Joel, meanwhile, joined the Hitmakers, asking Jef, who had just left Mutt, to join too. This was 1977 and the Ramones had just turned the local music scene on its head. Glitter was out. Punk was in. The Hitmakers were soon reigning kings of local punk along with the select stable of bands that played the Lion's Club. In 1978, the Hitmakers toured the East Coast including New York's Max's Kansas City and Boston's Rat Cellar. Soon, they headed to London in search of a contract. In England they ran into problems with British immigration over their visa status and, unable to work, were forced to return home. Unfortunately, the band didn't survive the turmoil.
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