Hanoi Rocks
Encyclopedia
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock
band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. Original members vocalist Michael Monroe
and guitarist Andy McCoy
came back together in 2001 and were active with the new line-up of Hanoi Rocks until 2009.
In the 80s, Hanoi Rocks were the most successful Finnish band internationally and are still popular in the United States, Japan, and England. They were also one of the first rock bands to tour in Asia, and were the first western rock band to play in Delhi
. According to Finnish radio and TV personality Jone Nikula
(who was also Hanoi Rocks' tour manager in the 2000s), Hanoi Rocks' albums have sold between 780,000 and 1,000,000 copies around the world, but mostly in Scandinavia and Japan. Although their album sales are strong, they are more widely known for their energetic live performances.
in 1979 by Michael Monroe
(Matti Fagerholm) and his friend, guitarist Andy McCoy
(Antti Hulkko). Although McCoy was the other forming member, he didn't join the band right away, because, at the time, he was the guitarist for the Finnish punk
band Pelle Miljoona Oy. McCoy let Monroe form the band without him, but they agreed that McCoy would join later.
The original line-up of Hanoi Rocks consisted of Michael Monroe on vocals, former Pelle Miljoona Oy guitarist Stefan Piesnack, Monroe's old friend guitarist Nasty Suicide
, bassist Nedo Soininen and drummer Peki Sirola. By 1980, Sirola was replaced by drummer Tumppi Varonen.
The band toured Finnish clubs, playing McCoy and Monroe's own songs and covers like Cheap Trick
's "He's a Whore", The Police
's "Born in the 50's" and MC5
's "Looking at You". At one of the band's first shows was Seppo Vesterinen, who had brought big name artists like Iggy Pop
and Frank Zappa
to Finland. Vesterinen soon became the band's manager after talking with McCoy and Monroe. In late 1980 Andy McCoy left Pelle Miljoona Oy to join Hanoi Rocks, and was later joined by another former Pelle Miljoona Oy member, bassist Sam Yaffa. McCoy replaced Stefan Piesnack who had been arrested for drugs
, and Yaffa replaced Nedo. By then, Tummpi Varonen had left the band, and when the band relocated to Stockholm
, they hired an old friend of Monroe and McCoy's, drummer Gyp Casino
.
and released their debut single, "I Want You / Kill City Kills". "I Want You" was a new version by Andy McCoy of the Swedish song "Jag vill ha dig" (means exactly "I want You" in Swedish, McCoy only translated the song into English and claimed it as his own). "Kill City Kills" was one of McCoy's oldest songs, which he had written when he was hanging around at a Finnish block called Kill City. Even though Gyp Casino was the band's drummer, he didn't play on the single, on the count that he was recording with another band in Stockholm.
In December 1980, the band played a show in Virrat, a small town in Finland. This show started a long 102-day tour in January 1981, which is apparently still the longest rock tour in Finnish history. The tour developed the band's energetic and wild playing style, which people weren't too fond of at the time, but later the band has been praised for their playing style.
In February 1981, the band released their second single "Tragedy / Café Avenue
", which McCoy had written when he was 15–16 years old. In that same month the band released their debut album, titled Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
, which was produced by Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy, who were known as "The Muddy Twins". The album was well-received, and climbed to number five on the Finnish album charts.
In September 1981, the band moved to London, England, but before that, they continued touring in Finland and in Sweden. In London they started the recording process for their second album. On September 19, 1981, the band performed at the legendary Marquee Club
in London. In late November they returned to Finland and released the single "Desperados / Devil Woman
". In December they released another single, titled "Dead By X-Mas / Nothing New
".
(a place for independent youth culture) for the songs "Tragedy", "Oriental Beat
" and "Motorvatin'". In that same month the band released their second album Oriental Beat
. The album was mostly well received by critics and magazines, including Sounds
and Kerrang!
, whose Dave Dickson since covered Hanoi Rocks' career in the 80's extensively. The band spent the spring of 1982 touring in Sweden, and also had their first Japanese breakthrough with "Tragedy". In May the single "Love's An Injection / Taxi Driver" was released. In June 1982, the band permanently moved to London, but they still weren't very wealthy, and the dark side of the rock'n'roll lifestyle were hurting the band. Nasty Suicide's wild lifestyle was getting out of hand and was affecting his playing. At the same time Michael Monroe met a Hanoi Rocks fan called Razzle
at a Johnny Thunders
show. Later Razzle found out that Monroe was the singer for Hanoi Rocks, and after seeing some shows, Razzle showed up backstage and told them that he wanted to be their drummer. McCoy and Monroe soon fired Gyp Casino, whose drug use had gotten out of control, and he was also getting very depressed and suicidal. Razzle was hired as the new drummer.
In August 1982, Hanoi Rocks released their third studio album, Self Destruction Blues
in London. Even though Razzle was featured on the album's cover he didn't actually play on the album, because the album featured old singles like "Love's An Injection". The album was released in October in Finland, with "Love's An Injection" spending a week at number one on the Finnish singles charts. The band also struck a deal with the Japanese record-company Nippon Phonogram.
The band has later said that without Razzle they probably would have broken up, but when Razzle joined he revitalized the band.
, their popularity in Japan was increasing, and they were close to a breakthrough in the US.
By January 1983 the band was back on the road and were touring outside of England, Finland and Sweden, including Asia. The Asian tour was largely covered by British magazines, and the band also got on the cover of Sounds
. The tour started in Bombay, where the band actually started a riot. The tour continued in Hong Kong and then in Japan. In Japan the band was very popular, with fans breaking into hotels to see the members of the band. The ticket prices for the show were as high as for stadium fillers. There were even phone booths in Tokyo that would play Hanoi Rocks songs. The tour continued from Tokyo to Vietnam
.
In April the band returned to London for the recording of their fourth album, and on the first week of April, the band went to Israel
, where they weren't very well received. Monroe couldn't even leave the hotel because of his somewhat odd looks: Local people thought he was an improperly-dressed woman and would gather around him and even spit on him. Also, Nasty Suicide broke his ankle, and overall people didn't like the band's loud playing style. In late spring Hanoi Rocks toured in London and Norway, and released a single before the new album, titled "Malibu Beach / Rebel On The Run
". The band's fourth album, Back to Mystery City
, was soon released an it reached number 87 on British album charts. In England the albums and singles were released on the band's managers', Seppo Vesterinen and Richard Bishop's record label, Lick Records, and in Finland on Johanna Kustannus. After the albums release, Hanoi Rocks toured in England and in Finland until June 1983, when the band made a deal with CBS
for £150,000.
", and the 12" Maxi-Single "Until I Get You / Tragedy / Oriental Beat". On August 13, Lick Records released Hanoi Rocks' first three albums in Britain for the first time. The next day, the band played a show at the Ruisrock
festival in Turku, Finland. Before the show, Michael Monroe was interviewed for the Finnish television station YLE, where he stated that McCoy and Suicide's alcohol use had gotten out of hand. He also stated that he didn't drink or use drugs. In October 1983, legendary producer Bob Ezrin
flew from the US to see Hanoi Rocks live in London and in December he was confirmed as the producer for Hanoi Rocks' next album.
In September the preparations for Hanoi Rocks fifth album started. Songs that the band were working on included "Two Steps From The Move", "Never Get Enough" (an early version of "Million Miles Away
"), "I Can't Get It", "Bad Love" and "Teenage Revolution". The working title for the next record was Silver Missiles and Nightingales, which was slated for February 16, 1984 release.
In November, Hanoi Rocks played their two famous shows at The Marquee Club, the later of which was recorded as the bands first live album and video, titled All Those Wasted Years.
of Mott the Hoople
to help write some of the new songs. The actual recording sessions started on February 20, 1984 at Record Plant in New York, where the drums, bass and some of the guitars were recorded. The band flew back to Toronto to record the vocals and the rest of the guitars. Bob Ezrin also helped on a lot of the recording, including Razzle's drumming and Monroe's vocals. Ian Hunter had brought Jack Bruce
(formerly of Cream
), who had also brought Pete Brown
, to the recording sessions. Pete Brown wrote a lot of lyrics, but the only one the band used was "Smoked a lot of sky, drank a lot of rain" which is featured in "Million Miles Away".
By the end of April the new album was almost ready for release, but Ezrin and the label thought that the album was missing a hit, so they chose the band to cover the Creedence Clearwater Revival
song "Up Around The Bend
", which was already a favorite of Michael Monroe and Nasty Suicide.
In May 1984 Hanoi Rocks went on tour in Bombay and in Japan. In Japan, the Hanoi Rocks hysteria had gone through the roof, with concert halls being sold out and loyal fans following the band everywhere the whole tour. Even in Finland people were baffled by the Hanoi hysteria in Japan.
The Japanese tour was followed by a tour across England and Scotland. British magazines were raving about the band, and were sure that the next record would be their breakthrough. In June the single "Up Around The Bend / Until I Get You" was released, but it also appeared as a double single and as an EP
. A music video for "Up Around The Bend" was also shot, at a hotel in England. At the time it was the most expensive music video for any Finnish band, and wasn't too cheap internationally either. After its release the single climbed to number 61 on British single charts and got radio airplay in America too.
After touring in July in England, Hanoi Rocks' new album finally came out, now titled Two Steps From The Move
, which was changed from Silver Missiles and Nightingales at the last minute. In September the single "Underwater World / Shakes
" was released. On October 8, Two Steps From The Move was released in England, and right away the band went on a successful tour with Johnny Thunders.
In November the single "Don't You Ever Leave Me / Oil And Gasoline
" was released, by which time the new album had sold 200 000 copies; most of which were sold in America (60 000), Britain (50 000) and Finland (20 000). In the US the album sold 44 000 copies in its first two weeks. After a Swedish tour, the band headed out for their breakthrough US tour. The band toured the west coast until Michael Monroe fractured his ankle onstage in Syracuse on November 29, which resulted in some of the tour dates being canceled. On December 2 the band were celebrating Razzle's birthday, and were headed towards Los Angeles, which Razzle was looking very much forward to. The Los Angeles shows were all sold out in less than half an hour, and the audience included future Guns N' Roses
members Duff McKagan
and Slash
. The breakthrough on the west coast seemed sure.
, at lead singer Vince Neil
's house. The party stopped when everybody noticed that they were out of beer. Vince Neil and Razzle, who were both drunk, drove to a nearby liquor store in Neil's Pantera
. After buying more beer, the two headed back to Neil's, but on the way Neil crashed into another car. Razzle was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at the time of 7:12 pm. Razzle had died instantly in the collision with the other car.
Andy McCoy and Mötley Crüe's drummer Tommy Lee
went looking for Neil and Razzle. They drove by the crash site and saw Neil being handcuffed and being put into a police car. They were informed that Razzle had been taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. McCoy informed the band's manager Seppo Vesterinen, who then told the rest of the band.
The death of Razzle had a big impact on the band. The rest of the tour dates were canceled, and the band retreated back to London. The only shows not canceled were the Helsinki Kulttuuritalo
(Finnish for The House of Culture) show and the Europe A-Go-Go show, which was televised all over Europe, with around 200 million viewers watching. Both shows became memorials to Razzle, with "Million Miles Away" being dedicated to Razzle. Former Clash
drummer Terry Chimes
played the drums.
In 1985, after the shows, Sam Yaffa left the group due to personal differences with Andy McCoy. The band returned to London, where the band decided to take a short break. After some time Nasty Suicide and Michael Monroe (McCoy still was on vacation) started looking for a new bassist and drummer. Yaffa was replaced by bassist René Berg
, who didn't get along with many of the members (especially Nasty Suicide). Terry Chimes was chosen as the new drummer. With the new members the magic wasn't there and Monroe was going to quit. The record label talked Monroe into doing a short tour in Poland, where "Don't You Ever Leave Me" was going up the charts. Monroe agreed on the condition that no live record would be released, but a half official live album was released. Entitled Rock & Roll Divorce
, the album was panned by the managers, band members and critics. René Berg was very arrogant, often stating that Hanoi Rocks was "his band", which led to him being fired, and he was shortly replaced by bassist Timo Kaltio. This lineup never performed live, and on June 17, 1985 Monroe officially left Hanoi Rocks. This signaled the end of the band. At the same time, "Don't You Ever Leave Me" rose to number 6 on the Polish singles charts and Hanoi Rocks' popularity continued to the 1990s even though the band broke up.
, Finland. After that show, McCoy and Monroe toured again together in the summer of 2001, under the moniker "Hanoi Revisited".
After the short tour, Monroe and McCoy started talking about if they should consider reforming Hanoi Rocks. Monroe was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to reform the band. This would be (as the two put it), a "rebirth", not a reformation of Hanoi Rocks, mainly because none of the other former members were able to join. Razzle was dead, Nasty Suicide had taken a complete overhaul and become a pharmacist
, Sam Yaffa was living in New York and was playing as the bassist for the New York Dolls
and Gyp Casino wasn't active in the band circles anymore. "The Muddy Twins" chose Kari "Lacu
" Lahtinen from Monroe's solo band to play the drums, Timpa Laine (who had also been in Monroe's solo band) to play the bass, and to play the rhythm guitar they chose Costello Hautamäki from the Finnish rock band Popeda
.
The new Hanoi Rocks toured, the fans' reactions were mostly enthusiastic, and the rebirth of Hanoi Rocks also sparked news around the world. On the writing side, McCoy and Monroe made a deal that they would be equal writers on songs, and not just McCoy. By 2002, the two had written enough songs for an album, and Hanoi Rocks' comeback album Twelve Shots on the Rocks
was released. The most popular songs were "In My Darkest Moment", "Obscured", "People Like Me" and "A Day Late, A Dollar Short
". Music videos of the latter two were also made. Even though the album was a hit in Finland and Japan, Monroe and McCoy were not present when the album was mixed, and when they heard the finished product they were not too happy. The album was remixed in 2003 and it also featured two new songs, "Moonlite Dance" and "Bad News". Monroe and McCoy were much more happy with this version.
Most of 2003 and 2004 consisted of touring, but guitarist Costello had to leave Hanoi to work with his other band Popeda. Costello was shortly replaced by guitarist Stevie Klasson, whose only recording with Hanoi Rocks was the "Keep Our Fire Burning
" single. Klasson was fired from Hanoi Rocks in the fall of 2004 for not getting along with other members. Bassist Timpa also left Hanoi because of family issues.
In 2004 the band (now consisting of Monroe, McCoy and Lacu) headed to the studio to record the album Another Hostile Takeover
. With no bassist and no guitarist, Monroe had to play some of the bass and guitar parts, but in early 2005 the band was able to find a new guitarist, Conny Bloom
. Bloom had played with Gyp Casino and the Electric Boys
and fit well to Hanoi Rocks. He suggested that bassist Andy "A.C." Christell
, who had also played with the Electric Boys, should join the band. Hanoi Rocks finally found a bassist again.
The reaction to Another Hostile Takeover was mixed. Critics liked the albums diversity and braveness to try new things, but some of the old fans and hard rock fans thought that the album was weird and that Hanoi Rocks had changed too much since the 80s. The band's lineup, which now consisted of Monroe, McCoy, Conny Bloom, Andy Christell and Lacu, was the classic Hanoi lineup of the 2000s.
The years 2005 and 2006 the band spent touring in Europe and Asia, and the tours created a new generation of Hanoi Rocks fans.
In 2007 Hanoi started working on their third album of the new millennium, Street Poetry
. On Street Poetry the band worked on some of the unfinished songs from the 80s, like "Teenage Revolution", which was first thought of in the Two Steps from the Move sessions in 1984. This album also marked the first time that other band members besides Monroe and McCoy got to write songs. Street Poetry was released on September 5, 2007 and a music video was shot for the first single, "Fashion
".
In late 2008 an autobiography titled "All Those Wasted Years" was released. It mainly covered Hanoi Rocks' career in the 80s and included rare photos of the band and its members and new interviews with Monroe, McCoy, Nasty Suicide, Gyp Casino, Seppo Vesterinen, Richard Bishop and countless others.
Hanoi Rocks announced that they would play 8 farewell shows in 6 days at the Tavastia Club
, in Helsinki. All the shows were sold-out, and the band's original guitarist Nasty Suicide appeared as a special guest on 3 of the last gigs, and Lacu also appeared at the final show.
The last show was released as a DVD
in late 2009, titled Buried Alive
.
and they have received critical acclaim for their musical style and energetic live performances. On January 5, 1985, Hanoi Rocks was featured in almost every category in a poll cast by Sounds
, including Best Album (5th), Best Band (2nd) and Best Live Act (3rd).
Hanoi Rocks' influence can be seen in various bands, including Guns N' Roses, and their glam look has been used by many bands, including Poison, L.A. Guns
and Ratt. Other bands like Manic Street Preachers
, Murderdolls
, Skid Row and the Foo Fighters
have acknowledged being Hanoi Rocks fans. Alice in Chains
also often played Hanoi Rocks' "Taxi Driver" live in their early days. Other Finnish rock groups that were influenced by Hanoi Rocks include The 69 Eyes
(with whom McCoy has also worked with) and Negative
. In Finland Hanoi Rocks is known as the Finnish rock band
who, at their time, had come closest to real international fame, only much later giving way to such groups as HIM, Nightwish
, Stratovarius
, and Children of Bodom
.
Hanoi Rocks also brought the glam rock look of the 70s back into style. In 2003, when Nasty Suicide was asked about the bands look, he said that he and Michael Monroe decided to keep the punk leather jacket
s but bring a kind of "transvestite vibe to it".
Even though Hanoi Rocks influenced many 80's glam band's, some feel that these bands ripped-off Hanoi Rocks. In 2008 Joe Elliott
, frontman of the English hard rock band Def Leppard
, described his dislike of 80s glam metal bands bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison
, and said this about Hanoi Rocks:
Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have influenced many rock'n'roll artists and bands: Slash had bought tickets to the outsold gigs of Los Angeles, which were canceled because of the death of Razzle. In the Hanoi Rocks autobiography "All Those Wasted Years" Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett says "The Hollywood scene changed in just one night after people saw the pictures of Hanoi Rocks. After that everyone was wearing the same kind of hair, clothes and make up as Monroe". Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have often been mentioned as the starters of the Hollywood's glam-rock scene, which was then adopted and developed by many 1980's glam-, punk-, and hard rock bands like Motley Crue, Jetboy, LA Guns and Poison.
Hanoi Rocks is cited as one of the most influential glam metal bands of all time in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
document movie.
American TV Channel VH1
named the top "hair bands" of all time, and Hanoi Rocks was at number 40. When Sam Yaffa was asked about it, he replied: "We were a hat band, not a hair band!".
Andy McCoy has said that the Guns N' Roses song "Paradise City
" is a compilation of a few riffs of Hanoi Rocks. He said the chorus is the same as the riff in "Lost in the City
", just slowed down. Nasty Suicide can also be seen in the music video for "Paradise City".
The Guns N' Roses song "Right Next Door to Hell
" was co-written by former Hanoi Rocks bassist Timo Kaltio.
Hanoi Rocks is mentioned by Bret Michaels
in the song "Human Zoo" from his album A Letter from Death Row
, which is also the soundtrack to the film of the same name
.
Former members
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. Original members vocalist Michael Monroe
Michael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
and guitarist Andy McCoy
Andy McCoy
Antti Hulkko , better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is most famous for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop....
came back together in 2001 and were active with the new line-up of Hanoi Rocks until 2009.
In the 80s, Hanoi Rocks were the most successful Finnish band internationally and are still popular in the United States, Japan, and England. They were also one of the first rock bands to tour in Asia, and were the first western rock band to play in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. According to Finnish radio and TV personality Jone Nikula
Jone Nikula
Antti Joonas "Jone" Nikula is Finnish television and radio personality and a jack-of-all-trades in the music industry. He became well-known as a judge in the TV show Idols. He is the only judge to appear in all the seasons of Idols...
(who was also Hanoi Rocks' tour manager in the 2000s), Hanoi Rocks' albums have sold between 780,000 and 1,000,000 copies around the world, but mostly in Scandinavia and Japan. Although their album sales are strong, they are more widely known for their energetic live performances.
Formation and early days (1979-1980)
Hanoi Rocks was formed in HelsinkiHelsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
in 1979 by Michael Monroe
Michael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
(Matti Fagerholm) and his friend, guitarist Andy McCoy
Andy McCoy
Antti Hulkko , better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is most famous for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop....
(Antti Hulkko). Although McCoy was the other forming member, he didn't join the band right away, because, at the time, he was the guitarist for the Finnish punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Pelle Miljoona Oy. McCoy let Monroe form the band without him, but they agreed that McCoy would join later.
The original line-up of Hanoi Rocks consisted of Michael Monroe on vocals, former Pelle Miljoona Oy guitarist Stefan Piesnack, Monroe's old friend guitarist Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide is the ex-rhythm and lead guitarist for Hanoi Rocks between 1979-1985. Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band that combined elements of punk, glam rock, rock and roll, and blues. Before his tenure in Hanoi Rocks, Suicide played guitar in a Finnish punk band called Briard in the late...
, bassist Nedo Soininen and drummer Peki Sirola. By 1980, Sirola was replaced by drummer Tumppi Varonen.
The band toured Finnish clubs, playing McCoy and Monroe's own songs and covers like Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
's "He's a Whore", The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
's "Born in the 50's" and MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
's "Looking at You". At one of the band's first shows was Seppo Vesterinen, who had brought big name artists like Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
to Finland. Vesterinen soon became the band's manager after talking with McCoy and Monroe. In late 1980 Andy McCoy left Pelle Miljoona Oy to join Hanoi Rocks, and was later joined by another former Pelle Miljoona Oy member, bassist Sam Yaffa. McCoy replaced Stefan Piesnack who had been arrested for drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, and Yaffa replaced Nedo. By then, Tummpi Varonen had left the band, and when the band relocated to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, they hired an old friend of Monroe and McCoy's, drummer Gyp Casino
Gyp Casino
Gyp Casino is a Swedish rock drummer. He played in Warheads and was the original drummer for Hanoi Rocks. He was replaced by Razzle in 1982...
.
Stockholm, early recordings and London (1980–1981)
When the band moved to Stockholm, they lived mostly in the streets, begging for money, except Andy McCoy, who was living with his wealthy girlfriend. In November 1980, the band struck a deal with Johanna KustannusJohanna Kustannus
Johanna Kustannus Oy has been the name of two Finnish record labels. Atte Blom has been a founding member for both companies, and Pekka Aarnio has also been involved with both...
and released their debut single, "I Want You / Kill City Kills". "I Want You" was a new version by Andy McCoy of the Swedish song "Jag vill ha dig" (means exactly "I want You" in Swedish, McCoy only translated the song into English and claimed it as his own). "Kill City Kills" was one of McCoy's oldest songs, which he had written when he was hanging around at a Finnish block called Kill City. Even though Gyp Casino was the band's drummer, he didn't play on the single, on the count that he was recording with another band in Stockholm.
In December 1980, the band played a show in Virrat, a small town in Finland. This show started a long 102-day tour in January 1981, which is apparently still the longest rock tour in Finnish history. The tour developed the band's energetic and wild playing style, which people weren't too fond of at the time, but later the band has been praised for their playing style.
In February 1981, the band released their second single "Tragedy / Café Avenue
Tragedy (Hanoi Rocks song)
"Tragedy" is a single by the Finnish glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, from the album Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks, but "Tragedy" was released a little before the release of the album. "Tragedy" and its B-side, "Café Avenue", are the most well-known songs from Hanoi Rocks' early...
", which McCoy had written when he was 15–16 years old. In that same month the band released their debut album, titled Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
- Personnel :* Michael Monroe – vocals, piano, saxophone, harmonica* Andy McCoy – guitars, backing vocals* Nasty Suicide – guitars, backing vocals* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums- External links :*...
, which was produced by Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy, who were known as "The Muddy Twins". The album was well-received, and climbed to number five on the Finnish album charts.
In September 1981, the band moved to London, England, but before that, they continued touring in Finland and in Sweden. In London they started the recording process for their second album. On September 19, 1981, the band performed at the legendary Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
in London. In late November they returned to Finland and released the single "Desperados / Devil Woman
Desperados (Hanoi Rocks song)
"Desperados" is a single by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. The single was released in 1981, but neither the A- or B-side were included on an album until a year later. "Desperados" was released on Self Destruction Blues, and "Devil Woman" on Oriental Beat...
". In December they released another single, titled "Dead By X-Mas / Nothing New
Dead By X-Mas
"Dead By X-Mas" is a single by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. The single was released before the band's second album Oriental Beat but neither the A- or B-side were featured on album until the band's third album, Self Destruction Blues....
".
Oriental Beat and Razzle joins (1982)
In January 1982, Hanoi Rocks made their first music videos at the LepakkoLepakko
Lepakko or Lepakkoluola was a place for independent youth culture in Helsinki, Finland, functioning from 1979 to 1999.The building was mostly used for rock concerts. Many Finnish rock artists came into popular knowledge through Lepakko. Lepakko also had a sauna and on special "steam club" nights...
(a place for independent youth culture) for the songs "Tragedy", "Oriental Beat
Oriental Beat (song)
Oriental Beat is a song taken from glam punk band Hanoi Rocks' second album, Oriental Beat, released in 1982. The song appears to be about a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, by vocalist Michael Monroe. In particular, Monroe claims he wishes to move there permanently because he is tired of the Western...
" and "Motorvatin'". In that same month the band released their second album Oriental Beat
Oriental Beat
Oriental Beat is the second studio album by the Finnish glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, recorded in London and released in 1982. Oriental Beat also opened markets in England and Japan, where Hanoi eventually became very popular.-Background:...
. The album was mostly well received by critics and magazines, including Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
and Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, whose Dave Dickson since covered Hanoi Rocks' career in the 80's extensively. The band spent the spring of 1982 touring in Sweden, and also had their first Japanese breakthrough with "Tragedy". In May the single "Love's An Injection / Taxi Driver" was released. In June 1982, the band permanently moved to London, but they still weren't very wealthy, and the dark side of the rock'n'roll lifestyle were hurting the band. Nasty Suicide's wild lifestyle was getting out of hand and was affecting his playing. At the same time Michael Monroe met a Hanoi Rocks fan called Razzle
Razzle
Nicholas Dingley, alias Razzle , was the drummer of Hanoi Rocks from 1982 until his death.-Biography:...
at a Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
show. Later Razzle found out that Monroe was the singer for Hanoi Rocks, and after seeing some shows, Razzle showed up backstage and told them that he wanted to be their drummer. McCoy and Monroe soon fired Gyp Casino, whose drug use had gotten out of control, and he was also getting very depressed and suicidal. Razzle was hired as the new drummer.
In August 1982, Hanoi Rocks released their third studio album, Self Destruction Blues
Self Destruction Blues
-Personnel:* Michael Monroe – vocals* Andy McCoy – guitars* Nasty Suicide – guitars* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums...
in London. Even though Razzle was featured on the album's cover he didn't actually play on the album, because the album featured old singles like "Love's An Injection". The album was released in October in Finland, with "Love's An Injection" spending a week at number one on the Finnish singles charts. The band also struck a deal with the Japanese record-company Nippon Phonogram.
The band has later said that without Razzle they probably would have broken up, but when Razzle joined he revitalized the band.
Tour in Asia, Back to Mystery City and the deal with CBS (1983)
The year 1983 was a good year for Hanoi Rocks: They had broken through in England, mostly due to their second manager Richard BishopRichard Bishop
Richard Bishop may refer to:*Richard M. Bishop , American politician*Richard Bishop , American football defensive tackle*Richard Bishop , American guitarist, member of Sun City Girls...
, their popularity in Japan was increasing, and they were close to a breakthrough in the US.
By January 1983 the band was back on the road and were touring outside of England, Finland and Sweden, including Asia. The Asian tour was largely covered by British magazines, and the band also got on the cover of Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
. The tour started in Bombay, where the band actually started a riot. The tour continued in Hong Kong and then in Japan. In Japan the band was very popular, with fans breaking into hotels to see the members of the band. The ticket prices for the show were as high as for stadium fillers. There were even phone booths in Tokyo that would play Hanoi Rocks songs. The tour continued from Tokyo to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
In April the band returned to London for the recording of their fourth album, and on the first week of April, the band went to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where they weren't very well received. Monroe couldn't even leave the hotel because of his somewhat odd looks: Local people thought he was an improperly-dressed woman and would gather around him and even spit on him. Also, Nasty Suicide broke his ankle, and overall people didn't like the band's loud playing style. In late spring Hanoi Rocks toured in London and Norway, and released a single before the new album, titled "Malibu Beach / Rebel On The Run
Malibu Beach Nightmare
"Malibu Beach Nightmare" is a single and EP released only in the UK, by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. The song is from their 1983 album Back to Mystery City, but the single was released just before the album in the UK...
". The band's fourth album, Back to Mystery City
Back to Mystery City
- Personnel :* Michael Monroe – lead vocals, saxophone, harmonica* Andy McCoy – lead guitar* Nasty Suicide – rhythm guitar* Sam Yaffa – bass* Razzle – drums- Additional personnel :* Morgan Fisher - Keyboards* Miriam Stockley - Background vocals...
, was soon released an it reached number 87 on British album charts. In England the albums and singles were released on the band's managers', Seppo Vesterinen and Richard Bishop's record label, Lick Records, and in Finland on Johanna Kustannus. After the albums release, Hanoi Rocks toured in England and in Finland until June 1983, when the band made a deal with CBS
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
for £150,000.
Bob Ezrin and All Those Wasted Years (1983–1984)
In August 1983, Hanoi Rocks released the 7" single "Until I Get You / TragedyUntil I Get You
"Until I Get You" is a single by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. The bands guitarist and primary songwriter Andy McCoy wrote this song at the bands manager Seppo Vesterinen's house in Helsinki. McCoy hated the song but the bands drummer Razzle loved it, and wanted it on their next...
", and the 12" Maxi-Single "Until I Get You / Tragedy / Oriental Beat". On August 13, Lick Records released Hanoi Rocks' first three albums in Britain for the first time. The next day, the band played a show at the Ruisrock
Ruisrock
Ruisrock is a rock festival held annually on the island of Ruissalo in Turku, Finland.Ruisrock, founded in 1970, is the second oldest rock festival in Europe and the oldest in Finland. The festival has attracted world-famous artists throughout its lifetime except in the turn of the 2000s, due to...
festival in Turku, Finland. Before the show, Michael Monroe was interviewed for the Finnish television station YLE, where he stated that McCoy and Suicide's alcohol use had gotten out of hand. He also stated that he didn't drink or use drugs. In October 1983, legendary producer Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
flew from the US to see Hanoi Rocks live in London and in December he was confirmed as the producer for Hanoi Rocks' next album.
In September the preparations for Hanoi Rocks fifth album started. Songs that the band were working on included "Two Steps From The Move", "Never Get Enough" (an early version of "Million Miles Away
Million Miles Away (Hanoi Rocks song)
"Million Miles Away" is a ballad by the Finnish hard rock band Hanoi Rocks.The song was originally written by guitarist Andy McCoy in the 70's under the name "Never Get Enough". McCoy worked on the song on the piano for years, but it was never fully completed...
"), "I Can't Get It", "Bad Love" and "Teenage Revolution". The working title for the next record was Silver Missiles and Nightingales, which was slated for February 16, 1984 release.
In November, Hanoi Rocks played their two famous shows at The Marquee Club, the later of which was recorded as the bands first live album and video, titled All Those Wasted Years.
Two Steps from the Move (1984)
In late January 1984, Bob Ezrin and Andy McCoy flew to Toronto to work on new songs. The rest of Hanoi Rocks flew to Toronto a few days later for the albums preproduction. While in Toronto, the band rehearsed a lot and worked on the songs. There was a tight schedule, so many of the sessions were grueling. Ezrin also got Ian HunterIan Hunter (singer)
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
of Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
to help write some of the new songs. The actual recording sessions started on February 20, 1984 at Record Plant in New York, where the drums, bass and some of the guitars were recorded. The band flew back to Toronto to record the vocals and the rest of the guitars. Bob Ezrin also helped on a lot of the recording, including Razzle's drumming and Monroe's vocals. Ian Hunter had brought Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
(formerly of Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
), who had also brought Pete Brown
Pete Brown
Peter Ronald Brown is an English performance poet and lyricist.Best known for his collaborations with Jack Bruce, Brown also worked with The Battered Ornaments, formed his own group Pete Brown & Piblokto!, and worked with Graham Bond and Phil Ryan. Brown also writes film scores and formed a film...
, to the recording sessions. Pete Brown wrote a lot of lyrics, but the only one the band used was "Smoked a lot of sky, drank a lot of rain" which is featured in "Million Miles Away".
By the end of April the new album was almost ready for release, but Ezrin and the label thought that the album was missing a hit, so they chose the band to cover the Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
song "Up Around The Bend
Up Around the Bend
"Up Around the Bend" is a song recorded by the American band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and written by the band's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, John Fogerty...
", which was already a favorite of Michael Monroe and Nasty Suicide.
In May 1984 Hanoi Rocks went on tour in Bombay and in Japan. In Japan, the Hanoi Rocks hysteria had gone through the roof, with concert halls being sold out and loyal fans following the band everywhere the whole tour. Even in Finland people were baffled by the Hanoi hysteria in Japan.
The Japanese tour was followed by a tour across England and Scotland. British magazines were raving about the band, and were sure that the next record would be their breakthrough. In June the single "Up Around The Bend / Until I Get You" was released, but it also appeared as a double single and as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. A music video for "Up Around The Bend" was also shot, at a hotel in England. At the time it was the most expensive music video for any Finnish band, and wasn't too cheap internationally either. After its release the single climbed to number 61 on British single charts and got radio airplay in America too.
After touring in July in England, Hanoi Rocks' new album finally came out, now titled Two Steps From The Move
Two Steps from the Move
Two Steps From The Move is the fourth studio album by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, released in 1984. The album was their last before disbanding after drummer Razzle's death in a car accident on December 8, 1984.-Album information:...
, which was changed from Silver Missiles and Nightingales at the last minute. In September the single "Underwater World / Shakes
Underwater World (song)
"Underwater World" is single released in 1984 by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. "Underwater World" is from the band's US-breakthrough album Two Steps From The Move, and was released as a single and as an EP in August 1984 in Finland and in November in the UK.The song was recorded...
" was released. On October 8, Two Steps From The Move was released in England, and right away the band went on a successful tour with Johnny Thunders.
In November the single "Don't You Ever Leave Me / Oil And Gasoline
Don't You Ever Leave Me
"Don't You Ever Leave Me" is a single by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks taken from their 1984 hit album Two Steps From The Move. The single was released by CBS....
" was released, by which time the new album had sold 200 000 copies; most of which were sold in America (60 000), Britain (50 000) and Finland (20 000). In the US the album sold 44 000 copies in its first two weeks. After a Swedish tour, the band headed out for their breakthrough US tour. The band toured the west coast until Michael Monroe fractured his ankle onstage in Syracuse on November 29, which resulted in some of the tour dates being canceled. On December 2 the band were celebrating Razzle's birthday, and were headed towards Los Angeles, which Razzle was looking very much forward to. The Los Angeles shows were all sold out in less than half an hour, and the audience included future Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
members Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
. The breakthrough on the west coast seemed sure.
Razzle's death, Rock & Roll Divorce and break-up (1984–1985)
On December 8, Hanoi Rocks band members (except Michael Monroe, who was recuperating from his fractured ankle) were partying with their friends Mötley CrüeMötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, at lead singer Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
's house. The party stopped when everybody noticed that they were out of beer. Vince Neil and Razzle, who were both drunk, drove to a nearby liquor store in Neil's Pantera
De Tomaso Pantera
The Pantera was a sports car produced by the De Tomaso car company of Italy from 1971 to 1991, the last one being delivered to a customer in 1992.The word "Pantera" is Italian for "Panther".-History:...
. After buying more beer, the two headed back to Neil's, but on the way Neil crashed into another car. Razzle was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at the time of 7:12 pm. Razzle had died instantly in the collision with the other car.
Andy McCoy and Mötley Crüe's drummer Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
went looking for Neil and Razzle. They drove by the crash site and saw Neil being handcuffed and being put into a police car. They were informed that Razzle had been taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. McCoy informed the band's manager Seppo Vesterinen, who then told the rest of the band.
The death of Razzle had a big impact on the band. The rest of the tour dates were canceled, and the band retreated back to London. The only shows not canceled were the Helsinki Kulttuuritalo
Kulttuuritalo
Kulttuuritalo is a building in Alppila, Helsinki. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto, and is considered to be one of his main works.- The building :...
(Finnish for The House of Culture) show and the Europe A-Go-Go show, which was televised all over Europe, with around 200 million viewers watching. Both shows became memorials to Razzle, with "Million Miles Away" being dedicated to Razzle. Former Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
drummer Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
played the drums.
In 1985, after the shows, Sam Yaffa left the group due to personal differences with Andy McCoy. The band returned to London, where the band decided to take a short break. After some time Nasty Suicide and Michael Monroe (McCoy still was on vacation) started looking for a new bassist and drummer. Yaffa was replaced by bassist René Berg
René Berg
René Berg was an English musician, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who recorded and performed in a number of bands starting in the late 70's until his death in 2003...
, who didn't get along with many of the members (especially Nasty Suicide). Terry Chimes was chosen as the new drummer. With the new members the magic wasn't there and Monroe was going to quit. The record label talked Monroe into doing a short tour in Poland, where "Don't You Ever Leave Me" was going up the charts. Monroe agreed on the condition that no live record would be released, but a half official live album was released. Entitled Rock & Roll Divorce
Rock & Roll Divorce
-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Vocals*Andy McCoy – Guitars*Nasty Suicide – Guitars*René Berg – Bass*Terry Chimes – Drums...
, the album was panned by the managers, band members and critics. René Berg was very arrogant, often stating that Hanoi Rocks was "his band", which led to him being fired, and he was shortly replaced by bassist Timo Kaltio. This lineup never performed live, and on June 17, 1985 Monroe officially left Hanoi Rocks. This signaled the end of the band. At the same time, "Don't You Ever Leave Me" rose to number 6 on the Polish singles charts and Hanoi Rocks' popularity continued to the 1990s even though the band broke up.
Rebirth and new success (2001–2007)
In February 2001, Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy performed together for the first time since 1985. They performed three Hanoi Rocks songs: "Malibu Beach Nightmare", "Tragedy" and "Up Around the Bend" in TurkuTurku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland. After that show, McCoy and Monroe toured again together in the summer of 2001, under the moniker "Hanoi Revisited".
After the short tour, Monroe and McCoy started talking about if they should consider reforming Hanoi Rocks. Monroe was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to reform the band. This would be (as the two put it), a "rebirth", not a reformation of Hanoi Rocks, mainly because none of the other former members were able to join. Razzle was dead, Nasty Suicide had taken a complete overhaul and become a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
, Sam Yaffa was living in New York and was playing as the bassist for the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
and Gyp Casino wasn't active in the band circles anymore. "The Muddy Twins" chose Kari "Lacu
Lacu (musician)
Lacu , is a Finnish drummer best known for playing in the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks from their reformation in 2002 up until his departure in 2008. He has also played with Popeda and Snakegod....
" Lahtinen from Monroe's solo band to play the drums, Timpa Laine (who had also been in Monroe's solo band) to play the bass, and to play the rhythm guitar they chose Costello Hautamäki from the Finnish rock band Popeda
Popeda
Popeda is a Finnish rock band hailing from Tampere and one of the staples of Manserock. Epe Helenius, who signed the band for Poko Rekords in 1977, called the band "Finnish Rolling Stones"...
.
The new Hanoi Rocks toured, the fans' reactions were mostly enthusiastic, and the rebirth of Hanoi Rocks also sparked news around the world. On the writing side, McCoy and Monroe made a deal that they would be equal writers on songs, and not just McCoy. By 2002, the two had written enough songs for an album, and Hanoi Rocks' comeback album Twelve Shots on the Rocks
Twelve Shots on the Rocks
Twelve Shots on the Rocks is the fifth studio album by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, released in 2002, however it was their first studio album since the band's break-up in 1985. Critical and commercial acclaim for the album exceeded expectations and the album went Gold in their native Finland....
was released. The most popular songs were "In My Darkest Moment", "Obscured", "People Like Me" and "A Day Late, A Dollar Short
A Day Late, A Dollar Short
"A Day Late, A Dollar Short" is a song by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, from their comeback-album Twelve Shots on the Rocks. The song was written by the bands guitarist Andy McCoy....
". Music videos of the latter two were also made. Even though the album was a hit in Finland and Japan, Monroe and McCoy were not present when the album was mixed, and when they heard the finished product they were not too happy. The album was remixed in 2003 and it also featured two new songs, "Moonlite Dance" and "Bad News". Monroe and McCoy were much more happy with this version.
Most of 2003 and 2004 consisted of touring, but guitarist Costello had to leave Hanoi to work with his other band Popeda. Costello was shortly replaced by guitarist Stevie Klasson, whose only recording with Hanoi Rocks was the "Keep Our Fire Burning
Keep Our Fire Burning
"Keep Our Fire Burning" is a single by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks. The single was only released in Finland.Keep Our Fire Burning is an old Hanoi Rocks-song from 1983, that was never recorded on a release or played live. Guitarist Andy McCoy had originally written the song for a popular...
" single. Klasson was fired from Hanoi Rocks in the fall of 2004 for not getting along with other members. Bassist Timpa also left Hanoi because of family issues.
In 2004 the band (now consisting of Monroe, McCoy and Lacu) headed to the studio to record the album Another Hostile Takeover
Another Hostile Takeover
-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Lead Vocals, Sax, Harp*Andy McCoy – Guitars & Backing Vocals*Conny Bloom – Guitars & Backing Vocals*Andy Christell – Bass, Backing Vocals*Lacu – Drums & Vocals...
. With no bassist and no guitarist, Monroe had to play some of the bass and guitar parts, but in early 2005 the band was able to find a new guitarist, Conny Bloom
Conny Bloom
Conny Bloom is the stage name for Ulf Conny Blomqvist, who is a Swedish guitarist and songwriter. He was originally the frontman for the late-1980s/1990s funk metal band, Electric Boys. Currently Bloom is best known as a guitarist of the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks...
. Bloom had played with Gyp Casino and the Electric Boys
Electric Boys
The Electric Boys are a funk metal band founded in Sweden in 1988, which enjoyed a cult status in Europe at the end of the decade.They were formed by Conny Bloom and Andy Christell . Originally a duo, they signed for Polygram and scored a local Swedish hit with the single "All Lips and Hips" in...
and fit well to Hanoi Rocks. He suggested that bassist Andy "A.C." Christell
Andy Christell
Andy "A.C." Christell is a Swedish bass guitarist. He is most notable as formerly playing in glam rock outfit Electric Boys as well as being the current bassist for Hanoi Rocks. He is a very close friend of Conny Bloom's, as they have played together in many bands and also knew each other...
, who had also played with the Electric Boys, should join the band. Hanoi Rocks finally found a bassist again.
The reaction to Another Hostile Takeover was mixed. Critics liked the albums diversity and braveness to try new things, but some of the old fans and hard rock fans thought that the album was weird and that Hanoi Rocks had changed too much since the 80s. The band's lineup, which now consisted of Monroe, McCoy, Conny Bloom, Andy Christell and Lacu, was the classic Hanoi lineup of the 2000s.
The years 2005 and 2006 the band spent touring in Europe and Asia, and the tours created a new generation of Hanoi Rocks fans.
In 2007 Hanoi started working on their third album of the new millennium, Street Poetry
Street Poetry
Street Poetry is the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks' tenth studio album. The album reached the top 10 on the Finnish charts, and succeeded very well elsewhere in Europe too. The first single spawned was "Fashion", and the second was an internet-only single "This One's For Rock'n'Roll"...
. On Street Poetry the band worked on some of the unfinished songs from the 80s, like "Teenage Revolution", which was first thought of in the Two Steps from the Move sessions in 1984. This album also marked the first time that other band members besides Monroe and McCoy got to write songs. Street Poetry was released on September 5, 2007 and a music video was shot for the first single, "Fashion
Fashion (Hanoi Rocks song)
"Fashion" is a single by the Finnish rock and glam punk band Hanoi Rocks from the album Street Poetry released in 2007. The single was released on May 16th in Finland and Europe and on June 21st in Japan...
".
The final break-up (2008–2009)
On January 25, 2008 Lacu suddenly announced that he would be leaving Hanoi Rocks to join Popeda. On March 20, the band started their first acoustic tour, titled “Hanoi Rocks Steppin’ Out Acoustically”, during which the band's drum technician played drums. On May 25, it was announced that the band's new drummer would be Swedish drummer George Atlagic. By this time Monroe and McCoy had come to a decision that Hanoi Rocks' time had come to end, as they hadn't written anything together since 2007 and things were getting stale. Eventually Monroe and McCoy released a statement that they had taken the band as far as they could and that the band would break up.In late 2008 an autobiography titled "All Those Wasted Years" was released. It mainly covered Hanoi Rocks' career in the 80s and included rare photos of the band and its members and new interviews with Monroe, McCoy, Nasty Suicide, Gyp Casino, Seppo Vesterinen, Richard Bishop and countless others.
Hanoi Rocks announced that they would play 8 farewell shows in 6 days at the Tavastia Club
Tavastia Club
The Tavastia Club is a popular rock music club in Helsinki, Finland. The house is owned by Hämäläis-Osakunta, one of the student nations at the University of Helsinki, but since 1991 the club has been operated by a private enterprise renting the house from the nation. It is located in central...
, in Helsinki. All the shows were sold-out, and the band's original guitarist Nasty Suicide appeared as a special guest on 3 of the last gigs, and Lacu also appeared at the final show.
The last show was released as a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in late 2009, titled Buried Alive
Buried Alive (video)
Buried Alive is a concert music video by the Finnish glam punk and rock band Hanoi Rocks. The video was recorded at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki of the band's final show. This is also the band's last release...
.
Legacy
Although Hanoi Rocks never achieved huge commercial success, they have a very big cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
and they have received critical acclaim for their musical style and energetic live performances. On January 5, 1985, Hanoi Rocks was featured in almost every category in a poll cast by Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
, including Best Album (5th), Best Band (2nd) and Best Live Act (3rd).
Hanoi Rocks' influence can be seen in various bands, including Guns N' Roses, and their glam look has been used by many bands, including Poison, L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
and Ratt. Other bands like Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
, Skid Row and the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
have acknowledged being Hanoi Rocks fans. Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
also often played Hanoi Rocks' "Taxi Driver" live in their early days. Other Finnish rock groups that were influenced by Hanoi Rocks include The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes are a multi-platinum selling Finnish gothic rock band. They are currently signed to EMI Finland. The band's albums are now distributed worldwide. The End Records acts as the band's official North American distributor, as Nuclear Blast Records provides distribution in Mainland Europe,...
(with whom McCoy has also worked with) and Negative
Negative (Finnish band)
Negative is a Finnish glam rock band founded at the end of 1997. Members of Negative cite musical influence such as Guns N' Roses, Queen, and Hanoi Rocks. The band itself labels the music as ”emotional rock’n roll”.- Members :...
. In Finland Hanoi Rocks is known as the Finnish rock band
Finnish rock
Finnish rock refers to rock music made in Finland. The initial rock and roll boom of the 1950s was preceded by a long tradition of popular culture...
who, at their time, had come closest to real international fame, only much later giving way to such groups as HIM, Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
, Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
, and Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
.
Hanoi Rocks also brought the glam rock look of the 70s back into style. In 2003, when Nasty Suicide was asked about the bands look, he said that he and Michael Monroe decided to keep the punk leather jacket
Leather jacket
A leather jacket is a type of clothing—a jacket-length coat—usually worn on top of other apparel, and made from the tanned hide of various animals. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide range of colors is possible...
s but bring a kind of "transvestite vibe to it".
Even though Hanoi Rocks influenced many 80's glam band's, some feel that these bands ripped-off Hanoi Rocks. In 2008 Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
, frontman of the English hard rock band Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
, described his dislike of 80s glam metal bands bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, and said this about Hanoi Rocks:
"The only band — and I'm not saying it because we're here (Sweden Rock Festival) — the only band that did pull it off was Hanoi Rocks. I thought Hanoi Rocks were a good band, and they looked… Michael Monroe (Hanoi frontman) was one of the best… I would have shagged him. [Laughs] I like Michael, I think he's sexy, and I'm not gay. And I think Andy McCoy (Hanoi guitarist) does the best kind of Keith Richards... so much better than Mötley Crüe or Poison or any of those bands. They (Hanoi Rocks) were real — the rest of the guys, it was all a bit fake for me."
Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have influenced many rock'n'roll artists and bands: Slash had bought tickets to the outsold gigs of Los Angeles, which were canceled because of the death of Razzle. In the Hanoi Rocks autobiography "All Those Wasted Years" Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett says "The Hollywood scene changed in just one night after people saw the pictures of Hanoi Rocks. After that everyone was wearing the same kind of hair, clothes and make up as Monroe". Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have often been mentioned as the starters of the Hollywood's glam-rock scene, which was then adopted and developed by many 1980's glam-, punk-, and hard rock bands like Motley Crue, Jetboy, LA Guns and Poison.
Hanoi Rocks is cited as one of the most influential glam metal bands of all time in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey is a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn with Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise. The film follows 31-year-old Dunn, a Canadian anthropologist, who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12...
document movie.
American TV Channel VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
named the top "hair bands" of all time, and Hanoi Rocks was at number 40. When Sam Yaffa was asked about it, he replied: "We were a hat band, not a hair band!".
Andy McCoy has said that the Guns N' Roses song "Paradise City
Paradise City
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals, synthesizer, whistle* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, percussion* Slash - lead guitar, backing vocals* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Live:...
" is a compilation of a few riffs of Hanoi Rocks. He said the chorus is the same as the riff in "Lost in the City
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
- Personnel :* Michael Monroe – vocals, piano, saxophone, harmonica* Andy McCoy – guitars, backing vocals* Nasty Suicide – guitars, backing vocals* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums- External links :*...
", just slowed down. Nasty Suicide can also be seen in the music video for "Paradise City".
The Guns N' Roses song "Right Next Door to Hell
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
" was co-written by former Hanoi Rocks bassist Timo Kaltio.
Hanoi Rocks is mentioned by Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
in the song "Human Zoo" from his album A Letter from Death Row
A Letter from Death Row (album)
A Letter from Death Row is the debut solo album by Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the rock band Poison. The album is a soundtrack to the movie A Letter from Death Row which Bret Michaels wrote, directed and starred in..-Content:...
, which is also the soundtrack to the film of the same name
A Letter from Death Row (film)
A Letter From Death Row is a 1998 psychological thriller film directed by Marvin Baker and Bret Michaels, lead singer of the hard rock band Poison. Bret Michaels also wrote the film and starred in it. The film was released by Sheen Michaels Entertainment, a company created by Bret Michaels and...
.
Timeline
Final line-up- Michael MonroeMichael MonroeMatti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
- lead vocals, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
(1979–1985, 2001–2009) - Andy McCoyAndy McCoyAntti Hulkko , better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is most famous for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop....
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(1980–1985, 2001–2009) - Conny BloomConny BloomConny Bloom is the stage name for Ulf Conny Blomqvist, who is a Swedish guitarist and songwriter. He was originally the frontman for the late-1980s/1990s funk metal band, Electric Boys. Currently Bloom is best known as a guitarist of the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals (2004–2009) - Andy "A.C." ChristellAndy ChristellAndy "A.C." Christell is a Swedish bass guitarist. He is most notable as formerly playing in glam rock outfit Electric Boys as well as being the current bassist for Hanoi Rocks. He is a very close friend of Conny Bloom's, as they have played together in many bands and also knew each other...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (2005–2009) - George Atlagic - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2008–2009)
Former members
- Nasty SuicideNasty SuicideNasty Suicide is the ex-rhythm and lead guitarist for Hanoi Rocks between 1979-1985. Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band that combined elements of punk, glam rock, rock and roll, and blues. Before his tenure in Hanoi Rocks, Suicide played guitar in a Finnish punk band called Briard in the late...
- guitar (1979–1985) - Stefan Piesnack - guitar (1979–1980)
- Nedo Soininen - bass (1979–1980)
- Peki Sirola - drums (1979–1980)
- Tumppi Varonen - drums (1980)
- Sam Yaffa - bass (1980–1985)
- Gyp CasinoGyp CasinoGyp Casino is a Swedish rock drummer. He played in Warheads and was the original drummer for Hanoi Rocks. He was replaced by Razzle in 1982...
- drums (1980–1982) - Razzle (deceased) - drums (1982–1984)
- Terry ChimesTerry ChimesTerry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
- drums (1985) - René BergRené BergRené Berg was an English musician, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who recorded and performed in a number of bands starting in the late 70's until his death in 2003...
(deceased) - bass (1985) - Timo Kaltio - bass (1985)
- LacuLacu (musician)Lacu , is a Finnish drummer best known for playing in the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks from their reformation in 2002 up until his departure in 2008. He has also played with Popeda and Snakegod....
- drums (2002–2008) - Timpa Laine - bass (2002–2004)
- Costello Hautamäki - guitar (2002–2004)
- Stevie Klasson - guitar (2004)
Discography
- Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi RocksBangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks- Personnel :* Michael Monroe – vocals, piano, saxophone, harmonica* Andy McCoy – guitars, backing vocals* Nasty Suicide – guitars, backing vocals* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums- External links :*...
(1981) - Oriental BeatOriental BeatOriental Beat is the second studio album by the Finnish glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, recorded in London and released in 1982. Oriental Beat also opened markets in England and Japan, where Hanoi eventually became very popular.-Background:...
(1982) - Self Destruction BluesSelf Destruction Blues-Personnel:* Michael Monroe – vocals* Andy McCoy – guitars* Nasty Suicide – guitars* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums...
(1982) - Back to Mystery CityBack to Mystery City- Personnel :* Michael Monroe – lead vocals, saxophone, harmonica* Andy McCoy – lead guitar* Nasty Suicide – rhythm guitar* Sam Yaffa – bass* Razzle – drums- Additional personnel :* Morgan Fisher - Keyboards* Miriam Stockley - Background vocals...
(1983) - All Those Wasted Years (Live) (1984)
- Two Steps from the MoveTwo Steps from the MoveTwo Steps From The Move is the fourth studio album by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, released in 1984. The album was their last before disbanding after drummer Razzle's death in a car accident on December 8, 1984.-Album information:...
(1984) - Rock & Roll DivorceRock & Roll Divorce-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Vocals*Andy McCoy – Guitars*Nasty Suicide – Guitars*René Berg – Bass*Terry Chimes – Drums...
(Live) (1985) - Twelve Shots on the RocksTwelve Shots on the RocksTwelve Shots on the Rocks is the fifth studio album by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, released in 2002, however it was their first studio album since the band's break-up in 1985. Critical and commercial acclaim for the album exceeded expectations and the album went Gold in their native Finland....
(2002) - Another Hostile TakeoverAnother Hostile Takeover-Personnel:*Michael Monroe – Lead Vocals, Sax, Harp*Andy McCoy – Guitars & Backing Vocals*Conny Bloom – Guitars & Backing Vocals*Andy Christell – Bass, Backing Vocals*Lacu – Drums & Vocals...
(2005) - Street PoetryStreet PoetryStreet Poetry is the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks' tenth studio album. The album reached the top 10 on the Finnish charts, and succeeded very well elsewhere in Europe too. The first single spawned was "Fashion", and the second was an internet-only single "This One's For Rock'n'Roll"...
(2007)
Videography
- All Those Wasted Years - The Marquee ClubMarquee ClubThe Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
- The Nottingham TapesThe Nottingham TapesThe Nottingham Tapes is the second concert video released by the Finnish glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. The first video released by the band was All Those Wasted Years, recorded at the legendary Marquee Club in London. As stated in the title, this video was shot at the Nottingham Palais in Nottingham...
- Nottingham Rock CityRock City (club)Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:... - Buried AliveBuried Alive (video)Buried Alive is a concert music video by the Finnish glam punk and rock band Hanoi Rocks. The video was recorded at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki of the band's final show. This is also the band's last release...
- Last show at the Tavastia ClubTavastia ClubThe Tavastia Club is a popular rock music club in Helsinki, Finland. The house is owned by Hämäläis-Osakunta, one of the student nations at the University of Helsinki, but since 1991 the club has been operated by a private enterprise renting the house from the nation. It is located in central...