They were one of the great rock’n’roll bands of the 80s but, for all the brilliant music they made, the career of Hanoi Rocks was defined by the tragedy that derailed them at the moment they seemed destined to make it big.
Formed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki in 1979, Hanoi Rocks were led by two charismatic figures. Singer Michael Monroe (real name Matti Fagerholm) was the most glamorous rock star of his generation, looking like the bastard son of Mick Jagger and Brigitte Bardot.
Guitarist and chief songwriter Andy McCoy (born Antti Hulkko) had a darker presence, styled on Keith Richards. The band’s name was inspired by the heroin song Chinese Rocks, recorded by Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, and in Hanoi’s decadent sound and image were echoes of Thunders’ other legendary group, the New York Dolls.
After relocating to London in 1981, Hanoi Rocks’ raw early records and electrifying live shows saw them hyped as the next big thing by Sounds and Kerrang! By 1984 they were riding high, signed to major label Columbia for the album Two Steps From The Move. But on December 8, 1984, disaster struck.
In Los Angeles during a US tour, several band members attended a party at the home of Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil. When they ran out of beer, a heavily intoxicated Neil drove to a liquor store, with Hanoi drummer Razzle – Nicholas Dingley, an Englishman – as passenger. On the way back, Neil crashed into another car. Razzle was killed instantly. Both occupants of the other car were seriously injured. Neil escaped unharmed.
In the aftermath, Neil was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, for which he served two months in jail and paid out more than $2 million in damages. Mötley Crüe carried on, but Hanoi Rocks could not. Six months after Razzle’s death, the band split up. Their big chance had gone. The band eventually reformed in 2002, albeit with only Monroe and McCoy from the classic 80s line-up. The reunion lasted until 2009. Since then, Monroe has remained active as a solo artist, although the original lineup reunited for his 60th birthday concert in Helsinki in September 2022.
What Hanoi Rocks left behind were some of the best rock’n’roll records of the 80s – songs that had a major influence on one band in particular, Guns N’ Roses. As former GN’R guitarist Slash sagely noted: “Hanoi Rocks were the real deal.”
...and one to avoid
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