BiografieLine-Up 2004:


Michael Monroe: vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitars, synthesizers, percussion

Andy McCoy: guitars, backing vocals

Stevie Klasson: guitars

Timpa: bass, backing vocals

Lacu: drums & percussion





"The rock band that changed the course of rock" That´s something very few bands can claim to their name. Maybe Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath... and of course, Hanoi Rocks.

Back in 1980, when the band took its early steps in Finland and Sweden, they already were something else. Loud and proud, flamboyant and full of attitude, they quickly gained fame outside of Scandinavia, first in the UK, then in Asia, continental Europe and finally in the US.



Hanoi Rocks played anytime, anyplace and with anybody daring enough to share the stage with them and built their following a bit more, gig by gig. Alongside their gruelling live schedule they managed to record five albums and with each release gained new ground until the final breakthrough was looming ahead.



Hanoi Rocks had just released their major label debut on CBS, the now legendary "Two Steps From The Move", and were in L.A. to tour the US for real for the first time. Already having a following in the United States, Hanoi Rocks had gained momentum of such scale that a breakthrough as a result of the tour was imminent.



But then tragedy struck the band: Razzle, the drummer was killed in a car crash in California December 9th 1984.



The death of a friend was a devastating blow to the band and it never recovered. The rest of the US tour was cancelled and consequently the bass player Sam Yaffa quit the band. Eventually early 1985 Hanoi Rocks threw in the the towel and disbanded. The fruits of their labour were to be picked by bands heavily influenced by Hanoi Rocks, both musically and visually, like Guns´n Roses.



The years that followed saw the ex -members of Hanoi Rocks launching solo careers and new bands and it seemed like it was all over as far as Hanoi Rocks was concerned. And so thought the guys themselves. Until things changed with the Millennium.



Having not really been in any contact with each other for some time, the founding members Andy and Michael met at a release party for a Hanoi Rocks box set in early spring 2001. After jamming for a couple of songs togethere the two started keeping contact again and eventually ended up playing a couple of festival gigs together under the moniker Hanoi Revisited. Since the summer shows were fun and the old energy was back, the pair booked some studio time and tried their hand at writing together after an over 15 year break. From the word go it was obvious the magic was still there. The stuff they´d recorded was too good not to be released and after a lot of pondering and since any other moniker under which to release it would have been pretentious and just plain stupid, the EP "People Like Me" was released by Hanoi Rocks. The legend was reborn.



After the EP, Hanoi Rocks released "12 Shots On The Rocks" an album which went gold in their native Finland and opened a lot of doors all over the world. After having undergone some changes in their personnel, Hanoi Rocks in the spring 2005 will not only present their new album "Another Hostile Takeover" but also the new guitarist Conny Bloom and the new bass player A.C.



Sounding better than ever, Hanoi Rocks is now taking over the world!




Hanoi Rocks have changed - for better!



As everybody knows, to create something worthwhile takes time and effort, and to perfect that something takes even more of the both! In the case of the reborn Hanoi Rocks, it took a lot of effort and about three years.



First there was the problem with the rhytm guitarist. As cool a dude as Costello was, he was also busy with several other projects and bowed out in the New Year 2004. Good old Nasty Suicide played a couple of gigs with his old brothers-in-arms, but due to his family commitments was not able to take up a steady vacancy in the band. In walks another friend of the band, Stevie. A nice guy, but at the end of the day, not the man the band was looking for. A time for thought and back to square one: Who´s the guy we both want in the band? Asked Michael and Andy to each other. The answer: Conny Bloom. A friend of the band since the 80´s Conny is a man of several cool outfits and albums under his belt, a rock god in his own right and an overall nice guy. Great! Problem solved! No, hold on! Timpa! For crying out loud! God dammit!



After a new baby born to his family, Timpa decided it was time to call it a day. And Hanoi Rocks needed a bass player. This search was an easier one as Conny and Andy had a mutual friend in mind. Andy "A.C." Christell, an old bandmate of Conny´s in the Electric Boys who almost had given up playing since there were no interesting enough bands around for him to join. Two birds with one stone, as both A.C. and Hanoi Rocks had a problem solved. The line up for another hostile takeover was ready.



The new and improved Hanoi Rocks trained for four days before going out on a 30 -date European tour in January of this year. It was supposed to be the release tour for "Another Hostile Takeover" but due to personnel changes and their effect to the recording schedule, it became a trial by fire for the new line up. And what a blazing tour it was! The first night in Stockholm was already brilliant and by the time the tour ended in Germany a month and a half later, it was awesome. And not only if you asked the audiences, but according to the band members as well. "This is the best band I´ve ever played with" confessed Andy McCoy "I never knew it could be this great to be on stage. It took us three years to find the perfect line up back in the early days and seems to be the same now."



Since returning from the tour that welded the band into a seamless state-of-the-art rock´n roll ensemble it now is, Hanoi Rocks has released their latest album, "Another Hostile Takeover" and prepared for the spring, summer, autumn and winter of relentless touring. Looming in the horizon are festival dates all across Europe and a special guest performance with Alice Cooper in August.



This is 2005 and Hanoi Rocks are tougher than ever and pleased to showcase it!

Quelle: http://www.hanoirocks.com/Discografie1981 - Bangkok Shocks Saigon Shakes Hanoi Rocks

1982 - Oriental Beat

1983 - Self Destruction Blues

1983 - Back To Mystery City

1984 - All Those Wasted Years

1984 - Two Steps From The Move

1984 - Bangkok Shocks Saigon Shakes Hanoi Rocks + Oriental Beat (2-LP)

1985 - Rock ´n´ Roll Divorce (live)

2003 - Twelve Shots On The Rocks

2005 - Another Hostile Takeover

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