In the year 2002, punk rock credibility is often hard to come by. Many bands come out of the box like a cookie-cutter copy of their peers. But not Rancid. Since their early days in the Bay Area, the band has ate, slept and sweated the music they love.

Rancid’s take on punk rock has always been straight from the heart and from the streets. These guys were never given anything in life; they earned every break and capitalized on each opportunity that arose. Instead of cashing in, they forged their own path, staying true to their independent roots. Perhaps that is why Rancid is still one of the strongest names in punk rock.

Heavily influenced by The Clash and Sham 69, Rancid also held The Ramones in very high regard and when they found out the band was saying farewell after Lollapalooza in 1996, Rancid wanted in on the action. We caught up with guitarist/vocalist Lars Frederiksen towards the end of the Ramones’ final jaunt through America and asked him exactly what The Ramones legacy meant to him.

“The only reason we did [Lollapalooza] in the first place was because of The Ramones,” he says. “This is the last chance you’ll ever get to see them. I still feel the same way, and I will probably until the day I die, that The Ramones were the greatest rock and roll band there ever was. To be on tour with them [was] great.”

Not only was Rancid able to share a stage with one of their heroes, a strong sense of camaraderie developed between the two during Lollapalooza.

“Being on tour with The Ramones, we kinda became a brother band,” Frederiksen states. “They watch us and we watch them. You know, they let me be the Pinhead when they play that song. That was really cool. I get to sing ‘53rd and 3rd’ whenever I want.”

That sentiment continued even after Lollapalooza when both Frederiksen and Tim Armstrong were invited to perform the song at The Ramones last performance later that summer in 1996. It was recorded as part of the We’re Outta Here documentary and live album. On the upcoming Ramones tribute record, currently being compiled by Johnny Ramone and Rob Zombie, Rancid will be turning in their rendition of “Sheena is a Punk Rocker.” Hopefully, it will be released later this year.

If there’s one thing that Rancid can not be labeled, even after a decade in the business, is that they’re fake. Songs about addiction, alcoholism and homelessness can only come across with authenticity when you’ve lived through them. The guys have all gone through their personal demons and like their friends from Queens, New York, they’ve been able to overcome them.