The Ramones’ 50th anniversary turned into a full-blown punk family reunion in Los Angeles, with Billie Joe Armstrong, Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker and CJ Ramone joining forces for a one off supergroup celebrating five decades of Ramones.
Performing under the name Cretin Family, the four musicians took over Hollywood Forever Cemetery on August 30th for The Official Ramones 50th Anniversary Tribute, ripping through a set built entirely from the band’s catalogue.
The group opened with ‘Durango 95’ and eventually closed on ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, with 17 other Ramones staples filling out the set, they weren’t alone either.
Fred Armisen, Jason Freese, The Linda Lindas and Billy Idol all made surprise appearances during the performance, turning an already ridiculous lineup into something closer to a living cross section of punk’s extended family tree.
Ramones ’50th Anniversary’ Tribute Event video
Celebrating 50 years
Hosted by John Travolta, the sold out event also featured a DJ set from Shepard Fairey and a double feature screening of Propeller One-Way Night Coach and Carrie.
The whole thing was staged to mark 50 years since the release of the Ramones‘ self-titled debut album in 1976, a record whose influence is now so deeply baked into punk that it’s almost difficult to separate the genre from the blueprint Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone laid down.
Short songs. No excess. No interest in showing off. Just speed, hooks and attitude.
That formula changed rock permanently.
The night also carried a charitable angle, with proceeds supporting David Agus MD Cancer Research at Ellison Institute.
Elsewhere in the band’s ongoing anniversary celebrations, the Ramones have also been announced as part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2027, with their star ceremony still to be scheduled.
Rhino has also marked the anniversary with a limited-edition picture disc pressing of Ramones and a coloured 2LP edition of Live at The Roxy, 8/12/76.
Half a century later, the strange thing isn’t that the Ramones are still being celebrated, it’s how much of modern punk still sounds like it owes them rent.
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