Curry, vomit buckets and the Ramones pre-show ritual
Some bands have a handshake. Some bands have a song they like to play. Some bands take a moment to meditate. What an act does before they hit the stage is utterly unique to them. Some like to hype themselves up, while other need a moment to calm down. For the Ramones however, their pre-show ritual, much like their music, was all about pushing the boundaries to health and cleanliness.
Would anyone expect anything less? When the Ramones formed in 1974, they kicked down the doors to the music world as they emerged as the leaders of the new punk scene. Right when New York was tired of rock and roll, Lou Reed had quit The Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol had become a recluse and the bustling Factory scene had dissipated, there was a black hole left in the city’s cultural makeup. From Forest Hill, Queens, the Ramones rushed in to fill it.
Taking to the stage of some of the venues that would become historic hubs for their own musical moment, the Ramones established themselves at the CBGB or at Max’s Kansas City. Alongside peers like Blondie, Television, Talking Heads and Patti Smith, the band were undeniably the loudest and wildest of the bunch. Out of their entire early punk scene, it could be said that they truly optimised the genre as they led with energy over technicality and ran with the DIY approach that has forever been attached to the sound.
It was something that the Sex Pistols would take influence from when their scene got started across the pond, much to the Ramones’ dismay or annoyance. However, imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s a real statement that they weren’t just doing something right, but were doing something historic.
The band’s rebellious spirit wasn’t only found in their songs. It was there both on stage and off stage, including backstage in the green room of the venue, where the band would prepare with a bizarre pre-show ritual that would make any other musician feel a little queasy.
While most artists would be precious about what they put in their body on a show day, prioritising protecting their singing voice or ensuring they have enough stamina to make it through, the Ramones were always out to push the limits. According to the band’s PR manager, Mick Houghton, their pre-show ritual included ordering Indian food, specifically, the spiciest curry they could find.
“It was like a challenge as they sat there, sweat dripping off their faces,” he recalled, painting a strange image of the iconic band backstage, tongues and tastebuds burning. But it wasn’t even just the spice level of the food; it was the sheer quantity too, as the group apparently had eyes bigger than their belly and seemed to make it their mission to eat as much as physically possible.
Spicy food in large quantities plus an active live show that saw them bouncing around and tossing their bodies too and frow – sounds like a recipe for disaster. But luckily, another vital part of the pre-show ritual was instruction someone to put a sick bucket just off stage for when they inevitably needed to spew.
