenue, Suite 702 :: New York, NY 10016
tel: 917-338-6199 :: web:
www.islpr.com :: email:
sam@islpr.com
Celebrating what would have been the 56th birthday of punk-icon
JOEY RAMONE, details for the yearly JOEY RAMONE BIRTHDAY BASH
have now been announced. The 7th annual Bash will take place
Saturday, May 19th at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. As
in past years, tickets to the event were entirely sold out even
before the line-up was announced. Now Mickey Leigh - event
organizer and brother of Joey Ramone - can announce that in
addition to a full roster of superstar artists, the evening will
include a full set by rock and roll legends The New York Dolls.
Leigh knows RAMONE would have been excited that the Dolls are
included in this year’s bash because, “Joey used to play the
first Dolls album so much that the grooves eventually wore out
on the vinyl, creating new arrangements to the songs, but he
kept playing it anyway.” Leigh adds “The New York Dolls’
influence on the Ramones is well documented, and a nod is given
to them in just about every interview the Ramones did regarding
the band's formative years.”
RAMONE, who passed away in April of 2001 after a seven-year
battle with lymphoma, had a history of encouraging up-and-coming
bands in New York’s downtown music scene by showcasing them at
his special “Joey Ramone Presents…” events. Since his passing,
his mother Charlotte Lesher and Leigh have carried on the
tradition “by keeping everyone that was close to Joey, including
his fans, occupied and positive on what would otherwise be a
sad, somber day.”
This year’s celebration also includes the world debut of Slinky
Vagabond, a new band featuring the combined talents of former
Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, Blondie’s Clem Burke, David Bowie
touring band member Earl Slick and Keanan Duffty. Retro-1960’s
garage band The Chesterfield Kings and NYC punk-rockers The
Bullys are also featured in the line-up, as well as the return
of Tyler Fyre's Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow, and a sneak peek at
film footage from the forthcoming Ramones “Double Live” DVD,
slated for release in August 2007. This year’s event will be
MC’d by Little Steven Van Zandt and Matt Pinfield.
The evening will conclude with The Friends of Joey All-Star Jam
featuring rare live appearances by original drummer Tommy Ramone
and the first reemergence of Elvis Ramone, since he left the
band in 1987. Joining them on stage will be Queercore
inspiration and punk rock pioneer Jayne County, Walter Lure, The
Dictators’ Andy Shernoff and J.P. “Thunderbolt” Patterson,
Furious George’s George Tabb, Willie Nile, Richie Stotts of the
Plasmatics, Al Maddy, Walt Stack, Tish & Snooky, longtime group
producer “Fifth Ramone” Ed Stasium and Mickey Leigh. As always,
Sean O’Sullivan's Punk Pipers will round out the night on the
bagpipes. Additional unannounced surprise guests are expected
to join in. This year’s Bash is being sponsored by Trash and
Vaudeville, Tripp NYC, The Village Voice, staythirsty.com
(Thirsty magazine), Manic Panic, NY WASTE, and Creative Bubble.
A raffle will be held at this year’s event to raise money for
The Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research. The raffle
tickets are priced at $2 per ticket and will be available night
of show (May 19) at the venue, as well as at the following
locations (between May 11 - 17): Trash and Vaudeville (4 St.
Marks Place NYC - check store hours); Niagara (112 Ave. A @ 7th
St. NYC 4pm-4am); 2A (25 Ave. A between 1st & 2nd Sts. 4pm-4am);
Continental (25 Third Ave. nr. St. Marks Place 4pm-4am). The
raffle drawing will be held at the Bash, with the Grand Prize a
T-shirt from JOEY RAMONE's own collection, and second prize five
CDs from RAMONE's own collection. Additional locations and
raffle information can be found at
www.joeyramone.com.
For ongoing updates, visit
www.joeyramone.com. Net proceeds from the Bash go to
support the aforementioned Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma
Research.
For more information or to request press and photo credentials
contact Ida S. Langsam or Sam Orlando at ISL Public Relations at
BirthdayBash@islpr.com;
1-917-338-6199.
