Have you heard of Hanoi Rocks? It was one of the most successful glam punk bands in the 80s, and the legend has it that Guns n’ Roses’ were very much influenced by them. The band broke up in 1985, after which the lead singer Michael Monroe pursued a solo career and has kept on going ever since.
Having released 11 albums (including his side-projects) post-Hanoi Rocks and appearing in Guns n’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction and Spaghetti Incident among other things, this multi-instrumentalist with long blond hair and black eyeliner is now touring and will be coming to York this Thursday.
Monroe’s new band consists of other well-established musicians: the bassist Sami Yaffa and guitarist Steve Conte have both played, among other projects, in the reformed New York Dolls, and drummer Karl Rockfist used to play with Joan Osborne. Dregen, Swedish guitarist from acts such as the Hellacopters and the Backyard Babies, who replaced former guitarist Ginger, won’t unfortunately be joining the rest of the band due to the launch of his solo album.
Sensory Overdrive, which was Classic Rock magazine’s ‘Best Album of the Year’ in 2011, was followed by their second album Horns and Halos earlier this autumn. It’s rock with 80s attitude, loud guitars and somehow a mix of old and new. The simple but extremely catchy ‘Stained Glass Heart’ is a good example of more modern Monroe, whereas tracks such as ‘TNT Diet’ take us back to the golden times of glam punk.
Indeed, the band often plays music throughout Monroe’s career, so the audience should be able to hear the older hits as well. The powerful guitar riffs combined with Monroe’s vocals and energetic state performance with kicks and splits should make this gig quite unforgettable. Michael is also famous for his saxophone skills, so definitely expect some cool and crazy saxophone solos.
Michael Monroe at the Duchess on Thursday 28 November at 7.30pm.