Mikey Ramone: "The Autobiography"
CHAPTER II:
“I’VE BEEN TRYING TO UNTANGLE MY MIND. AND
MUSIC REALLY DID SAVE MY LIFE. ROCK AND ROLL IS MY ULTIMATE LIFELINE...”
Later on, I got to know many rock bands in the Sixties
and Seventies, including T. Rex (with Marc Bolan being the frontman until his
ultimate tragic death in 1977), The Bee Gees, The Sweet, or the J. Geils Band.
But still, the biggest influence came from one of the best bands in the world –
The Ramones.
It was this story: I was dumbed by my girlfriend on June
30, 2010, right at the time when I was staying in my hometown, Haiphong city,
for only five days (June 28 – July 2), and she was just texting me this: “We
are no longer lovers anymore. You gotta find out yourself. Bye.” I was totally
shocked – it was like a low-blow to me, to be honest; and first thing I had to
do; I didn’t even know what I have done wrong – I was trying to find the reason
why she could dumb me like that. But she didn’t just say anything. Until
August, she just told me that she was tired of us texting around only on a
fucking cellphone and didn’t yet get to meet each others. What I was doing at
the time before she dumbed me – it was me buying this beautiful little
teddy-bear as a gift for her, from Haiphong then back to Saigon and sending it
ahead to Da Nang city; where she lived. Later I just sold that teddy-bear to my
older sister; I bought it for 80,000 VND and sold it back to her at the price
of 100,000 VND. What a good way to make money, right?
The Ramones really influence me a lot since then. I was
fascinated by them. Wearing this leather jacket (of course it was a fake one
but expensive), ripped jeans with tennis shoes, and I was growing my hair long
enough to touch my shoulders, and that was it. I got warnings from my college
for many times about having a haircut, but I just didn’t give a shit what those
people said. Who cares?
I took part in a music contest with “Teacher-Day” theme
in a local English center I was studying in. It was on November 19, 2010 I
performed “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd – with my fake leather jacket
debuted onstage. I still remember my khaki pants couldn’t fit me well; I was 80
kilograms at the time, with this fat stomach. Yes, I couldn’t sit down easily
and it was really embarrassing. There was this old lady came up to me and said,
“I would like to invite you to perform with me in a local bar around.” I said
yes right away, because I didn’t know what else I could take for an answer. Of
course you would do the same like I did.
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But sadly, that dream of mine being a superstar never
came true. I lost her phone number in a blink of an eye when my phone got stuck
in my pants’ pockets and I lost all the numbers. And I was getting to be afraid
of spotlight; being spotted by anybody. That happened, and still do haunting me
until now. I hate when I just walk on streets and everybody would give me that
look – with curiosity and next thing ya know; they start talking about my hair.
What the fuck is going wrong with them anyway? Gossipping about other people
like that… I would consider it was an insult to my privacy. In here, it happens
every fucking time, but not in Japan or somewhere else in the world.
Things got worse and worse when I was growing up year by
year – being surrounded by a bunch of assholes. I got scared by them, mentally.
I hate to be standing and being jammed in a crowd, that makes me feel very
nervous. At the time this autobiography being written – I discover that I have
an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Joey Ramone was struggling with it
throughout his life, also.
Let’s just talk about my hobbies a little bit. Yes, just
a bit.
When I was a little kid, I was starting collecting stuff
like comic books or even empty oil cans. I didn’t know why I did collect them
for whatever reasons; but it was so eccentric that everyone would dislike it
from the start. I even went out and caught reptiles, particularly lizards or
geckos, and also insects. I fucking loved them. And my ultimate pet would be a
fish. Yes, you got these tiny fish tanks with fishes in, and you just had to
feed them day-by-day. But I didn’t seem to do a good job on it, though. They
would come and go, like a breeze. Wasting time and money, a lot, too. At this
moment I only have a small dog, a Chihuahua one, and his name was Super. We
adopted him on February 2006, ten years ago. From a friend of my Mom. That was
when we still stayed at our old apartment back in the old neighborhood located
on Dien Bien Phu – Tran Quoc Thao intersections. We moved to this new house
that year, on June. But I still have been dreaming of that old apartment since
then. Weird dreams, and they were all sad.
In 2005, when I was really into Michael J. Jackson and
his musical career, along with other artists – ABBA, Queen, The Beatles, The
Rolling Stones, etc.; any rock and roll bands I would give a listen to and
became their biggest fan ever. I started collecting CDs and DVDs and books and
things about them, too. But I know it wasn’t enough for me, just yet. I just
wanted more. And most of stuff from my collection really does have
contributions from other friends of mine; they were all good guys. They would
give me these records and discs – as gifts. Other things like books and
magazines I would buy them from bookstores when I was on my trip to other
districts and places. You know, saving up money and getting them in your hands
was the best thing you could ever imagine. Listening to them online or
collecting fake and cheap copies doesn’t make any sense at all. It is about the
real thing. To see it, touch it, and
hold it is to believe it.
Music? Rock and roll? 90s kids ? Isn’t it one great
topic to talk about? Let’s start...
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I first knew Queen, Michael J. Jackson, and Michael
Learns to Rock since I was 3 or 4 years old, in the Kindergarten Years. Those
were good days – you didn’t have to think about anything else – just you and
music and enjoying the life of a younger child in the family. I was really
well-fed and nurtured by my parents – this I am really thankful for them
feeding and clothing me making sure I was having enough food to eat – thanks,
dear Mom and Dad!
Michael Learns to Rock had had their hit, called
“Sleeping Child” and earlier a bit, “The Actor” (1991 and 1993, respectively) –
but during the times we’ve been still under sanctions by the US government
towards the Commies – yep this was their own faults not America (I did support
what President Ronald Reagan would be quite tough towards the Soviet Union – he
did the right thing) and we rarely had any good music back then on the radio or
in a bigger space like on the television.
My parents got an old 14” TV set from Japan, branded as
“JVC” – good Japanese brand then; and we would watch every kind of channel on
their via the small antenna in our bedroom. Luckily I got introduced to MLTR,
Michael Jackson, Queen, or ABBA – and speaking of the latter group, my neighbor
– my Mom’s co-worker’s son – he was a big fan of ABBA having a VHS tape of
music video collection of the group. I remember hearing “The Winner Takes It
All” or “Thank You for the Music,” and much more from him. He just... loved
them. This must have been in 1995-1996, but Michael Jackson was the first
influence for me; I overheard “Heal the World” and “We Are the World” on the
television programs. Or “Off the Wall” (1992). Wow. Great times. Queen with
their hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” music video being also shown on every Tuesday
night at the “international music” TV program (1994). I was not freaking out
when they came to the Acapella part of four members singing in the dark but I
remember Freddie’s face would look like a human skull. That’s what my Mom
said!!! I said, “Skull where and what?” And next thing I knew I wouldn’t get
any answers from her or my sis at all... I would go back to the Kindergarten
the next few days and collecting some Carlsberg beer cans from the trash bin of
the compound of the school because of having watched “Sleeping Child” in that
beer’s commercial video the other nights. I still remember parts of the lyrics!
Later on when I’d get older years by years, I would get
introduced to many artists and their music around the globe by watching MTV
channel or my sister would record the songs into her portable cassette tapes.
1997-2002 was the best period ever for the teen-pop, Europop / Eurodance
movements in Europe and North America, and spreading to Asian continent during
that time. To name a few boybands / girl groups: Steps, S Club 7, A1, 911,
Busted (UK), or The Moffatts, (Canada) or Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera,
Jennifer Lopez (US) and many others. Some would have their own one-hit wonder
or many hits being produced years from years. Some would still be active at
this moments and some would no longer on the music scene,...
So, when I decided to form my first band – it wasn’t
just easy at all. But we did play and make our first money ever from our own
working-hard attitude. Right now I have my band called the Last Jackals
(evolving from the original name – the Grey Jackals) that been formed since
August 3, 2018. I would choose deep-cuts for them to playing, and no crap
involved. Or whenever I am bored I’d just like to write my own originals. Some
are very raw from the beginning to the end. I mean, who would ever do some lo-fi
stuff anyhow nowadays? It’s just too much crap in the public already, so that’s
one reason why I’d like to make a change.
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