Michael Monroe
Encyclopedia
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born on June 17, 1962 in Helsinki
), 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 Jerusalem Slim (with Steve Stevens
).
and reporter. Monroe has said in the Hanoi Rocks
autobiography All Those Wasted Years that one of the first times he was exposed to rock n' roll was when he saw Black Sabbath
's 1970 Paris
performance on TV. Some other favorite bands of Monroe's at the time included: Alice Cooper
, The New York Dolls, Led Zeppelin
, Creedence Clearwater Revival
, and Little Richard
. From 1976 to 1979, Monroe played in a band called Madness, when, rehearsing in a basement of a church in Töölö
, Monroe met guitarist Andy McCoy
(then known as Antti Hulkko); one of McCoy's band was also rehearsing called Briard.
Later, Monroe and McCoy played together for a short time in a band called Bolin. Next Monroe played saxophone in Maukka Perusjätkä
's band, where he also met guitarist Nasty Suicide
. Monroe also auditioned as a bassist for Pelle Miljoona Oy. Even though the audition went well they chose bassist Sami Yaffa
.
was a band that Monroe and his friend, guitarist Andy McCoy
had thought of, but because McCoy was in the Finnish punk band Pelle Miljoona Oy, he told Monroe to start the band without him. From the very first Hanoi line-up only one member (besides Monroe) remained, rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide
, who would stay in the band until 1985. Andy McCoy left Pelle Miljoona Oy and joined Hanoi Rocks in 1980. McCoy also brought bassist Sam Yaffa with him. The band later recruited drummer Gyp Casino
to the band.
The band released their first album in 1981 titled Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
, with most of the songs written by McCoy. The album was produced by Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe, who were known as "The Muddy Twins". In 1982 Hanoi Rocks moved to London and released their second studio album Oriental Beat
, which the band later dismissed as a failure, stating that the album was mixed badly by the producer Pete Woolcroft.
After the album's release, the band fired drummer Gyp Casino and hired Nicholas Dingley, better known as Razzle. This line-up, consisting of Michael Monroe, Andy McCoy, Nasty Suicide, Sam Yaffa and Razzle, has often been cited as the classic and definitive line-up. The band has said that Razzle revitalised them. Later that year the band released Self Destruction Blues
, which had Razzle on the cover, but he didn't play on the album, because it was actually a compilation of old singles. The tour for the album took the band to Asia
for the first time.
The next year, 1983, the band released Back to Mystery City
. In 1984, the band got together with legendary producer Bob Ezrin
, and started work on their fifth studio album Two Steps from the Move
which was their first recording deal to US markets. The original title of the album was "Silver Missiles and Nightingales", but was changed before release. The album has been cited as one of the best glam rock albums, and Monroe has said that he "is very proud of it."
1984 Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks were one of the most popular performers in the UK. The readers of the Sounds magazine voted Hanoi Rocks as the second best band in the world just after best Marillion
. The Hanoi Rocks single release "Underwater World" and the album "Two Steps from the Move" were voted as the fifth best single and album of the year. The television concert of which Hanoi Rocks recorded in England was voted as the second best concert video and as a stage performers the group was voted to be #3. Michael Monroe was voted as "The Sex Symbol of the Year". Kerrang!
magazine readers voted Hanoi Rocks as the ninth important newcomer and their album was chosen to be the tenth best album of the year. The readers of Kerrang! also voted Michael Monroe to be the seventh sexiest performer in the music business.
While on their first large tour in the US, Monroe fractured his ankle, and some dates had to be pushed back. The band traveled to Los Angeles to spend some free time and to prepare for their two outsold gigs. Some of the band members joined in with the members of Mötley Crue to have a party at the home of Mötley Crue singer Vince Neil
while Monroe decided to stay in his hotel room and rest. During the party Razzle and Neil got into a car crash ending up with Razzle losing his life.
After Razzle's death, the band performed in Helsinki, Finland, in a concert which was partly televised all over Europe as part of the Europa Go Go project. The show had over 500 million viewers all over the Europe and it was the first public concert with a new drummer, Terry Chimes
. It was also the last performance of Hanoi Rocks with Sam Yaffa who left the band due to personal differences with McCoy. The band tried to record some demos with the new members, Rene Berg
and Terry Chimes
, but referring to Michael Monroe things "didn't feel the same anymore" and the band disbanded after a short tour of Poland. One of the shows in Poland tour was recorded and it became the "Rock and Roll Divorce" album which was released after the band had already split.
. In the Fall of 1985, Bators and Monroe were asked by Steven Van Zandt
to record backing vocals in London and then fly to New York
to appear on his song "Sun City
" and its music video. Both agreed and recorded backing vocals for the song and both can be seen in the music video.
In December, 1985 Monroe announced that he would move to New York, and in 1986 Monroe founded his first solo band. In 1987 Monroe released his first solo album, Nights Are So Long
. The album was a moderate hit, but it attracted big record labels: In 1988 Monroe signed to Mercury Records
. In 1989 Monroe's second solo album was released, titled Not Fakin' It
. The album featured guest appearances by Monroe's friend's and fellow musicians including Steven Van Zandt
, Ian Hunter
and Nasty Suicide. The album reached number 161 on the US Billboard Charts, and was Monroe's first album to be distributed internationally. The album also got good reviews from critics, fans and fellow musicians alike. Music videos were shot for the singles "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll" and "Man With No Eyes". Axl Rose also appeared in the music video for "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll". At that time Michael Monroe also hosted MTV's Headbangers Ball
where he introduced the new music video to the world.
At the same, while Not Fakin' It
was released the Guns N' Roses's own record label, UZI Suicide
, was re-releasing Hanoi Rocks' albums in America. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash
also made a guest appearance on Monroe's Los Angeles -shows in December, 1989, performing the song "Looking at You". Aerosmith
's lead singer Steven Tyler
had also taken notice of Monroe, and asked him to perform with Aerosmith at the Les Paul's 75th birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe
in New York. Monroe played saxophone on the song "Big Ten Inch Record." The rest of 1989 and 1990 was mostly spent on touring.
Monroe's solo career didn't prove to be as successful as he'd hoped, so in 1990 he decided to put together a new band. The band was called Jerusalem Slim, and was completed by former Billy Idol
-guitarist Steve Stevens
, Sami Yaffa, Greg Ellis
and Ian McLagan
.
In 1991, Monroe was asked by Guns N' Roses to appear on their Use Your Illusion I
album, where he plays harmonica and saxophone, on the song "Bad Obsession". Monroe also later appeared on GNR's 1993 album, "The Spaghetti Incident?"
, where he sang on the cover of The Dead Boys
' "Ain't It Fun
". At that time Monroe also joined Guns N' Roses on stage performing Honky Tonk Women
together with the band members and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones.
Jerusalem Slim released an album titled Jerusalem Slim, but broke up in 1992, due to Monroe and Stevens' musical disagreements. Next, Monroe tried to form another band called Demolition 23., with Yaffa, Jimmy Clark and Jay Fenning, who was eventually replaced by Nasty Suicide. Demolition 23. did release an album, titled Demolition 23. and they toured successfully for example in Japan and Europe, but the band also broke up after Suicide announced that he would be retiring from the music business.
During the rest of the 1990s and the early 2000s, Monroe released four more solo albums, before re-forming Hanoi Rocks, with Andy McCoy.
. Hanoi Rocks released Twelve Shots on the Rocks
in 2003. In 2005 Hanoi Rocks released Another Hostile Takeover
replacing the two former members with Andy Christell
on bass and Conny Bloom
on guitar (both formerly of the Electric Boys
). In 2007 the band released the album Street Poetry
. In 2008 Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe stated that they had taken the band as far as they could and so they decided to end the band. In April 2009 Hanoi Rocks played 8 sold out farewell gigs in 6 days at the Tavastia Club
, in Helsinki
. The band's original guitarist Nasty Suicide appeared as a special guest on 3 of the last gigs.
Michael Monroe's and Andy McCoys's book All Those Wasted Years was published later in 2009 in Finland telling the story of Hanoi Rocks from the beginning to the end.
In June 2009 Monroe performed in Helsinki and in Tampere, on Sauna Open Air -festival with Duff McKagan
s Loaded
band. In July 3, 2009 Monroe also performed in Finland, in Ruisrock
-festival with Ginger
s band, The Wildhearts
. At the end of July Monroe also shared the stage for the first time in many years with Sam Yaffa while his band, the New York Dolls
were performing in Helsinki. After these performances with Yaffa and Ginger, Monroe started to discuss with Yaffa about possibilities of working together again. In December 2009 Monroe met Ginger again, while he was playing in Alice Cooper's band. Monroe joined the stage with Alice Cooper
on his Espoo concert, in Finland to play "School's Out
". After the show Ginger and Monroe discussed more about the possibilities of working together and soon after this Monroe, Ginger and Yaffa decided to line up a band together.
, Todd Youth
from Danzig
and Samhain
on a second guitar and Jimmy Clarke on drums. The press conference was hosted by Bam Margera
of Jackass
. The Michael Monroe band started touring on March 11 at San Francisco’s Paradise Lounge and toured the US until the 21st of March. After some of the first shows Todd Youth and Jimmy Clark were replaced by guitarist Steve Conte
of New York Dolls
and drummer Karl Rosqvist
.
During the summer of 2010 Michael Monroe band played a number of festival gigs all over the world, including Helsinki Live in Finland together with Guns N' Roses
, the Sweden Rock Festival
and the Download Festival
in England. The band also performed at Ruisrock
festival in Turku, Finland, where Slash
was also performing. Monroe joined Slash on stage for a performance of "We're All Gonna Die" (from Slash's solo album) and "Up Around the Bend
." At the Ankkarock
festival in Finland, Steve Conte couldn't perform and he was replaced for this one show with the ex-Hanoi Rocks guitarist, Nasty Suicide. Since the early 1990s and the Demolition 23 tour this was the first time of these three members of the original Hanoi Rocks to perform on the stage together. Michael Monroe also performed on Summer Sonic festivals in Tokyo and Osaka, where Slash was also performing. The two got together again sharing a stage for a couple of songs. During the performance of the song "We're All Gonna Die" Monroe broke two of his ribs while hitting a metal barrel in front of the stage.
On June 28, 2010 it was announced that the Michael Monroe band would be supporting Motörhead on their 35th anniversary UK tour.
The first album of Michael Monroe's new band, the live album Another Night in the Sun
was released in September 2010. The album was recorded at the Tavastia Club
in Helsinki, Finland and mixed in Los Angeles by Niko Bolas
whose credits include Neil Young, Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Kiss, Spinal Tap and more. The album was mastered by Grammy winner Richard Dodd
, the man behind Tom Petty & Dixie Chicks.
In September, 2010 the band went into a studio to record their first studio album, Sensory Overdrive
. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and it was produced by legendary producer Jack Douglas
(Aerosmith
, John Lennon
). The first single, "78", was released in January and the album is set for release on March 14, 2011. The band has also booked an extensive UK tour for April 2010, taking in venues in London, Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds and Exeter among others. In September 2010, Monroe also signed a recording deal with Spinefarm Records
/ Universal Music, which will distribute Monroe's upcoming albums.
On November 9, 2011, Sensory Overdrive won the "Album of the Year" award at the 2011 Classic Rock
magazine awards.
Heroin in the 1980's while living in London and to Amphetamine
between 2000 and 2002 after his first wife, Jude Wilder died suddenly at their home in the city of Turku, Finland.
During his years in music business Michael Monroe has established a close friendship with many music business icons including late Stiv Bators
and Johnny Thunders
- both Idols of Monroe - , Steven Van Zandt
who produced Monroe's album with Jerusalem Slim, Deborah Harry
, Axl Rose
, Slash
, Duff McKagan
and Alice Cooper
just to name a few.
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. Vince Neil
and Nikki Sixx
of Motley Crue
and bands like Guns N' Roses
have said in public that they were all inspired by Hanoi Rocks. 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 1980s glam-, punk-, and hard rock bands like Motley Crue
, Jetboy
, LA Guns and Poison.
Monroe met his first wife Jude Wilder in 1985 while she was working at CBS for Hanoi Rocks' Two Steps From The Move project. After they married the couple moved to Los Angeles and then to New York. Later on the couple moved to Turku
, city in Finland, where Monroe relocated after many years in the United States. Wilder died of intracranial hemorrhage on June 19, 2001. Michael Monroe married his current wife, Johanna, on July 3, 2003.
Helsinki
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...
), best known by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
rock
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...
musician, and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk
Glam punk
Glam Punk is a music genre that mixes elements of glam rock with protopunk or punk rock ....
band Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
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...
, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23. and Jerusalem Slim (with Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens is an American guitarist and songwriter.He is best known for playing for other artists and less known for his critically acclaimed solo efforts , collaborations Steve Stevens (born as Steven Schneider on May 5, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.He...
).
Early life
Michael Monroe was born Matti "Makke" Fagerholm on June 17, 1962. His father Pentti Fagerholm is a very well known retired Finnish radio personalityRadio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
and reporter. Monroe has said in the Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
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...
autobiography All Those Wasted Years that one of the first times he was exposed to rock n' roll was when he saw Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's 1970 Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
performance on TV. Some other favorite bands of Monroe's at the time included: Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, The New York Dolls, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, 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....
, and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
. From 1976 to 1979, Monroe played in a band called Madness, when, rehearsing in a basement of a church in Töölö
Töölö
Töölö is the collective name for the neighbourhoods Etu-Töölö and Taka-Töölö in Helsinki, Finland. The neighbourhoods are located next to the city centre, occupying the western side of the Helsinki Peninsula....
, Monroe met 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....
(then known as Antti Hulkko); one of McCoy's band was also rehearsing called Briard.
Later, Monroe and McCoy played together for a short time in a band called Bolin. Next Monroe played saxophone in Maukka Perusjätkä
Maukka Perusjätkä
Maukka Perusjätkä is the stage name of Mauri Airta, a Finnish new wave and punk rocker during the 1970s and 1980s. He is especially known for his 1979 song Säpinää , which included chainsaw sounds...
's band, where he also met 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...
. Monroe also auditioned as a bassist for Pelle Miljoona Oy. Even though the audition went well they chose bassist Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa is a bass guitarist best known for his time in Hanoi Rocks during the 1980s. He is currently the bassist for the New York Dolls and the Michael Monroe band. He also plays guitar in his own band "Mad Juana".-Biography:Yaffa first began playing music when only fourteen years old in 1977...
.
Hanoi Rocks (1979–1985)
Hanoi RocksHanoi Rocks
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...
was a band that Monroe 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....
had thought of, but because McCoy was in the Finnish punk band Pelle Miljoona Oy, he told Monroe to start the band without him. From the very first Hanoi line-up only one member (besides Monroe) remained, rhythm 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...
, who would stay in the band until 1985. Andy McCoy left Pelle Miljoona Oy and joined Hanoi Rocks in 1980. McCoy also brought bassist Sam Yaffa with him. The band later recruited 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...
to the band.
The band released their first album in 1981 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 :*...
, with most of the songs written by McCoy. The album was produced by Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe, who were known as "The Muddy Twins". In 1982 Hanoi Rocks moved to London and released their second studio 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:...
, which the band later dismissed as a failure, stating that the album was mixed badly by the producer Pete Woolcroft.
After the album's release, the band fired drummer Gyp Casino and hired Nicholas Dingley, better known as Razzle. This line-up, consisting of Michael Monroe, Andy McCoy, Nasty Suicide, Sam Yaffa and Razzle, has often been cited as the classic and definitive line-up. The band has said that Razzle revitalised them. Later that year the band released Self Destruction Blues
Self Destruction Blues
-Personnel:* Michael Monroe – vocals* Andy McCoy – guitars* Nasty Suicide – guitars* Sam Yaffa – bass* Gyp Casino – drums...
, which had Razzle on the cover, but he didn't play on the album, because it was actually a compilation of old singles. The tour for the album took the band to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
for the first time.
The next year, 1983, the band released 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...
. In 1984, the band got together with 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:...
, and started work on their fifth studio album 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 their first recording deal to US markets. The original title of the album was "Silver Missiles and Nightingales", but was changed before release. The album has been cited as one of the best glam rock albums, and Monroe has said that he "is very proud of it."
1984 Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks were one of the most popular performers in the UK. The readers of the Sounds magazine voted Hanoi Rocks as the second best band in the world just after best Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
. The Hanoi Rocks single release "Underwater World" and the album "Two Steps from the Move" were voted as the fifth best single and album of the year. The television concert of which Hanoi Rocks recorded in England was voted as the second best concert video and as a stage performers the group was voted to be #3. Michael Monroe was voted as "The Sex Symbol of the Year". 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...
magazine readers voted Hanoi Rocks as the ninth important newcomer and their album was chosen to be the tenth best album of the year. The readers of Kerrang! also voted Michael Monroe to be the seventh sexiest performer in the music business.
While on their first large tour in the US, Monroe fractured his ankle, and some dates had to be pushed back. The band traveled to Los Angeles to spend some free time and to prepare for their two outsold gigs. Some of the band members joined in with the members of Mötley Crue to have a party at the home of Mötley Crue 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...
while Monroe decided to stay in his hotel room and rest. During the party Razzle and Neil got into a car crash ending up with Razzle losing his life.
After Razzle's death, the band performed in Helsinki, Finland, in a concert which was partly televised all over Europe as part of the Europa Go Go project. The show had over 500 million viewers all over the Europe and it was the first public concert with a new 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...
. It was also the last performance of Hanoi Rocks with Sam Yaffa who left the band due to personal differences with McCoy. The band tried to record some demos with the new members, Rene 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...
and 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...
, but referring to Michael Monroe things "didn't feel the same anymore" and the band disbanded after a short tour of Poland. One of the shows in Poland tour was recorded and it became the "Rock and Roll Divorce" album which was released after the band had already split.
Solo years and other projects (1985–2001)
After Hanoi Rocks broke up in 1985, Monroe decided to start his solo career, but first Monroe got to work with his good friend Stiv BatorsStiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
. In the Fall of 1985, Bators and Monroe were asked by Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
to record backing vocals in London and then fly to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to appear on his song "Sun City
Sun City (song)
"Sun City" is a 1985 protest song written by Steven Van Zandt, produced by Van Zandt and Arthur Baker and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid...
" and its music video. Both agreed and recorded backing vocals for the song and both can be seen in the music video.
In December, 1985 Monroe announced that he would move to New York, and in 1986 Monroe founded his first solo band. In 1987 Monroe released his first solo album, Nights Are So Long
Nights Are So Long
Nights Are So Long is Michael Monroe's first post-Hanoi Rocks solo album released in 1987. The album was released on Hanoi Rocks' manager's own record label "Yahoo!"...
. The album was a moderate hit, but it attracted big record labels: In 1988 Monroe signed to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. In 1989 Monroe's second solo album was released, titled Not Fakin' It
Not Fakin' It
Not Fakin' It is the second studio album by former Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, released in 1989 through PolyGram Records; a remastered edition was reissued through Lemon Recordings in 2003...
. The album featured guest appearances by Monroe's friend's and fellow musicians including Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
, Ian Hunter
Ian 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...
and Nasty Suicide. The album reached number 161 on the US Billboard Charts, and was Monroe's first album to be distributed internationally. The album also got good reviews from critics, fans and fellow musicians alike. Music videos were shot for the singles "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll" and "Man With No Eyes". Axl Rose also appeared in the music video for "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll". At that time Michael Monroe also hosted MTV's Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
where he introduced the new music video to the world.
At the same, while Not Fakin' It
Not Fakin' It
Not Fakin' It is the second studio album by former Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, released in 1989 through PolyGram Records; a remastered edition was reissued through Lemon Recordings in 2003...
was released the Guns N' Roses's own record label, UZI Suicide
UZI Suicide
UZI Suicide was a vanity label that was created by Guns N' Roses to release their first record, Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. While seemingly an independent label, it was actually created by Geffen Records. Guns N' Roses' debut album, Appetite for Destruction, was officially released through Geffen...
, was re-releasing Hanoi Rocks' albums in America. Guns N' Roses guitarist 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'...
also made a guest appearance on Monroe's Los Angeles -shows in December, 1989, performing the song "Looking at You". Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's lead singer Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
had also taken notice of Monroe, and asked him to perform with Aerosmith at the Les Paul's 75th birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
in New York. Monroe played saxophone on the song "Big Ten Inch Record." The rest of 1989 and 1990 was mostly spent on touring.
Monroe's solo career didn't prove to be as successful as he'd hoped, so in 1990 he decided to put together a new band. The band was called Jerusalem Slim, and was completed by former Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
-guitarist Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens is an American guitarist and songwriter.He is best known for playing for other artists and less known for his critically acclaimed solo efforts , collaborations Steve Stevens (born as Steven Schneider on May 5, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.He...
, Sami Yaffa, Greg Ellis
Greg Ellis (musician)
Greg Ellis is a California-born drummer and percussionist, who is currently a member of World/Psytrance/Tribal band Juno Reactor and the ambient group Biomusique....
and Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
.
In 1991, Monroe was asked by Guns N' Roses to appear on their Use Your Illusion I
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...
album, where he plays harmonica and saxophone, on the song "Bad Obsession". Monroe also later appeared on GNR's 1993 album, "The Spaghetti Incident?"
"The Spaghetti Incident?"
"The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
, where he sang on the cover of The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...
' "Ain't It Fun
Ain't It Fun
"Ain't It Fun" is a song written by written by Peter Laughner and Gene O'Connor and performed by their protopunk band Rocket from the Tombs. The song was first released by O'Connor's later group, The Dead Boys, on their 1978 second studio album We Have Come for Your Children...
". At that time Monroe also joined Guns N' Roses on stage performing Honky Tonk Women
Honky Tonk Women
"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by The Rolling Stones. Released as a single on 4 July 1969 in the UK and a week later in the US, it topped the charts in both nations.-Inspiration and Recording:...
together with the band members and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones.
Jerusalem Slim released an album titled Jerusalem Slim, but broke up in 1992, due to Monroe and Stevens' musical disagreements. Next, Monroe tried to form another band called Demolition 23., with Yaffa, Jimmy Clark and Jay Fenning, who was eventually replaced by Nasty Suicide. Demolition 23. did release an album, titled Demolition 23. and they toured successfully for example in Japan and Europe, but the band also broke up after Suicide announced that he would be retiring from the music business.
During the rest of the 1990s and the early 2000s, Monroe released four more solo albums, before re-forming Hanoi Rocks, with Andy McCoy.
Reformation of Hanoi Rocks (2002–2009)
In 2002 McCoy and Monroe started working together again and decided to reform Hanoi Rocks with two new members on guitar and bass and with Michael Monroe's solo career drummer, 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....
. Hanoi Rocks released 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....
in 2003. In 2005 Hanoi Rocks released 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...
replacing the two former members with Andy 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...
on bass and 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...
on guitar (both formerly of 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...
). In 2007 the band released the album 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"...
. In 2008 Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe stated that they had taken the band as far as they could and so they decided to end the band. In April 2009 Hanoi Rocks played 8 sold out farewell gigs 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
Helsinki
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...
. The band's original guitarist Nasty Suicide appeared as a special guest on 3 of the last gigs.
Michael Monroe's and Andy McCoys's book All Those Wasted Years was published later in 2009 in Finland telling the story of Hanoi Rocks from the beginning to the end.
In June 2009 Monroe performed in Helsinki and in Tampere, on Sauna Open Air -festival with 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...
s Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
band. In July 3, 2009 Monroe also performed in Finland, in 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 with Ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
s band, The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...
. At the end of July Monroe also shared the stage for the first time in many years with Sam Yaffa while his band, 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...
were performing in Helsinki. After these performances with Yaffa and Ginger, Monroe started to discuss with Yaffa about possibilities of working together again. In December 2009 Monroe met Ginger again, while he was playing in Alice Cooper's band. Monroe joined the stage with Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
on his Espoo concert, in Finland to play "School's Out
School's Out (song)
Female pop duo Daphne & Celeste, released a cover of the song in 2000. The chorus is based on Alice Cooper's hit of the same name, and some other elements of that song have been retained, although much of the song is "original", in a pop-rap style...
". After the show Ginger and Monroe discussed more about the possibilities of working together and soon after this Monroe, Ginger and Yaffa decided to line up a band together.
New band (2010–present)
On 25 January 2010 Michael Monroe held a press conference in Los Angeles, where he unveiled his new band featuring Sam Yaffa in bass,guitarist Ginger from The WildheartsThe Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...
, Todd Youth
Todd Youth
-Biography:Youth grew up in New York and started playing as young as 12 years old in several New York City hardcore bands. He made his playing debut with Agnostic Front in 1983 but did not play on any recordings. Youth also appeared for New York City act Warzone until around 1986...
from Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
and Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
on a second guitar and Jimmy Clarke on drums. The press conference was hosted by Bam Margera
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
of Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
. The Michael Monroe band started touring on March 11 at San Francisco’s Paradise Lounge and toured the US until the 21st of March. After some of the first shows Todd Youth and Jimmy Clark were replaced by guitarist Steve Conte
Steve Conte
Steve Conte is an American singer and rock musician and lead singer of the band The Contes, along with his brother John Conte, both formerly members of the band Crown Jewels. He is perhaps more popularly known for his collaborations with composer Yoko Kanno, as well as being former lead guitarist...
of 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 drummer Karl Rosqvist
Karl Rosqvist
Karl Rosqvist , also p.k.a. Karl Rockfist is a Swedish/ Finnish drummer who has been mostly active in the American music scene. He played in the Swedish metal band Sorg in the early to mid 90s....
.
During the summer of 2010 Michael Monroe band played a number of festival gigs all over the world, including Helsinki Live in Finland together with 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...
, the Sweden Rock Festival
Sweden Rock Festival
Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, having featured southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to death metal legends like Obituary.The first...
and the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
in England. The band also performed at 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, where 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'...
was also performing. Monroe joined Slash on stage for a performance of "We're All Gonna Die" (from Slash's solo album) and "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...
." At the Ankkarock
Ankkarock
Ankkarock is a Finnish rock and metal festival held annually in Korso, Vantaa, in the Greater Helsinki area. It literally translates into Duckrock. The first Ankkarock was held in 1989; the festival was free of charge until 1998....
festival in Finland, Steve Conte couldn't perform and he was replaced for this one show with the ex-Hanoi Rocks guitarist, Nasty Suicide. Since the early 1990s and the Demolition 23 tour this was the first time of these three members of the original Hanoi Rocks to perform on the stage together. Michael Monroe also performed on Summer Sonic festivals in Tokyo and Osaka, where Slash was also performing. The two got together again sharing a stage for a couple of songs. During the performance of the song "We're All Gonna Die" Monroe broke two of his ribs while hitting a metal barrel in front of the stage.
On June 28, 2010 it was announced that the Michael Monroe band would be supporting Motörhead on their 35th anniversary UK tour.
The first album of Michael Monroe's new band, the live album Another Night in the Sun
Another Night In the Sun: Live in Helsinki
Another Night In the Sun: Live in Helsinki is the first live album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on October 5, 2010, through Spinefarm Records...
was released in September 2010. The album was recorded 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, Finland and mixed in Los Angeles by Niko Bolas
Niko Bolas
Niko Bolas is an American music producer, sound engineer, and consultant and business developer in the fields of virtual reality and Internet radio...
whose credits include Neil Young, Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Kiss, Spinal Tap and more. The album was mastered by Grammy winner Richard Dodd
Richard Dodd
Richard Dodd is a cellist, recording artist, musician in Bristol, England.- Biography :Emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of 2 to Long Beach, California. He began studying the cello at age 10 and took his advanced studies at California State University, Northridge.- Career...
, the man behind Tom Petty & Dixie Chicks.
In September, 2010 the band went into a studio to record their first studio album, Sensory Overdrive
Sensory Overdrive
Sensory Overdrive is the sixth studio album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on March 14, 2011, through Spinefarm Records...
. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and it was produced by legendary producer Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas (record producer)
Jack Douglas is an American record producer. He was born in New York City. Starting out as folk musician and performer, he worked on Robert Kennedy's senatorial campaign as a song-writer. Douglas then moved to England and joined a succession of bands before returning to New York to attend the...
(Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
). The first single, "78", was released in January and the album is set for release on March 14, 2011. The band has also booked an extensive UK tour for April 2010, taking in venues in London, Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds and Exeter among others. In September 2010, Monroe also signed a recording deal with Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
/ Universal Music, which will distribute Monroe's upcoming albums.
On November 9, 2011, Sensory Overdrive won the "Album of the Year" award at the 2011 Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
magazine awards.
Personal life
Unlike other members of Hanoi Rocks' in the 1980s, Monroe was never a big drug user or a big drinker although in his book "All Those Wasted Years" Monroe tells about being addicted for a short while to CrackCrack
Crack may refer to:* Crack cocaine, the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked* Crack, a fracture or discontinuation in a bodyCrack may also refer to:-Music:* Crack , an album by Z-RO* Cracks , an album by Nabiha...
Heroin in the 1980's while living in London and to Amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
between 2000 and 2002 after his first wife, Jude Wilder died suddenly at their home in the city of Turku, Finland.
During his years in music business Michael Monroe has established a close friendship with many music business icons including late Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
and 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...
- both Idols of Monroe - , Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
who produced Monroe's album with Jerusalem Slim, Deborah Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, 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'...
, 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 Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
just to name a few.
Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have influenced many rock'n'roll artists and bands: 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'...
had bought tickets to the outsold gigs of Los Angeles, which were canceled because of the death of Razzle. 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...
and Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
of Motley Crue
Mötley 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...
and bands like 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...
have said in public that they were all inspired by Hanoi Rocks. In the Hanoi Rocks autobiography "All Those Wasted Years" Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett
Chris Shiflett
Christopher Aubrey "Chris" Shiflett is best known as the lead guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters as well as the punk rock cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. He is the younger brother of musician Scott Shiflett.-Career:Shiflett joined Foo Fighters after the release of their third...
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 1980s glam-, punk-, and hard rock bands like Motley Crue
Mötley 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...
, Jetboy
Jetboy
Jetboy is a fictional character from the Wild Cards book series. He appeared in the short story "Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" by Howard Waldrop, but is referenced throughout the Wild Cards series. Jetboy is based on pulp magazine and Golden Age "air ace" characters, particularly Airboy...
, LA Guns and Poison.
Monroe met his first wife Jude Wilder in 1985 while she was working at CBS for Hanoi Rocks' Two Steps From The Move project. After they married the couple moved to Los Angeles and then to New York. Later on the couple moved to Turku
Turku
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...
, city in Finland, where Monroe relocated after many years in the United States. Wilder died of intracranial hemorrhage on June 19, 2001. Michael Monroe married his current wife, Johanna, on July 3, 2003.
Solo albums
- Nights Are So LongNights Are So LongNights Are So Long is Michael Monroe's first post-Hanoi Rocks solo album released in 1987. The album was released on Hanoi Rocks' manager's own record label "Yahoo!"...
(1987) - Not Fakin' ItNot Fakin' ItNot Fakin' It is the second studio album by former Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, released in 1989 through PolyGram Records; a remastered edition was reissued through Lemon Recordings in 2003...
(1989) - Peace of MindPeace of Mind (Michael Monroe album)Peace of Mind is the third studio album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe. released in 1996. The album was re-issued and made available worldwide on a widespread release only on March 14, 2000....
(1996) - Life Gets You DirtyLife Gets You DirtyLife Gets You Dirty is the fourth studio album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on October 12, 1999, through the German label SPV GmbH.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
(1999) - Take Them and Break ThemTake Them and Break ThemTake Them and Break Them is a Japanese only exclusive EP by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on April 24, 2002. The EP features six tracks: two exclusive studio tracks and four live tracks, and was released through the Japanese label Crown Japan.Three of the live tracks: "Where's...
(2002) - Whatcha WantWhatcha WantWhatcha Want is the fifth studio album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on January 21, 2003, through the German label SPV GmbH....
(2003) - Another Night In the Sun: Live in HelsinkiAnother Night In the Sun: Live in HelsinkiAnother Night In the Sun: Live in Helsinki is the first live album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on October 5, 2010, through Spinefarm Records...
(live album) (2010) - Sensory OverdriveSensory OverdriveSensory Overdrive is the sixth studio album by Finnish glam rock singer Michael Monroe, released on March 14, 2011, through Spinefarm Records...
(2011)
Hanoi Rocks albums
- 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) (1983)
- 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)
Guest appearances
- Artists United Against ApartheidArtists United Against ApartheidArtists United Against Apartheid was a 1985 protest group founded by activist and performer Steven Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker to protest apartheid in South Africa...
: Sun CitySun City (song)"Sun City" is a 1985 protest song written by Steven Van Zandt, produced by Van Zandt and Arthur Baker and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid...
(1985) - Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns 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...
: Use Your Illusion IUse Your Illusion IUse 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...
(1991) - Guns N' Roses: "The Spaghetti Incident?""The Spaghetti Incident?""The Spaghetti Incident?" is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. The album is unique for the band, consisting entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s....
(1993) - Various artists: Coneheads: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack (1993)
- White Flames: Swimsuit Issue Centerfold (single) (2007)
Literature - books about Michael Monroe
- Michael Monroe [Hardcover], Ari Väntänen and Michael Monroe (2011)
- All Those Wasted Years [Hardcover], Ari Väntänen, Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe (2010)
- Sheriff McCoy: Outlaw Legend of Hanoi Rocks [Hardcover], Andy McCoy (English edition 2010)
- 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Quintet Publishing Limited. Macdonald, Bruno; Harrington, Jim, Dimery, Robert. ed. (2006)
- Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. Christe, Ian (2003)
- Boulevard of Broken Dreams [Hardcover], 1987
External links
- Official website (in English)
- IMDB Biography (official marital status)
- Interview