HANGING OUT WITH JOHNNY

On the way back from Japan I stopped in California and took the opportunity to report to headquarters. I called Johnny and he invited me over.



As you can see, his poster collection keeps growing. And he's running out of wall space. Here we are in the Elvis Room, which alone contains more than 40 posters, all originals.

My favorite room is the Horror Room. Johnny's pal comes from the set of Mars Attacks!
The overall effect is that of being in a funhouse.



THEN IT WAS TIME TO WORK.

Yep, that's Johnny and Joe Strummer - from the Clash then and the Mescaleros now. The occasion: a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. And if they found out you saw it here first, they're gonna be mad.
But you saw it here first.



The location is the Whisky-A-Go-Go, where they had the stage ready for Johnny. Marshalls and all. They even found a blue Mosrite similar to Johnny's first guitar. But Johnny took one look at it and declared it the wrong model. So somebody had the idea of taking them to a dressing room and letting them loose in there. The result is this mural that proclaims, among other things, that you shouldn't vote, but make trouble; that Al Gore is gay; and Sean Penn is a fag. See for yourself.



Johnny Ramone, Arturo Vega, Joe Strummer at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, August, 2001.



THAT'S ALL, FOLKS