After last week’s detour chatting with Mishkin Fitzgerald about Birdeatsbaby we’re back to business: me telling you which band you’ve been missing in your life and five essential tracks to prove it.
Now, I can already hear some of you scoffing at the header. Maybe you thought, “Oh great, another article about some forgotten 80s glam band.” And if you tapped out early, joke’s on you.
Because Hanoi Rocks were never your typical glam band.
They shared more DNA with punk pioneers like The Stooges than with hair-metal acts like Poison. Sure, they had big hair and eyeliner, but their music had grit, attitude, and enough raw energy to fuel a bar brawl, a wild night out, or a heartbreak — all at once.
They weren’t just a flash in the pan or some nostalgic footnote in a Mötley Crüe biopic. They were chaos with style lipstick-wearing street punks who made beautiful noise from the shadows.
WHO EXACTLY WERE HANOI ROCKS?
Hanoi Rocks formed in Finland in 1979, brought to life by Mike Monroe and Andy McCoy. Their beginnings were rough living hand-to-mouth, hustling, and scraping by but they clawed their way up the scene with a relentless work ethic and an explosive sound.
A grueling 102-date tour set things in motion, and by 1981, they had relocated to London. It was there that they met drummer Razzle, completing the band’s most iconic lineup.
In just a few years, Hanoi Rocks went from cult heroes to the brink of global fame. But tragedy struck in 1984 when Razzle died in a car crash involving Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil. The momentum was lost, and the dream faded.
But their legacy? That stuck.
“TAXI DRIVER” PURE, RAW INTRODUCTION
An eerie organ sets the mood, then bang the drums explode and Mike Monroe screams like he’s exorcising demons. “Taxi Driver” kicks down the door with gritty swagger. The rhythm section drives like a freight train, and Andy McCoy’s guitar sounds wrong in all the right ways jarring, out of tune, yet completely addictive.
Monroe howls about sex and city nights with a voice so charged, it’s no wonder fans of all genders found him irresistible.
“MOTORVATIN’” RHYTHM THAT RUMBLES
This track showcases why Razzle and bassist Sami Yaffa are an all-time great rhythm duo. It begins with a tribal-style beat before the bass glides in, smooth yet punchy. It’s danceable, it’s dirty, it’s fun. It’s Mike Monroe on the hunt for thrills under city lights, and Hanoi Rocks in full swagger mode.
“TRAGEDY” SEX, SADNESS, AND SOUL
On the surface, “Tragedy” sounds like another tale of bedroom misadventures, but dig deeper and it’s more complex. The music is raw, emotional, and deceptively intricate. If you’ve ever tried to play it, you know it’s no easy feat. Beneath the sleaze, there’s weariness — Monroe doesn’t sound like he’s enjoying the moment; he sounds like someone just going through the motions.
And maybe that’s what makes Hanoi Rocks so unforgettable. They weren’t just about image — they were real, messy, complicated, and brilliant.
So next time you want to discover a band that defined raw, emotional rock ‘n’ roll before it got watered down, Hanoi Rocks is where to start. They’ll make you dance, cry, and want to punch a wall sometimes all at once.
Leave a Reply