Formed in Finland in 1979 by singer Mike Monroe and guitarist Andy Mccoy, Hanoi Rocks shared more in common with traditional rock n’ roll, glam and punk than the LA hair metal scene that they are sometimes associated with. While they did play an important role in the hair metal scene of the 80s, it was more having to do with who they influenced including Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row and Poison. Someone had to show those bands the way and Hanoi Rocks were up to the challenge.
Hanoi Rocks could’ve gone on to become one of the biggest bands of the 80s had it not been for a terrible tragedy that served as the catalyst to derail the band.
Early Days of Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks frontman Mike Monroe was born as Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm in 1962 in Finland. Monroe revealed in his autobiography that his real first exposure to rock n’ roll was seeing Black Sabbath perform a show in Paris on TV and that memory stayed with him for the rest of his life.
In 1976, Monroe played in a band that shared rehearsal space with drummer with guitarist, Andy McCoy, who played in a punk rock band. The two musicians started talking and hit it off. Monroe almost joined McCoy’s band but was told he had to cut his hair.
“I’m not going to be a slave to fashion.” – Mike Monroe
While Monroe was against cutting his hair, the seeds of Hanoi Rocks were being carefully planted. He told LouderSound, “The punk thing was great, but you can join our punk band if you cut your hair. What? To be in punk fashion? I’m not going to be a slave to fashion. So I said no. Me and Andy talked about putting a real band together, the way we thought a cool rock band should be. That’s how Hanoi started.”
By the summer of 1979, Monroe met future Hanoi Rocks rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide in Sweden, through Andy McCoy. Andy was in a new band at the time but was still interested in forming a band with Monroe.
Hanoi Rocks was formed in 1979. McCoy wasn’t in the first incarnation of the group because he was still playing in his other band but McCoy had an understanding with Monroe that he would eventually join Hanoi Rocks. The only members of the classic lineup who were in the first incarnation of the band were Mike Monroe and Nasty Suicide.
The band hit the Finnish club circuit playing a mix of Cheap Trick, MC5 and The Police covers along with songs Monroe and McCoy had written. At one of the band’s early shows, a man named Seppo showed some interest in managing the band.
When McCoy was ready to join the group they relocated to Sweden and drummer Gyp Casino and bassist Sami Yaffa joined the band. This is where things got difficult for Hanoi Rocks.
“When we started Hanoi Rocks, we were homeless.” – Mike Monroe
Most of the members were literally living on the street. Monroe revealed to Loudersound, “When we started Hanoi Rocks, we were homeless. I had a few hundred Finnish marks, not much, when I left home and ended up in Stockholm. So for me, Sami Yaffa and Nasty Suicide were living on the streets for the first 6 months, begging for change. We’d beg enough to get a hamburger to share, or a bottle of wine to forget about the hunger.
We befriended other homeless people. We’d sometimes go to a bar and I’d chat up some girl, and she’d invite me to her house. I’d say, do you mind if my friends come along? Then when we got to the house we’d head straight for the fridge.”
Monroe revealed that Andy McCoy lived with his girlfriend during this time and Gyp had an apartment during their time in Sweden.
After the band had been in Sweden for 6 months, Seppo, who had previously expressed an interest in managing the band, came to Sweden to check out the band. He was so impressed, that he decided to become their manager and began booking shows for the group. That’s when they finally started to make money.
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
In 1980, the band struck a deal with a Finnish record label who helped he band put out their first single titled “I Want You / Kill City Kills”. Later that year, the band headed into the studio to record their debut record titled Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks.
Originally released only in the Scandinavian countries, the album became a top 5 hit in Finland. The album was produced by McCoy and Monroe under the name The Muddy Twins.
While the album is held in high regard by the public, both McCoy and Monroe have had mixed feelings about the record. Monroe claims he can’t listen to the record since he wasn’t a fan of his voice on the album. Perhaps the most famous song off the record was a track called “Tragedy” which would foreshadow the band’s future.
Following their debut album’s release, the band eventually found their way to London to promote the album and record their follow-up album, 1982’s Oriental Beat. When the band arrived in London, they were the antithesis of what was going on in the music scene. Post-punk was popular and many in the press labelled them as just another glam band, which Monroe resented.
Oriental Beat Becomes Huge Success
Oriental Beat was a monumental album for the band’s career as it opened up new markets beyond the Scandinavian countries. The group became hugely popular in the UK and Japan. Kerrang magazine published their first article about the band when they reviewed the album, Oriental Beat, which they praised. For the rest of Hanoi Rock’s career, Kerrang covered the band heavily.
During the tour to support the record in Japan, the band signed a deal with Mercury Polygram. As the band’s star was rising, the band began indulging in excesses. The band members started to partake in drugs, especially drummer Gyp Casino who got into heroin. It was during this time that the band found a new home in London in 1982.
A member of the crowd accosted Mike Monroe claiming he was a better drummer than Gyp Casino. That audience member would be future drummer, Nicholas ‘Razzle’ Charles Dingley. Up until this point, Monroe knew Razzle already as they had met several times prior so they gave him a shot. Razzle came to the attention of the band at the right time because they were tired of Gyp’s pension for heroin. Andy didn’t think his playing was up to snuff and just didn’t like him personally. The pair even got into a fight onstage.
Razzle Bring Hanoi Rocks Back to Life
Gyp was eventually fired and replaced with Razzle. Prior to Razzle joining the band, Hanoi Rocks were on the verge of breaking up. Monroe revealed to Loudersound that the addition of Razzle made the band perfect and that his attitude, his spirit, brought us back to life.
“The band was at a low point around that time. We were getting into some seriously bad shit with Andy hanging out with hard-core junkies. Razzle wasn’t great technically, but he had a gung-ho, up-against-the-world attitude and fit in with the band’s style perfectly. I loved that he was totally determined to be in the band, and when he joined we were a real gang.”
Self Destruction Blues
Before the end of 1982, the band released Self Destruction Blues, their third record which mostly consisted of singles and b-sides recorded over the past several years.
By early 1983, Hanoi Rocks played their first gigs outside of Europe touring across Israel, India, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. Japan was one of several countries where Hanoi Rocks became superstars. The fans were so rabid in Japan that they broke into the group’s hotels just to see the musicians and the ticket prices were as expensive as the bands who filled up stadiums. Some phone booths in Tokyo even played Hanoi Rocks’ songs. That’s not to say that the band was well received everywhere they went.
The band’s shows in Israel were especially noteworthy. The band was booked to play during Passover, which meant that the country’s citizens could not buy or sell yeast, which meant no beer but the band’s manager made a deal with the promoters that the band could consume free alcohol throughout the entire duration of their stay. Complicating matters, Israel had only started promoting rock concerts a year earlier and never witnessed any band remotely resembling Hanoi Rocks.
Monroe and most of the band had trouble leaving the hotel because of their appearance. Local residents thought the band were scantily dressed women and began to harass them and spit on them. Monroe looked back at the gig in Israel recalling, “…I’m amazed we got out of Israel without being thrown in jail. They were drinking 24 hours a day. Not trying to get a reputation – it’s just the way we were. Maybe it’s part of being Finnish. They’d always get into situations that’d get out of control.”
All Those Wasted Years
On May 16, 1983, the band released their critically acclaimed album Back To Mystery City. And it was the first album to feature new drummer Razzle. The band followed that up by recording a concert at London’s historic venue, The Marquee in December of that year titled All Those Wasted Years.
This success set the stage for Hanoi Rocks to get the attention of a major US label. The band signed a 3-record deal with CBS Records the same year for 150,000 pounds. CBS pushed for the band’s next album, Two Steps From the Move, to feature a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Up Around the Bend”.
The album was sadly the last album to feature Razzle. The album was released in the fall of 1984 to coincide with the group’s first US Tour that would begin in November.
The band was on a roll. Their single “Up Around the Bend” was getting play on MTV and Much Music in Canada and the great reviews just seemed to come pouring in.
During a show in NYC, Mike Monroe broke his ankle after jumping off a drum riser. The band soldiered on playing through a series of dates across Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Boston but the pain for Monroe got so severe, that the band had to cancel their show in Atlanta. The label sent the group to LA to do press for the record.
Razzle’s Last Show with Hanoi Rocks
The band’s show in Boston was the last gig with Razzle but also waiting in LA for the band were their friends, Motley Crue who had befriended Hanoi Rocks earlier in the year at the Monsters of Rock Festival.
Motley Crue was having a party in honour of Hanoi Rocks’ first US tour. The band, including Razzle, were hanging out and partying at Vince Neil’s house when they ran out of alcohol. Neil and Razzle, both reportedly drinking, decided to drive to the liquor store.
Neil was driving down a winding road in Hollywood and lost control of the vehicle. He smashed into an oncoming car. All of the people involved in the collision suffered injuries, with the exception of Razzle who was taken to the South Bay Hospital where he was declared dead.
Razzle passed away at the young age of 24. Neil was sentenced to 30 days in jail and was let out 10 days early for good behaviour. Neil also had to pay millions in damages to the families impacted by the accident and do public service announcements
“I should have gone to prison.” – Vince Neil
Neil told Blender magazine how he expressed remorse over the incident, “I wrote a $2.5 million check for vehicular manslaughter when Razzle died. I should have gone to prison. I definitely deserved to go to prison but I did 30 days in jail and got laid and drank beer, because that’s the power of cash. That’s f—ed up.”
In a 2006 interview with Metal Express, Andy McCoy gave his own version of the incident, “I was there. What happened was Razzle disappeared, so did Vince. So me and T-Bone, Tommy Lee, took his car and went looking for them. We drove past this accident, and I was like, ‘What colour was the car they were driving? Because we just passed a f—king accident with a bright red sports car.’ Then I saw Razzle’s hat on the street.”
“Everybody suffered from the whole thing.” – Mike Monroe
In 2011, Mike Monroe revealed sleazeroxx.com his feelings almost 30 years after the incident, “There was an accident, and unfortunately our drummer was killed. As far as Vince Neil, I have nothing to say. It was an accident. What happened happened, and it can’t be changed. Everybody suffered from the whole thing.”
The band was devastated by the tragedy and the rest of their US tour was cancelled. The group did, however, have 2 gigs back home in Helsinki, Finland early in 1985 that they were determined to play in memory of Razzle. The concerts were part of a television broadcast.
By this point in time, Sami had already made up his mind that he was leaving the band, even before the US tour ended. Those 2 shows in Finland were his last with the band.
“No matter how much money we’d have had, no matter how much fame, it would have been cursed.” – Mike Monroe
Sami leaving was the final nail in the coffin for Monroe. He told Classic Rock Magazine, “Sami Yaffa leaving the band was another deciding factor. Everybody was vital to the chemistry of that family unit, so without Sami, there was just me, Andy and Nasty left.
The new guys had the wrong attitude. They’d have been a disaster and ruined a good memory of a great band. That’s why it was crucial to finish Hanoi Rocks in mid-’85, and put it to rest with integrity intact. If we’d persevered and become one of the biggest bands in the world, it would have been even worse. No matter how much money we’d have had, no matter how much fame, it would have been cursed.”
Following the gig, Andy McCoy left with his new girlfriend to Sri Lanka, leaving behind Mike and Nasty in London to hire a new bass player who they found in Rene Berg. The chemistry though just wasn’t there and Berg at one point reportedly tried to call the shots in the band and was quickly replaced by Timo Kallio.
Throughout all the drama, Monroe planned to quit the band in early 1985, but the record label convinced him to stay and do a short tour in Poland where the single “Don’t You Ever Leave Me” was climbing up the charts. Monroe reluctantly agreed under the condition that no live record would be released. The compromise was made that a semi-official live album was released.
Rock & Roll Divorce
Appropriately titled Rock & Roll Divorce, the album was slammed by the band’s managers, band members and critics alike. Monroe eventually had enough and called it quits.
Monroe went on to enjoy a successful solo career. His second solo record, Not Fakin’ It, released in 1989 featured Guns N’ Roses vocalist Axl Rose in the video for “Dead, Jail or Rock N’ Roll”.
Hanoi Rocks was a massive influence on the members of Guns N’ Roses and the band lobbied their own label, Geffen Records to re-release Hanoi Rocks’ catalogue on their vanity label Uzi Suicidal.
Monroe made an appearance on the Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion records and The Spaghetti Incident. The re-release of the band’s back catalogue on Guns N’ Roses’ Uzi Suicidal label only got the band more exposure and increased their fanbase, despite the fact the band was no longer active.
Hanoi Revisited
In February 2001, Monroe and McCoy reunited for the first time since 1985 in Finland. They toured again in the summer of 2001, under the name Hanoi Revisited. Following the tour, Monroe and McCoy agreed to keep playing together. The pair refer to it as a rebirth and not a reformation of the band as Razzle was dead, Nasty Suicide was now a pharmacist, Sami Yafa was involved with the New York Dolls and Gyp Casino was done with music.
The rebirth of the band wrote and recorded several more albums. The new incarnation disbanded in 2008. They played a series of farewell shows where Nasty Suicide made an appearance.
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