Billy Idol made a surprise appearance during the official Ramones 50th anniversary celebration at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Idol joined Cretin Family, the new all-star tribute group featuring Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Travis Barker of Blink-182 and former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone.
The sold-out Aug. 30 event celebrated 50 years since the Ramones released their landmark self-titled debut album. Rolling Stone, Billboard, Consequence and the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the performance and its guest appearances.
Cretin Family played a set packed with Ramones classics. The performance included “Durango 95,” “Beat on the Brat” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Fred Armisen, the Linda Lindas and Jason Freese were among the other guests.
Idol was a natural addition to the celebration. His early career with Generation X placed him directly in the first wave of British punk. He later became a major solo star by combining punk attitude with pop hooks and MTV-era visuals.
The Ramones followed a different path, but their short, fast songs helped establish a template that influenced punk bands around the world.
Seeing Idol perform alongside musicians from Green Day, Rancid, Blink-182 and the Ramones turned the anniversary into a cross-generational punk gathering. It showed how far the influence of four musicians from Queens has traveled over the past 50 years.
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