Sadly, everyone knows of the Ramones through liberal use of their mock CIA band logo on every piece of fashion imaginable. If you’re lucky, you know ‘em through a mix tape a mate gave you in your teens and rocked out to ‘Now I wanna sniff some glue’ and ‘beat on the brat’. But what you probably don’t know is just how messed up these guys are.

This doco has interview footage with anyone that ever got close to them, including neighborhood friends, early punk journos, brothers, mothers, roadies you name it. You will find out little known facts that on the first UK tour the Bronx boys did, Johnny Rotten ‘wanted to meet them backstage, but was scared of getting beaten up’. Even more scary that The Ramones had an art director virtually since inception and when they were all broke, they crashed in his loft. It’s interesting to see just how much the guys relied on conceptual styling to get noticed.

What amazed me was just how these guys managed to hold it together for so long whilst absolutely hating each other. There’s anecdotes and early concert footage at CGBGs where they’re even arguing on stage about what song to play next! In fact the early band footage is absolutely hilarious. At one point Joey Ramone almost knocks himself out with his own mic stand, mid performance.

As with any Rockumentary, there’s the token a la Yoko Ono, band breaking bitch semiotic. I can’t remember the full SP, but Johnny Stole Joey’s chick and married her and the song ‘The KKK took my baby away’ was written out of spite for Johnny. According to CJ Ramone, Joey and Johnny didn’t speak for years.

In short this movie is absolutely hilarious, poignant and insightful. Dee Dee is an absolute blithering idiot, Johnny the Saergaent that holds it all together (no matter what), Joey the obsessive compulsive hobbit that lives to be on stage, Tommy the ‘normal’ one.

There’s an absolutely hilarious bit where Dee Dee describes Tommy: “You know . . . Tommy was the kind of guy in his twenties that would buy some bread and hamburgers. . . . and cook. . . . hamburgers . . .”. One example of so many Spinal Tap-esque one liners that are just so funny.

Perhaps what makes it so poignant is months before Joey and Dee Dee’s death, Rob Zombie says “The Ramones were just always there. I guess you end up taking it for granted they’ll always be there”. There was no shortage of stars that make a quick cameo to say their bit, but Rob said it best. The boys were a classic comedy of errors and epitomised true Rock and Roll, spreading the gospel to millions and an inspiration to all hardcore, punk and metal bands the world over.

Considering this movie was director Michael Gramaglia’s first doco and on the shelf for a few years, this doco is absolutely tops. I don’t think i’ve ever laughed so hard, yet been so inspired to keep sticking it up the mainstream. You must see this movie.