![]() Six years, three albums and thousands of happy fans later, the pair decided they had found the musical limits of Hanoi and resolved to put it down, playing a series of final shows at the club in Helsinki where they had began with a guest appearance from Nasty Suicide – who had since become a pharmacist. The reunion was marked by a more collaborative songwriting process as McCoy paid respect to Monroe’s years of slogging it out on his own. In 2002, after several solo albums and a couple one-album bands (Jerusalem Slim, Demolition 23) Monroe reconnected with Andy McCoy and reformed (or their "regurge" as Monroe puts it) Hanoi Rocks. Monroe also contributed vocals to a cover of The Dead Boys’ ‘Aint It Fun’ on the Guns’ The Spaghetti Incident? as a tribute to the late Bators. ![]() ![]() G'NR were particular champions of Hanoi with Axl Rose even appearing in Monroe’s video for ‘Dead, Jail Or Rock’N’Roll’ off his second solo album (and most successful to date) Not Fakin’ It. at the time were Poison, Motley Crue, Jetboy and Guns’N Roses. ![]() Meanwhile the Hollywood glam rock scene of the 1980s was beginning to explode – not in least thanks to the influence of Hanoi Rocks. He emerged from the mayhem determined to prove he wasn’t just the pretty blonde puppet of the Andy McCoy show, and with the help of friends such as The Dead Boys’ Stiv Bators, Monroe began to hone his particular brand of songwriting. After an attempted regrouping and the hiring of replacements, Monroe felt the magic fizzle out and made the decision to leave as well, effectively ending the band. Shortly after the accident, things came to a head between bassist Sami Yaffa and the allegedly insufferable guitarist/lead songwriter Andy McCoy, leaving the band entirely without rhythm section. Razzle did not survive the crash, and two others were left with lasting injuries, while Neil only suffered a 30-day jail sentence. In 1984 he drunk-drove his Pantera headlong into an oncoming vehicle during a liquor-run with Hanoi drummer Nicholas ‘Razzle’ Dingley. In fact, Vince Neil’s excesses arguably cost Hanoi dearly. Looking back on the original Hanoi Rocks days, Monroe discusses his peers at the time who in adhering to the stereotypical rockstar rhetoric have made him feel “ashamed to be a lead singer”, and though he doesn’t point his polished nail directly at a certain Motley Crue fontman, there can be no better example. In the States I can just walk around but people do always come up and go ‘You are somebody aren’t you?! You look like you’re famous, like a rock star.’ And I just say ‘Yeah, well I’m a rocker’. If I start signing stuff there, there’s going to be a queue before long. I get recognized a lot there, but what I do is sign cards ahead of time so I can hand them out to people as autographs so it takes less time. “I don’t feel the need to trade anything. When asked if he would trade his fame in Finland for more global recognition, Monroe is adamant: “I wouldn’t trade anything for anything. He also holds a strict no regrets policy and happily resigns himself to the hand he was dealt. But that is the only understated thing about him. In that way he is a typical, understated Finn. Monroe is still a bundle of energy he speaks very matter-of-factly and does not betray noticeable nostalgia or affection in his voice when talking about Finland. Hanoi and Monroe are the example and the standard set for any budding musicians keen to escape the country’s cold climate and the small club circuit. Frontman Michael Monroe is the elder statesman of rock & roll in his home country, he’s a national institution. Even though the beast had its head cut off before it could conquer the world, Hanoi Rocks were the first rock band coming out of Finland to reach really dizzy heights.
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