A new clip from upcoming rock documentary Dennis & Lois has revealed how NME played a key role in reuniting the titular couple with Doves‘ Jimi Goodwin, after they personally introduced him to The Ramones when he was a young boy. Watch it exclusively below.
Directed by film-maker Chris Cassidy, the documentary tells the enduring story of punk rock couple Dennis Anderson and Lois Kahlert – who became part of The Ramones’ inner circle after they met the band at New York’s legendary CBGBs nightclub in the 1970s.
After befriending the punk icons, they became their merchandise sellers across the globe, including one UK date in 1976 where a six-year-old Goodwin was in attendance.
“Dennis and Lois were doing the merchandise and they saw me fucking freaking out to The Ramones and thought ‘wouldn’t it be a gas to introduce this kid to the band?'”, Goodwin explains in the clip.
“They fucking did! I remember shaking Joey’s hand and it was unbelievable. That’s a really magical memory.”
Although the couple lost contact with him, their relationship took an unlikely turn years later when Lois read an early interview with Doves in the NME.
Recommended
“I listened to this band Doves and I read about them in the NME. They talked to Jimi and asked him about why he’d chosen to do music for his life,” she explains.
“He said, ‘Well when I was six this people took me backstage’ and I was like, that’s that kid!”
Goodwin later adds: “Seeds were set by meeting my idols, it’s like out of a film… you can’t make it up. ”
As well as reflecting on their friendship with Goodwin, the clip also features contributions from The Stone Roses, The Vaccines, The Happy Mondays and Peter Hook – who have all since become firm friends with the couple.
An official synopsis teases: “Dennis and Lois is a love story about punk rock’s most dedicated couple and their 40-year devotion to the music and the musicians they follow. These two road warriors live for the communal and unpredictable experience of a live concert. Their journey began in the mid-1970s at a gritty little club in New York City called CBGBs, where Dennis and Lois befriended an up-and-coming band, The Ramones.
“They quickly became part of the band’s inner circle, selling their T-shirts and assisting the future punk legends on tours around the world. This experience would change their lives forever. Dennis and Lois continue to build friendships and sell merchandise for the bands they admire.”
The film will receive its London premiere this Sunday at the Doc n’Roll Film Festival. Other films set for the event include Rip Up The Road – Foals’ concert documentary.