The official FRIARS Aylesbury compendium
Page last updated 26th June 2008
Vale Hall, Civic Centre, Market Square,
Aylesbury
The Ramones
Thursday May 26th 1977
see also Friday December 30th 1977 Wednesday January 23rd 1980
see also Talking Heads Tuesday January 24th 1978
Johnny Ramone Joey Ramone Dee Dee Ramone
Tommy Ramone
Talking Heads
Unknown
None yet
As below
Kris Needs, writing in Zig Zag, June 1977 (reproduced with permission of Kris Needs)
"I first caught the tour at Friars Aylesbury, one of the few dates on the tour not to sell out. That's 'cos the so-aware locals were probably dozing off to Steve Hillage. Still, a thousand mostly-out-of-towners who came went bonkers and brought them back for nine or more encores.It was a great set, with probably the wildest reaction Friars has ever seen...a raging sea of pogoers falling around with lunatic abandon in front of the stage. Anyone who stands still when The Ramones are on must have lead-filled buttocks. Everyone sang along, danced, stomped and had great fun (except for a poor Eagles' fan getting his first taste of raw power, who stood with his hands over his ears for the twenty minutes he could stand!). The set went like greased lightening, the momentum being broken only when Johnny got in the way of a particularly large chunk of the gob raining on the stage. "I want him thrown out", he snapped to a roadie, pointing to the pogoing culprit. ("Nasty habit", Johnny said afterwards. "I don't know who started that, but you know, you play better if they don't do it") After I'd recovered from the set, I thought I'd go and see what the band had been getting up to since their last visit. Blimey I was pissed! Good job I had the old tape recorder handy, 'cos I can't remember saying half the things on it!"
As below
Despite tremendous personal rancour in the band, they managed to stay together until 1996. They made one last appearance together in 1999 where despite Johnny's attempts at peace with Joey, they were dismissed. Joey Ramone died in 2001 of lymphona reportedly listening to U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind album. Dee Dee Ramone died of a drugs overdose in 2002. Johnny Ramone died in 2004 of cancer.
As for Talking Heads, they headlined Friars in 1978 and never looked back.
The Ramones were individually named by The Human League in The Things that Dreams Are Made Of
Sights and sounds - The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (1977)
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