After a long break of nine years, Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe will have three special shows on the U.S. West Coast in 2025.
He will perform in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11 and in Hollywood, California on April 12 and 13. The concert on April 13 at the Rainbow Bar & Grill is special because it celebrates the bar’s 53rd anniversary on Sunset Boulevard. Admission is free, but you must buy at least two drinks. Faster Pussycat, Odin, Black Oak Arkansas, and others will also perform.
In a September 2019 interview with Love Is Pop, Monroe was asked if he would tour the United States soon. He replied, “Well, we’d love to play the States and we’ve done some tours there and stuff. New York and L.A. are always great, but the rest of the country…”
The singer added, “We’ve come to the conclusion that unless you get to be an opening act for a stadium-sized band, you’re just banging your head against the wall, playing to a couple of hundred people a night. We can do that forever and not get anywhere in the Midwest and all that.”
“I like the audiences in America — they appreciate good, authentic rock ‘n’ roll — but unfortunately, the situation is such,” Monroe continued. “Especially now because the mainstream is like country and hip-hop. Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t happening there, so far as I know.”
He then shared, “So, unless you get to play to a big amount of people every night for about a year or two opening for a stadium-sized band, then it’s kind of not worth it. You’re just wasting money and time. Unfortunately.”
The Monroe band’s lineup includes Sami Yaffa, the former bassist of Hanoi Rocks and New York Dolls, who has played with Michael since the ’80s. Rich Jones, who was in the Ginger Wildheart band, and Steve Conte, known for replacing Johnny Thunders in the New York Dolls and playing with many other artists, are on guitar. Drummer Karl Rockfist has played with famous acts like Danzig.
Monroe’s latest solo album, ‘I Live Too Fast To Die Young,’ was released in 2022 by Silver Lining Music.