To call Monte Melnick an eyewitness to punk rock history is an understatement. Melnick not only went to Junior High School 157 Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School and Forest Hills High School with Tommy Erdelyi (better known as Ramones founding member/drummer Tommy Ramone), but also held various positions with the band for two decades plus, eventually ending up as the group’s tour manager up until they called it a day in 1996. 
While the Forest Hills native was not in attendance for all of the Ramones’ 2,263 shows, he did pen a 2004 memoir called On the Road With the Ramones. Here, Melnick shares some of the band’s more unusual shows he was in attendance for.
(Photo by Danny Fields)
The Roundhouse, London, England (June 5 & 6, 1977)
“In 1976, they played two shows in England—the Roundhouse and Dingwalls. They couldn’t afford to take me then. They went back in 1977 and played the Roundhouse again with the Talking Heads. That was a big show. It was amazing. England was way ahead of America as far as new things go. They were more open to hearing new bands and they loved the Ramones. Bands that were forming at the time like the Sex Pistols and The Clash came to the show and watched the band. They had bands at the time, but they were not as big as the Ramones, but they were inspired by them.”
Swing Auditorium—National Orange Showgrounds, San Bernadino, California (Dec. 1, 1978)
“Opening up for Black Sabbath—those fans didn’t want to hear the Ramones, so they started throwing batteries and ice picks. That was dangerous. The guys walked off three or four songs after that.”
Canadian World Music Festival 1979, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Canada (July 2, 1979)
“We played this big Canadian rock festival and Ted Nugent was the headliner and there were other bands. We opened up early on in the show and of course, the Ted Nugent fans didn’t want anything to do with the Ramones—they were pretty raw at the time but they were good. So the fans started throwing sandwiches and garbage on stage. The band got pissed off, gave everyone the finger and walked off. The Ramones played most of the set. They tolerated the garbage up until a certain point.”
Imperial Palace, Barcelona, Spain, (Sept. 26, 1980)
“We opened up for Mike Oldfield and that was bizarre. It was in Barcelona and there were these giant steps and something like 200,000 people. That was great and the Ramones were pretty big in Spain but when we came off and we heard ‘Tubular Bells,’ that was pretty spacey.”
Randall’s Island, New York City (July 10 & 11, 1996)
“The Lollapalooza shows were pretty spacey. The Ramones always wanted to be on the Lollapalooza bill and they finally got on. So here’s the lineup—Metallica headlining then it was Soundgarden, Rancid and then the Ramones. The funny thing about it is that Ramones are on stage and you’ve got Metallica, Soundgarden and Rancid all hanging out watching the Ramones. They were big fans and came backstage to say hello. It blew Johnny’s mind and he became friends with a lot of them when he moved to L.A. At that point in Lollapalooza, they realized how much they inspired all these groups that came up to them and said that. The Ramones really appreciated that.”
The Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk exhibit will be on display at the Queens Museum, New York City Building at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Meridian Road through July 31. For more information, visit 6 or call 718-592-9700.
