HANOI ROCKS Frontman Talks GUNS N' ROSES

[FunkyMonkey]

Sep. 16, 2007

Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Metalshrine: There's a great book about GUNS N' ROSES and on every other page they keep saying how they wanted to be like HANOI ROCKS and that you were a huge influence on them back when they started out. Did you ever think, when they started to take off and sell millions of records, that it should've been you selling all the records since they took a lot of what you had?

Monroe: "No, I never felt that! Not at all! I was always happy for their success and they definitely earned it themselves. I'm thankful for them recognizing the HANOI ROCKS influence and talking about it in the press. A lot of bands weren't really that talented and they sold a lot of records and really just deliberately tried to fake something out of it with the looks and not having much to back it up with. But GUNS N' ROSES really had their own thing and they were secure enough in themselves to quote HANOI ROCKS as an influence. Also, they released a lot of the old catalog in America with their Uzi/Suicide label. So they were definitely paying homage to us and they were being very cool. I've never been envious of their success, quite the opposite, I've been very happy for them. I was part of it. I played on their records and I was happy to be part of it. It's always fun working with those guys. Slash played the right kind of guitar because he grew up with HANOI and mine and Andy's (McCoy) playing. I actually did something with him for the movie 'Coneheads'."

Metalshrine: Do you remember the first time you met those guys?

Monroe: "I met Axl... he came to my video shoot in New York. I was shooting a video for 'Dead, Jail or Rock and Roll'. He showed up and just came to say hi and he introduced himself. I got to talk to him and he was a big NAZARETH fan and I was like 'Wow, a NAZARETH fan!' He didn't realize that 'Not Faking It' was a cover of a NAZARETH song. He had heard the record and he was really into it and he liked the song 'Dead, Jail or Rock and Roll', so I said 'Why don't you come up and do a couple of takes with us?' He came up on stage and he ended up in the video. I got along with him great and I always had a nice time with him. I never had a problem with him. I hear all these horror stories, but he's always been cool with me. It was fun working with those guys afterwards. Playing sax on their record and we did the duet 'Ain't It Fun'. That was magical and they have great star quality. A great band and it's a shame that they didn't stay together."

Complete interview and watch Michael Monroe's "Dead, Jail or Rock and Roll" video (featuring Axl Rose) here:

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=80879

[Nytunz]

Cool.. Hanoi Rocks! 

Would be cool to see them open for GNR... but.. i guess that wont happen

[kaasupoltin]

Cool.. Hanoi Rocks! 

Would be cool to see them open for GNR... but.. i guess that wont happen

Yes, it would be cool. One thing I really expected when Gn'R played in Finland in 2006, especially when BFMV cancelled their show. But naaah, Hanoi guys were in another country

[Fortus]

he threw shit about GNR in 2002...He said that axl was worried to share stage with Hanoi on the Osaka festival, last 2002

[isa]

yes, big influence

[meanmachine73]

A great band with a great frontman.  I will be seeing them in a couple of months with LA Guns (Not tracii's version).
If you listen to their early records, you can definately see where GN'R took some influence.

[NicoRourke]

he threw shit about GNR in 2002...He said that axl was worried to share stage with Hanoi on the Osaka festival, last 2002

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

[CSS]

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

I think so.

Wasn't that the interview where he said that the "New GN'R" sucked?

And he also said that Axl Rose was afraid to take the stage in Osaka since Hanoi Rocks where playing there as well.

But I might be wrong...

[kaasupoltin]

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

I think so.

Wasn't that the interview where he said that the "New GN'R" sucked?

And he also said that Axl Rose was afraid to take the stage in Osaka since Hanoi Rocks where playing there as well.

But I might be wrong...

If I remember right, he was talking about the Rio 2001 and he said that the band seemed to be "little lost" or something. Nothing really bad I think. And yes, he also said that Osaka thing.. but.. sharing a stage with Hanoi Rocks in Japan back then..

[stolat]

Axl Rose afraid......give it a rest!

[LIGuns]

Although HR may have influenced GN'R, how many of us have heard of them BECAUSE of GN'R?

[Scabbie]

I saw HR supporting the Wildhearts at a gig in Scarborough a couple of years ago. Really entertaining, even when its freezing cold and windy!

[Voodoochild]

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

I think so.

Wasn't that the interview where he said that the "New GN'R" sucked?

And he also said that Axl Rose was afraid to take the stage in Osaka since Hanoi Rocks where playing there as well.

But I might be wrong...

If I remember right, he was talking about the Rio 2001 and he said that the band seemed to be "little lost" or something. Nothing really bad I think. And yes, he also said that Osaka thing.. but.. sharing a stage with Hanoi Rocks in Japan back then..

As far as I remember, he said back in 2002 that he missed the old band when he saw the new one.

I think (yeah, it's just a random thought) it was more because of the look the band had back then than the music. He would be way warmer now that the new band looks more rock n' roll style. IMO, that's bullshit and I loved them for what they play rather for how they look, but it seems like it's a big deal for some people...

[meanmachine73]

I saw HR supporting the Wildhearts at a gig in Scarborough a couple of years ago. Really entertaining, even when its freezing cold and windy!

Yep, I was there also.... remember the wait to get into the Beer Tent?

And again, remembering the wind up there. I went in a T-shirt, absolutely freezing I kept having to check my nuts hadn't dropped off!

[HagiwaraMai]

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

I think so.

Wasn't that the interview where he said that the "New GN'R" sucked?

And he also said that Axl Rose was afraid to take the stage in Osaka since Hanoi Rocks where playing there as well.

But I might be wrong...

If I remember right, he was talking about the Rio 2001 and he said that the band seemed to be "little lost" or something. Nothing really bad I think. And yes, he also said that Osaka thing.. but.. sharing a stage with Hanoi Rocks in Japan back then..

No, you're right. I don't know if it was in Osaka aswell but Hanoi Rocks were originally scheduled to play the main outdoor stage at the Summer Sonic Tokyo show in Makuhari Messe on August the 17th 2002. I got there on the day of the gig and they'd been moved to the much smaller indoor stage. Hanoi are really popular here so Mike Monroe was pretty pissed off and did say something about Guns being afraid to share the stage with the reformed Hanoi Rocks. And I don't blame them to be honest!

[kaasupoltin]

He did ? Did he said something about the band ?

I think so.

Wasn't that the interview where he said that the "New GN'R" sucked?

And he also said that Axl Rose was afraid to take the stage in Osaka since Hanoi Rocks where playing there as well.

But I might be wrong...

If I remember right, he was talking about the Rio 2001 and he said that the band seemed to be "little lost" or something. Nothing really bad I think. And yes, he also said that Osaka thing.. but.. sharing a stage with Hanoi Rocks in Japan back then..

No, you're right. I don't know if it was in Osaka aswell but Hanoi Rocks were originally scheduled to play the main outdoor stage at the Summer Sonic Tokyo show in Makuhari Messe on August the 17th 2002. I got there on the day of the gig and they'd been moved to the much smaller indoor stage. Hanoi are really popular here so Mike Monroe was pretty pissed off and did say something about Guns being afraid to share the stage with the reformed Hanoi Rocks. And I don't blame them to be honest!

Yes, that's how I remember it too. Thanks for clearing it!

[ppbebe]

How about more clarity?

Was he not thankful to axl? 
hes being pissed shouldn't have made the band a ridiculous cover band that lost on stage having no connection with the audience. And the guitar player mediocre?

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=968

Beef Jerky is right.  what a scum.

[kaasupoltin]

How about more clarity?

Was he not thankful to axl? 
hes being pissed shouldn't have made the band a ridiculous cover band that lost on stage having no connection with the audience. And the guitar player mediocre?

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=968

Beef Jerky is right.  what a scum.

Yes he is thankful to Axl, for particular reasons. He's said it many times actually. And you know, that's his opinion. Just because he didn't like their performance doesn't mean he's a scum.

[Voodoochild]

Well, he lied when he said it was all old songs. And, as I said previously in this thread, he was judging a lot by their look...

[ppbebe]

kaasupoltin, Do you even read what he said? providing he said all those slanders out of the anger or the friendship to someone, he is.  And now he's saying good things about axl when the odds are in axl's favour?
more scummy.