Spotted playing in an orchestra in Utah.
Showing posts with label Richie Ramone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richie Ramone. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Richie to chance his Arm of Rock elsewhere
Big news if you're a band or a live music punter in Melbourne arrived via email this afternoon. Richie Ramone, co-owner and manager of The Tote Hotel - the live music hub of Australia's live music Mecca, Melbourne - has bailed out. Here its is, as it arrived:
The old cricketer retires his innings.
With a pleasurable sense of fulfillment achieved, it is time for this Ramone to pack up his drum kit and find a new home in which to set it up in.
It was mid-December, having just seen Swedish psych rock act The Soundtrack of Our Lives play their second show at the Tote – a mind-altering 3½ hour long extravaganza and the single greatest show I have seen this decade - when I realised I had achieved everything I wanted to at the Tote in my six years as co-owner and manager of the much-loved Melbourne institution. Had you asked me back in July 2001 “if you could have any one band in the world play at the Tote, who would you choose?” I would’ve replied “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” without hesitation.
Over the past six years I have been fond of stating “there’s not too many blokes that get to own their favourite pub” and so it is with a hint of sadness that I move on, but I am confident the Tote will only continue to grow in stature amongst the music-loving and noise-making population of Melbourne. Us music lovers can only hope the councils and residents that seem determined to turn Melbourne’s flourishing live music scene into a sedate, obedient, lack-lustre minnow, will eventually pull their heads in and allow musicians and fans to continue to enjoy themselves in the manner they love. It is only with continued support of our live music scene that together we can hold back the rising tide of gentrification.
It has truly been an honour to be custodian of such an iconic part of Melbourne culture as the Tote. I have been incredibly fortunate to make many new friends and see countless amazing performances, and I look forward to continuing my long-standing love affair with the Tote, but as the punter I started off as 23 years ago. The stories that have been retold - of best friends meeting at the Tote, chance meetings resulting in marriage (myself included!), wedding receptions held in the band room and countless birthday gatherings - have given me immense joy at the passion in their delivery.
I eagerly await the “story” that is currently unfolding as Natalie Van Den Dungen nears completion of the Tote documentary she began working on a few years ago. Having seen snippets of the film recently, I am very excited to report that this film will be an incredible documentation of such a vital part of Melbourne music history. Also look out for the interviews with prominent musicians in Craig Kamber’s film on the Melbourne punk/rock scene 1976-1982, the majority of which were conducted within the Tote.
The Brothers Milne will now take over the running of the Tote and as we remain old friends I wish them all the very best and as already suggested, I hope the punters continue to strongly support live music, for without their support we will only be left with pokie joints and new apartments. The Booking Office remains the same, as do the bar managers and staff.
What am I going to do? I can’t quite decide between Forensic Investigation and becoming a Poodle Groomer, but in the meantime I will continue to bamboozle bogans everywhere I can with an eclectic mix of tunes under the guise of DJ Snaps Truly – “kicking goals for rock’n’roll” – and can be contacted via DJsnapstruly@gmail.com in regards to this line of work. I will also continue to use this Dodo address. Another long term passion, spanning 23 seasons, will see me focus on my cricket club the Abbotsford Anglers, as I strive for that elusive maiden century.
All Tote enquiries and business should now be directed towards Bruce Milne on bruce@thetotehotel.com
Viva La Tote!
Richie Ramone
Richie's "Arm of Rock" is a well-inked limb with tatts of his top bands thereon, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives being especially prominent. Sad news but I'll bet Richie won't be absent from the Melbourne music scene. The pub's in good hands with the Milne brothers (Bruce being the Godfather of Underground Music, down south.)
The old cricketer retires his innings.
With a pleasurable sense of fulfillment achieved, it is time for this Ramone to pack up his drum kit and find a new home in which to set it up in.
It was mid-December, having just seen Swedish psych rock act The Soundtrack of Our Lives play their second show at the Tote – a mind-altering 3½ hour long extravaganza and the single greatest show I have seen this decade - when I realised I had achieved everything I wanted to at the Tote in my six years as co-owner and manager of the much-loved Melbourne institution. Had you asked me back in July 2001 “if you could have any one band in the world play at the Tote, who would you choose?” I would’ve replied “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” without hesitation.
Over the past six years I have been fond of stating “there’s not too many blokes that get to own their favourite pub” and so it is with a hint of sadness that I move on, but I am confident the Tote will only continue to grow in stature amongst the music-loving and noise-making population of Melbourne. Us music lovers can only hope the councils and residents that seem determined to turn Melbourne’s flourishing live music scene into a sedate, obedient, lack-lustre minnow, will eventually pull their heads in and allow musicians and fans to continue to enjoy themselves in the manner they love. It is only with continued support of our live music scene that together we can hold back the rising tide of gentrification.
It has truly been an honour to be custodian of such an iconic part of Melbourne culture as the Tote. I have been incredibly fortunate to make many new friends and see countless amazing performances, and I look forward to continuing my long-standing love affair with the Tote, but as the punter I started off as 23 years ago. The stories that have been retold - of best friends meeting at the Tote, chance meetings resulting in marriage (myself included!), wedding receptions held in the band room and countless birthday gatherings - have given me immense joy at the passion in their delivery.
I eagerly await the “story” that is currently unfolding as Natalie Van Den Dungen nears completion of the Tote documentary she began working on a few years ago. Having seen snippets of the film recently, I am very excited to report that this film will be an incredible documentation of such a vital part of Melbourne music history. Also look out for the interviews with prominent musicians in Craig Kamber’s film on the Melbourne punk/rock scene 1976-1982, the majority of which were conducted within the Tote.
The Brothers Milne will now take over the running of the Tote and as we remain old friends I wish them all the very best and as already suggested, I hope the punters continue to strongly support live music, for without their support we will only be left with pokie joints and new apartments. The Booking Office remains the same, as do the bar managers and staff.
What am I going to do? I can’t quite decide between Forensic Investigation and becoming a Poodle Groomer, but in the meantime I will continue to bamboozle bogans everywhere I can with an eclectic mix of tunes under the guise of DJ Snaps Truly – “kicking goals for rock’n’roll” – and can be contacted via DJsnapstruly@gmail.com in regards to this line of work. I will also continue to use this Dodo address. Another long term passion, spanning 23 seasons, will see me focus on my cricket club the Abbotsford Anglers, as I strive for that elusive maiden century.
All Tote enquiries and business should now be directed towards Bruce Milne on bruce@thetotehotel.com
Viva La Tote!
Richie Ramone
Richie's "Arm of Rock" is a well-inked limb with tatts of his top bands thereon, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives being especially prominent. Sad news but I'll bet Richie won't be absent from the Melbourne music scene. The pub's in good hands with the Milne brothers (Bruce being the Godfather of Underground Music, down south.)
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
The Soundtrack Of Your Aussie December
The following is from Richie Ramone, longtime Melbourne rock and roll ingrate who's living the dream (although probably working his arse off) by owning and operating that city's numero uno music hotel, the wonderful Tote in Collingwood. It's of most interest to Australian punters, although it's an illustration to the rest for the world of how some of the greatest music can sometimes struggle to gain traction:
Please forgive the group email, I don’t do it very often and it’s with good reason I do so now.
For at least 11 years I have been introducing friends and complete strangers to the wonders of a band with an unusual, some would say pretentious, name – The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
I rate The Soundtrack of Our Lives so highly in fact that the cover image of their first album, “Welcome To The Infant Freebase”, is tattooed on my “Arm of Rock” – alongside such other great acts as Iggy & the Stooges, The Ramones, Radio Birdman, The Clash and Rose Tattoo. High praise indeed, for a band from the far off land of Gothenburg, Sweden, to be placed alongside such Immortals of Rock.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives will visit Australia for the first time this coming December. I have been fortunate enough to see this band on 3 separate overseas trips, including last year when they supported Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) in New York and then floored me with their own, 2 hour set at The Knitting Factory. I am extremely excited by the prospect of my fellow Australians finally having their own opportunity to see this band perform.
"The music of The Soundtrack of Our Lives shows a deep assimilation of past highs - early Rolling Stones, Love, Syd's Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Who, The Stooges, The Pretty Things - at the same time expressing a very personal vision rooted firmly in the NOW." - Mike Stax, Ugly Things
“Soundtrack are a Godsend” – Mojo
I could go on and on about the praise they have received from their peers worldwide, but I think with a short listen you will understand why this band should not be ignored. There is a very good chance you will be familiar with the MP3 link to ‘Sister Surround’ included here (in compressed form), as it has been used on the magnificent TV show “Six Feet Under”, played live on Letterman, as well as rotation on JJJ, RRR and PBS.
Alternatively, you could visit their Mediabox in http://tsool.net/index/index.htm for the full experience and I would encourage you to also have a look and listen to ‘Instant Repeater 99’, ‘Believe I’ve Found’, ‘Mantra Slider’ or any of the other clips and audio found in this section. Click on the "Media" box found up top, then Video / Promos.
So come and join me (not like in some weird cult kinda way, although lead singer Ebbot does wear a kaftan!) at any of the following shows:
Saturday 2nd December – CORNER HOTEL, Swan St, Richmond
with Spencer P. Jones & the Escape Committee, Shooting At Unarmed Men (ex-Mclusky and bloody incredible!) and the psychedelic sounds of The Great Apes.
Tix $32 + b/f at www.cornerhotel.comor 9427 9198
Friday 8th December – ANNANDALE HOTEL, Parramatta Rd, Annandale
with The New Christs, Johnny Casino and the Secrets, and the Dolly Rocker Movement . Tix $28 + b/f at www.annandalehotel.com
Tuesday 12th December – THE TOTE, Johnston St, Collingwood
ONLY acoustic performance (actually electric, just kinda stripped-back)
with Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, with more to be announced, plus a FREE BBQ !! . Tix $32 + b/f at The Tote front bar, Polyester (Brunswick st. Fitzroy), Missing Link (Bourke st. City)
Although TSOOL are a big deal in Europe and were Grammy nominees in the USA, the Aussie sojourn is very much a DIY effort with the band and/or Richie booking most things themselves. A local record company only came to the fore yesterday with boutique label/distributor Reverberation announcing they're rush-releasing the retrospective double CD set "A Present From the Past", a collection of B sides, hard-to-find EP tracks and 13 (count 'em) songs that are unreleased or in alternative form.
Treat this as a heads-up. I can't see tix lasting long.
Please forgive the group email, I don’t do it very often and it’s with good reason I do so now.
For at least 11 years I have been introducing friends and complete strangers to the wonders of a band with an unusual, some would say pretentious, name – The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
I rate The Soundtrack of Our Lives so highly in fact that the cover image of their first album, “Welcome To The Infant Freebase”, is tattooed on my “Arm of Rock” – alongside such other great acts as Iggy & the Stooges, The Ramones, Radio Birdman, The Clash and Rose Tattoo. High praise indeed, for a band from the far off land of Gothenburg, Sweden, to be placed alongside such Immortals of Rock.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives will visit Australia for the first time this coming December. I have been fortunate enough to see this band on 3 separate overseas trips, including last year when they supported Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) in New York and then floored me with their own, 2 hour set at The Knitting Factory. I am extremely excited by the prospect of my fellow Australians finally having their own opportunity to see this band perform.
"The music of The Soundtrack of Our Lives shows a deep assimilation of past highs - early Rolling Stones, Love, Syd's Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Who, The Stooges, The Pretty Things - at the same time expressing a very personal vision rooted firmly in the NOW." - Mike Stax, Ugly Things
“Soundtrack are a Godsend” – Mojo
I could go on and on about the praise they have received from their peers worldwide, but I think with a short listen you will understand why this band should not be ignored. There is a very good chance you will be familiar with the MP3 link to ‘Sister Surround’ included here (in compressed form), as it has been used on the magnificent TV show “Six Feet Under”, played live on Letterman, as well as rotation on JJJ, RRR and PBS.
Alternatively, you could visit their Mediabox in http://tsool.net/index/index.htm for the full experience and I would encourage you to also have a look and listen to ‘Instant Repeater 99’, ‘Believe I’ve Found’, ‘Mantra Slider’ or any of the other clips and audio found in this section. Click on the "Media" box found up top, then Video / Promos.
So come and join me (not like in some weird cult kinda way, although lead singer Ebbot does wear a kaftan!) at any of the following shows:
Saturday 2nd December – CORNER HOTEL, Swan St, Richmond
with Spencer P. Jones & the Escape Committee, Shooting At Unarmed Men (ex-Mclusky and bloody incredible!) and the psychedelic sounds of The Great Apes.
Tix $32 + b/f at www.cornerhotel.com
Friday 8th December – ANNANDALE HOTEL, Parramatta Rd, Annandale
with The New Christs, Johnny Casino and the Secrets, and the Dolly Rocker Movement . Tix $28 + b/f at
Tuesday 12th December – THE TOTE, Johnston St, Collingwood
ONLY acoustic performance (actually electric, just kinda stripped-back)
with Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, with more to be announced, plus a FREE BBQ !! . Tix $32 + b/f at The Tote front bar, Polyester (Brunswick st. Fitzroy), Missing Link (Bourke st. City)
Although TSOOL are a big deal in Europe and were Grammy nominees in the USA, the Aussie sojourn is very much a DIY effort with the band and/or Richie booking most things themselves. A local record company only came to the fore yesterday with boutique label/distributor Reverberation announcing they're rush-releasing the retrospective double CD set "A Present From the Past", a collection of B sides, hard-to-find EP tracks and 13 (count 'em) songs that are unreleased or in alternative form.
Treat this as a heads-up. I can't see tix lasting long.
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