The Tim “Napalm” Stegall Substack Interview: Michael Monroe, Part Three

In concluding our chat with the Hanoi Rocker, we discuss r’n’r requiring a new kick up the backside, translating his memoirs for the English-speaking world, and writing a children’s book.

Michael Monroe and band: (l-r) Steve Conte, Monroe, Sami Yaffa, Rich Jones, Karl Rockfist, (Courtesy michaelmonroe.com)

Brethren, I’m likely as sad as you are to see our ZOOM chat with Matti Fagerholm, better known to you as Hanoi Rocks/Demolition 23/solo glam punk superhero Michael Monroe. As I type this, he and his crackerjack band have just returned from a series of European dates promoting last year’s I Live Too Fast To Die Young LP. Dialing it up on Spotify, it’s loudly and abundantly clear it is of a piece with everything else Monroe has accomplished musically – a bright, granite-hard intersection of old-school punk, swaggering glam, and the most melodic of hard rock. If you can believe it, it’s like somebody melted-down all your favorite UK Subs and Cheap Trick records into one smoldering black cauldron, and this was what was poured out. Only it never cooled off – it remained molten and smoking!

Upcoming are Finnish dates that pretty much carries him and his band up to August 18 – a solid year of promotion for a fine album. I really appreciate Michael taking time to speak with me last October, and super publicist Mike Cubillos for setting this up. 

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