The most well known Hanoi Rocks songs, like "Don't You Ever Leave Me", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Up Around the Bend" got the wildest reception from the crowd. Luckily Kimmo was able to catch them on a press conference during the summer. But if they've taught me something that's not to give up so I'll keep trying to get you an in-depth interview sometime in the future. I've been busting my ass trying to get in touch with them but no luck so far. The bassist Timpa is a great character who has always had time for a few friendly words with me but unfortunately he couldn't help me with getting a few comments from Andy or Mike. Well he did, a great show rock drummer who didn't miss a single beat during the gig. The drummer was spinning the sticks so much that I sometimes wondered does he have time to play the drums at all. Crane took care of his task superbly giving Andy the space that he needed. Mickey Crane on the guitar, Timpa Laine on the bass, and Lacu on the drums. The gig was great but what made it perfect was the rest of the band.
But Monroe was quick to react and asked the people to move back and personally went and checked that all the people are OK. The crowd was absolutely wild and there were some people having a hard time surviving in the first row. The next song had a chorus "You Need People Like Me" and I couldn't agree more, the world would be a lot duller place without this duo. They opened with "Delirious", a song from Monroe's Jerusalem Slim -project which has not been played live that much. Instead I witnessed a relaxed man who mastered his instrument to the extreme giving me shivers on a regular basis. I had my doubts about McCoy's performance as he sometimes has taken the rock star life style too seriously. Monroe is the glittering dominator of the stage with an energy that could light up an entire city. Name any ingredient that you think a rock 'n' roll gig should have and I'm sure these two can deliver. So what is it like to see Hanoi Revisited live? The old expression about wine just pales in comparison. So the fact that Monroe and McCoy are working on new material skyrockets my expectations for another classic rock album. McCoy's album "Building On Tradition" is a masterpiece that for some reason got overlooked by many. Monroe's solo album "Not Fakin' It" in the late eighties included such classics as "Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll" and "Smoke Screen" and his latest album "Life Gets You Dirty" is just as good. And neither of the two ever really went away. I can assure you that this is not the case with Hanoi Revisited. Reunion, comeback… when you hear these words you often start to think that the band is cashing in on their reputation for one last time. This experience should be shared worldwide and soon Finland will be too small for them. But I also feel that it won't be the case for long. I feel it's a crying shame that the people elsewhere in the world cannot experience their live performance. Some people might feel like quitting after such setbacks but not these two. Everyone at wishes Michael all the best and the strength to continue also in the future. Jude Wilder was a great contributor to his music, a talented musician and a warm personality. Michael is grieving the biggest lost of his life and fortunately getting a tremendous amount of support from fans. The latest setback happened in June when Mike Monroe's life companion, Jude Wilder, died suddenly due to an unexpected illness. Monroe and McCoy have had their share of bad luck. After the accident the band decided not to continue and what had been a promising beginning came to an end. Vince Neil, a name a bit more familiar to the public, drove the car drunk. Hanoi Rocks was on their way to the top when their drummer Razzle died in a car accident. Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy, a pair with talent to spare for a dozen bands but who never really made it big time. What an excellent show and what a set of performers.
Hanoi Revisited? Hanoi Born Again if you ask me. Hanoi Revisited, Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe