Patti Rothberg album cover
Going through some music writings material on the Internet is always interesting. Phrases like punk is dead or punk is not dead you can always find on the Internet and think about it. Music is never dead, just evolves. But in fact, many artists, not to mention people who had grown up in the punk scene, weren’t ready to let it go. Naturally, the punk and rock aesthetic remains prevalent today in pop culture. God safe the middle finger sticking out!
Here, we are communicating to communities talking about the ideas who were invented 40 years ago, 50 years ago. The point with music is that music evolves non stop from one genre to another, nowadays there are more electronic sounds, but there is still a manual/actual work out-there. In the music, anger works out well, while the bad girls/boys stay foot always, luckily. To live rock’n’roll means and understands rebellion against society ever so even today. Even today I just love to see the middle finger sticking out in anger. I still feel the energy when I see Sid Vicious’ (Sinatra origin) ”My Way ” on the telly. We all discover that there was another way to be bold, to be ourself, to have an opinion…and yes to show a middle finger and that is through music. Anger is the energy said Johny Lydon. God safe the queen…the precious regime…is the word that works so well in many countries. Or better say, God safe the middle finger, sticking out when it’s necessary. In the book ”Anger is the Energy- My life Uncensored ” by Sex Pistol’s Johny Lydon we learn that Sid Vicious’s mom introduced him to heroin and that she ”never got a thing right but nevertheless carried within him some ghost of intelligence and humor. ” Well, this is the key, to bring out music all the time and live through bad things because the bad things in life usually bring out intelligence and humor.
Women Rocks Better
In America, there will be always good old Ramones. Always the burning, everlasting punk rock, bad ars, a symbol of faith. Faith in people, faith in everything, faith in anger, faith in music. Touchy and defensive, Ramones keep grudges alive, and it engages with the wider world. The Ramones made a model more acceptable to behold on to worldwide: basic chords, pugnacity and good old noise, never to be wasted in vain. But the Ramones in women musicians are always ever celebrating the middle finger sticking out…well that is something worthwhile checking point. I keep on finding out on the Internet that there are still a lot of rock roll chicks out here. And it is still the energy. Long live women in rock n’roll sticking out their middle finger. I am finding out about Patti Rothberg, Patti takes on Ramona girl image, born in New York City, Rothberg grew up in New York. Rothberg played all the guitar and bass parts on her debut album, Between the 1 and the 9, which was released on April 2, 1996. The album went on to sell over 250,000 copies in the U.S. and another 200,000 in Europe and Japan. The first single, “Inside”, reached number 25 on the Billboard magazine Alternative chart. During this time, two of Rothberg’s songs appeared in the film: a cover of “Kung Fu Fighting Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) and “Inside” in The Misadventures of Margaret (1998). Rothberg’s third album, Double Standards, was released by indie label Megaforce https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaforce_Records on May 13, 2008. The released show was at the Blender Theater in New York City on May 22, 2008.
“I just wanna say, these girls are doing a great job! I’ve seen many Ramones
shows, they’re doing a great job ”, said Gary Barton
Newbridge Artists producer
Patti Rothberg album cover
AT-Why did you choose to take an image of Ramones?
P.R. -I have listened to the Ramones since Junior High School. I had a group of friends who (tried )to skateboard after school in leather jackets…We would go to parties with the other misfits and punk rockers from other schools since we weren’t cheerleaders and preppy kids. I remember watching Rock n Roll High School or having it on in the background at such parties. I was a visual artist since an early age which made me even more of a loner….I’d go into the city and buy hair dye from Tish and Snookie (scenesters extraordinaire who started beauty company “Manic Panic”). Back then, if you wanted brightly colored green or red hair they were the only game in town (in NYC). Now you can get it anywhere, and artists like Billie Eilish are known to change their haircolor regularly. I only saw The Ramones once live, at the Old Ritz in about 1986. I was 15, pale and kinda looked like Joey Ramone…It was the first (and last) time I would try to get up close to the stage at a punk show…..Two HUGE burly men were about to come at me and squish me like a bug in their Doc Martins. I chose life. HAHAHAHA.
A.T-Now there are different new times for rock bands, for all new bands in the industry, everything is online, especially during these coronavirus times, how are you solving this problem at the moment, do you have where to practice in NY? Must be a very difficult time now in New York.
P.R. – I tend to be very prolific putting out solo albums (I have 8 now, all with different producers)….and two on the way. After the Pandemic hit, I really returned to hermit form, and would choose a random song to try and reach out to anyone else lonely and affected by this tragic killer….and play a song or two a night..a mini show. I played “Cat Stevens Trouble”, “Supertramp The Logical Song”, and several times I did full shows of originals either pre-recorded on my phone or live on facebook. December 1, I released an album called Behind Bars which is my dream pop/ metal album I always wanted to make. We were all set to play a bunch of dates and promote on radio when the Pandemic hit. We were also just learning to play that material live in our 2 person metal band (Gary, my manager) and got to play it once live at a great venue called The Colony in Woodstock (Victoria Levy, my twin of other kin opened). We hope to pick up where we left off and see some of our favorite radio friends Bob Johnson WPKN ct., Marky Ramone, and Lisa Wexler, Lenny Steele, Greg Gatine and all the great DJs at WDST, Woodstock. I have TWO new records coming out, both of which I wrote, engineered, produced etc. by myself from scratch! One is called Pizza Box and it’s piping hot and ready to go, the other one, is very special…not quite ready to be revealed….I’m ALWAYS writing and collaborating on Zoom or over the phone/ internet.
A.T.-How do you find today’s industry in the U.S., is it enough involved? Does it worry you how it is going to be and there won’t be any live performances for a year maybe? Do you think that rock n roll, punky sounds are having a future in general, with electronic sounds and everything?
P.R.- There are groups on the internet, sometimes two or more, for literally ANYTHING you could possibly want. From movies, to obscure collectables and of course, music. I’m not worried that anything is going away….The only thing that’s wierd is “Tic Toc” which gives you 10 seconds to create a mini movie/ video. This contributes to the already miniscule attention span which the internet and video games created. I grew up watching MTV and saw it from the very 1st video. Those were like mini movies, and songs were longer with structure (verse, chorus, bridge etc…). Also, with shows like Ed Sulliivan, people around the world were all introduced to a (new) artist or an old artist and what new thing they were promoting SIMULTANEOUSLY, so the next day people would gather round and talk about who was on SNL, or “Did you see that band on Letterman”? The “anyone can do it” advent of electronic music programs which fit on your phone or home computer might lower the quality or creativity of music…..But then it all comes down to who is behind the wheel. In 1974 when the Ramones started, they were probably trying to sound like the Beach Boys, and it came out as something very original that everyone tried to copy (and hasn’t quite been able to since!!!? (of course Rockaway Bitch comes close) LOL…. But you had bands like Television, Blondie, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, all pushing their own envelope, NOT sounding anything like each other, but being different from each other and the mainstream. NOW you might have “hair metal night” and three or four bands will play the greatest hair hits of the 1980s. Radio and video created rock stars because the cream rose to the top, and only a handful got played over and over….The internet is the great equalizer, but Punk and Electronica will always have their place.
A.T.-Do you get support from the Ramones actual members of the original band?
P.R.- Quite sadly, by the time I joined Rockaway Bitch in 2014, most of the original band members were gone. Cancer or drugs took them all. I lived next to the Chelsea hotel and was introduced to Dee Dee Ramone and his girlfriend in 1994 in 23rd st Guitars. He was such a character!!!! I met Joey just a few times…When i saw Wayne’s World it was in the theater near his apt. and we were the only two people in the theater! I was WAAAAY too shy to say hello. i never met Johnny or Tommy. Marky was the drummer for the COOLEST hard/prog rock band you may not have heard called Dust. I’m his twin brother Fred’s facebook friend. I used to go to Joey Ramone’s birthday bash every year on May 19th…That seemed kind of like a private boys club to me. It seemed like mostly scenester guys in other bands from the East Village all trying to show each other up. I think the real ramones would have LOVED us! They started as a trio, covering Ramones songs in Spanish venues in the South Bronx or the outer borroughs. Rochelle the bass player sang all the songs! One day, she asked me if I would be interested in singing the Joey Ramone part for an all girl’s cover band and that was it!!!! It was meant to be! The band got really tight in just a couple of gigs. I came with a huge bag of props…a bat, the round, red Joey signature glasses…the famous Gabba Gabba Hey sign…I made my part theatrical. We were a TRIBUTE band, and we played everywhere from theaters to small festivals. I was so happy!!!! We even played the ribbon cutting ceremony at the permanent Queens museum tribute……Mickey Leigh (Joey’s brother) came up and played a song, everyone had fun!!!!
A.T.- Do you find music festivals in the US outside of the current virus problem solving is supportive enough and do you have some ideas, as a female band musician how to improve this?
P.R.- People love live music! Billy Joel has played almost 50 shows at Madison Square Garden, and he will sell out 50 shows. With a few acceptions, unless I’m the one onstage I don’t really like to go to shows. People are wasted and yelling and pushy. The music never sounds as good as the record… I used to be part of a mini scene in the village where I knew the other people and it felt like a “happening”….But these festivals where people literally wear adult diapers, and the promotors charge $8 for WATER!? and you’re standing next to a million people who don’t seem to be paying much attention to the music (which probably sounds like crap)…….No thanks , I’ll stay home and listen to a record!!? ON THE OTHER HAND ,I also think the fate of the music world depends on supporting new and local artists, some of whom are incredibly talented or innovative. What to do!!? I also despise snotty hipsters who think that just because they heard a cool album or two they have the right to look down at you. I’m just as friendly as I ever was. I seriously think that some people join bands JUST so they can justify being an A-hole. The music suffers, believe me.
A.T.- Did you manage to get invited on the music festivals in Europe just yet, well not right now but before the virus lockouts?
P.R. Just from the shows and TV I did in Europe and Japan in 1996 I still get autograph requests and some people asking “when are. you gonna play ________?” It’s so nice to be remembered….When you’re on a major label, it’s their job to put you in front of as many people as possible. That’s not as easy when you’re doing it yourself without a promoter. I’m just now redoing my website, and always reinventing my music and myself. Big festivals looked like fun in the 60s or 70s where people behaved themselves. Not anymore…not to me. Although of course there are acceptions where people are fantastic and supportive. I hope this pandemic ends soon!!!!!!
A.T.-Do you get financial support from any music association in the U.S. regarding the life of the band?
P.R.-When the Ramones tribute band plays, we split the money equally and we each donate a part to the merchandise! When Patti Rothberg Plays, she gets a guarantee, and pays the opener out of that. There’s no association. Just ASCAP, and they monitor TV and Radio, which is less and less if you are not either on TV or radio (a major label).
A.T.-Would you accept male musicians to join you once in a while or you are a female-only band?
P.R.- I’ve been in mostly all male bands with a female singer (me) for my originals. In 2000, we had an amazing bass player, Lori Adams, who played on my second record, and later in the 2000s we had Teri Avella playing bass. I’ve played in all girl bands (Thrust was a “tribal industrial drum heavy band” with body paint and costumes and risque themes and lyrics/ nudity)…I was in an all girl band that was like a metal jukebox cover act.. The Ramones band had a male sub on the drums, and our boy band who tribute the Clash “Straight to Hell” (they are GREAT)….Their lead singer subbed on guitar. He had NO ego, played everything perfect……It’s not the gender, it’s the attitutude!
A.T.-What musician would you like to work with the most? (beside Ramones of course)
P.R.- Jules Shear, Juliana Hatfield, I’d love to work with any other great songwriters or players on a “We are the World” type song or album benefitting Domestic Violence.
I think the laws on this STINK, and maybe that would help save lives.
Buy Patti Rothberg’s latest album, Behind Bars:
