Supergroup Cretin Family Celebrates 50 Years of Ramones at Hollywood Forever

On Sunday, August 30, four punk icons came together on the grounds of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles for the official tribute show celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Ramones' debut album. The special one off lineup, formed exclusively for the evening, goes by the name Cretin Family and features Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Travis Barker of Blink 182, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, and former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone. It was the first time any of these musicians had ever shared a stage together. Billie Joe Armstrong told the crowd that it was also the very first time in his life he had played with Barker, before introducing CJ with the words: "And I actually get to play with the goddamn Ramone."

The setlist was an extensive parade of Ramones classics, rounded out with covers of songs closely tied to punk history. The band opened with tracks including "Durango 95," "Rockaway Beach," and "Cretin Hop," then worked their way through "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment," "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," and "Havana Affair." Along the way they also threw in covers of Bobby Freeman, Dee Dee King, Motörhead, and The Trashmen. The evening featured several surprise appearances: Fred Armisen joined for "Danny Says," Jason Freese stepped out during "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?," and The Linda Lindas sang along on "I Wanna Be Sedated" and a version of Joe Jones's "California Sun." To close things out, Billy Idol surprised the crowd by taking the stage for the final three songs, including his own Generation X track "Ready Steady Go" and the inevitable "Blitzkrieg Bop."

The evening was hosted by actor John Travolta, who had already spoken enthusiastically about the Hollywood Forever tribute tradition beforehand. Alongside the musical performances, there was also a double film screening featuring the anniversary edition of the 1976 horror classic "Carrie" and Travolta's own directorial debut "Propeller One Way Night Coach." Artist Shepard Fairey also delivered a DJ set, and proceeds from the event went toward cancer research by David Agus MD at the Ellison Institute.

The concert marks the first major highlight in a series of commemorative events surrounding the self titled debut album the Ramones released in 1976. With songs like "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Judy Is a Punk," and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, and Tommy Ramone unleashed a musical revolution that permanently changed rock history. Rolling Stone crowned the album this year as the greatest punk album of all time. To mark the anniversary, record label Rhino released a limited edition picture disc version of the album earlier this year on July 17, followed by a two color vinyl release of "Ramones: Live at the Roxy, 8/12/76" on July 31, as part of the Spirit of '76 campaign.

For Dutch music fans it is something special to see how the Ramones' legacy continues to connect generations. Bands like Green Day and Rancid already stood side by side back in 2003 on the tribute album "We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones," with Green Day covering "Outsider" and Rancid taking on "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." The formation of Cretin Family and the turnout of so many acclaimed artists confirms that the influence of four guys from Queens on the global punk scene remains as strong as ever, fifty years after the release of an album that split the music world in two forever.