"Rock 'n roll baby, call it rock' n roll" - Michael Monroe Interview

There are artists, icons... and there's Michael Monroe!
The really good thing when you come back from your holidays, is having spent a very good time together with a great man in front of a magical sunshine.

We recovered this old interview with the Voice of Finland to celebrate the new album "Blackout States" released yesterday, via Spinefarm Records.

Interview & photo by Michela

Edit by Alessandra

MM: Hi!

LFdM:  Hi man? How are you? I have to say that to stay here before you now is a real thrill: you’re the icon of the Finnish glam rock scene...and I would add not only Finnish. Can we say that you’re an international star?

MM: ...glam, pop, trash or whatever you want to call it ... I like to categorize my music as Rock 'n' roll, but it's fine, thank you! I have come along way. I was myself, never sold. It was not easy, but it was worth the effort.

LFdM: What "integrity" means for you?

MM: Integrity means not to sell your soul for money. It means doing things not for money, but for art. It means that you are not corruptible by anyone. I do what I want, no one can tell me what to do, no matter how much money they offer me. Nobody owns me. I'm just myself. My life is under my control. This is the key: I have not become the clown of anyone. In this world it is easy to lose yourself. For me the most important thing is not to lose my soul along the way, no matter how famous I am or how much money I make. Not worth it.

LFdM: Have you ever been close to lose yourself sometimes?

MM: No, not really. To remain myself has always been the most important thing for me. I saw a lot of famous people, idiots, even without talent selling out themselves and I'm happy not to be among them. For me the most important thing is the music, the rock 'n' roll for me as an individual. It is not a fad, labels like trash, glamour ... do not mean anything to me, express a fashion. Record companies encourage these fashions, they adore to pack things and sell them, "the blood of the artists". 

The result is that two hundred thousand bands in the world try to play and sell like Nirvana, doing versions of Nirvana that no one wants to listen. All of them want to sell like that band, Nirvana were big, but their two hundred thousand versions do not have the same component. Record companies encourage this and I think that's why I'm not a Supermega international star, but for me it's okay.

LFdM: I do not know, I'm not sure, I mean, what you say is fabulous, unfortunately not always people thinks so.

MM: Well, it depends on which country you consider ... Finland, Japan, England ...

LFdM: it is not a question of countries, but of passion. Even listeners and music lovers must have passion and if they have it, they know you for sure. If they love rock'n'roll. I'm honest, not flattering.

MM: What you say, what my music and I are for you means a lot to me. There’s honest dedication and if I arrive to the people, I know that is strong and true. You can fool people for a while, but ultimately the loyalty remains only if you're honest. The fact that you are sincere means a lot to me.

LFdM: Well it's easy to look you playing, listen and understand the meaning of what you do.

MM: Cool, thanks. It's cute.

LFdM: Do you think that being famous has sacrificed your private life?

MM: I protect my very private life. Generally I do not let many enter into the house, nor do party or something. Actually I live in Turku, it's a very pretty. I like to live there. I was born and raised in Helsinki, until my 17, then I left home and I began to travel: London, New York ... I lived 10 years in Manhattan. Then I returned to Finland in 1995.

LFdM: I know Finland quite well.

MM: Really?

LFdM: yeah, I’ve been almost everywhere in Finland. I miss Lapland and then I'm done. So, What are the biggest differences you found between the US and Finland? I imagine there are many not you?

MM: Yes, but you know now there’s the internet and no matter where you live, you can stay in touch and communicate with people wherever you are. Almost can not stay alone. If your phone is off a few hours, people call you and ask you what happened to you, where you've been. People thinks you're dead! What the hell! In the past I was taking my time alone, I like to be unavailable from time to time. It's great to have this kind of connections in an emergency or anything, but I hate that the first questions are: where are you? What you doing? Screw You! Leave me alone!

LFdM: Oh God, now I could hug you as you talk to someone who does not like this approach. "I'm sitting and I'm doing an interview ... what's wrong?" Ahahaha

MM: Yeah. And this is my relationship with technology ... my laptop is there, broken by a couple of days. On the one hand is a pain, but I do not really care. Do not I have to check my emails. Great.

LFdM: Does not go so well, however, for the interaction with the fans..

MM: No. In fact, I cannot  post on Facebook. Now there’s instagram. My phone is a Nokia ...

I was the first Finn to get an iPhone 5 and I left it in the box for two months. It has a different sim card, smaller and it pissed me off. I finally changed, but I do not like the way it sends messages. I tap “send” too soon, when the message is not finished…

LFdM: Perhaps your fingers are too large.

MM: It can be. In any case, it’s not for me. I prefer the old Nokia, I follow the old fashioned way. I gave the iphone to my wife, it's perfect: when I post on Instagram, I send a message and she posts the things for me, because my phone can not send photos. It's very retrò.

LFdM: You said that you met a lot of idiots in the metal and in the star system ..

MM: Yes, but there is also great people. I like when you meet people live and you’re not disappointed. Like most I met: Stiv Bators, Alice Cooper ... lovely people, they do not pretend, are genuine. It's nice, they do not disappoint you.

LFdM: Have you ever met people who live at the first meeting were ok, but then became idiotic because of fame?

MM: I've seen that has happened, but never to anyone I was too close. Nothing that has impacted on my life for long. I know those around me, are people who have never changed, even with the fame. They are honest and genuine. And that's what counts for me. I do not like when people change, even when they are drunk, they become strangers and this thing makes me mad.

LFdM: What does it mean to you to be glamorous?

MM: What do you mean with the word "glamour"? Because I've never said to be glam. The glam rock is another fashion and with Hanoi Rocks we were just another rock'n'roll band. They tried to categorize us at the beginning, things like heavy metal, punk ... but the best category for a rock band is "no category". Unfortunately they had to classify us in some way and they have come out with the word "glam". Some British newspapers, in the early 80s said it was curious that the glam was started with a band that has never made glam. And it was true, because we were rock'n'roll. We never defined ourselves otherwise. It is ironic that people call it glam rock, there's nothing glamorous in rock'n'roll, backstage lurid (and you're lucky if you have a backstage or bathrooms) ... the rock is dirty, so I find it ironic the expression "glam rock". Call me in any way, punk (punk was cool before it became fashionable) for me is still rock: honest, genuine, creative. It’s about you as an individual, not necessarily rebellious: do your thing, you are yourself, cultivate your personality ... my style is my style. I do not like when they copy me, because often people is ridiculous when try to copy someone else. One style does not fit all. In the '80s was full of hippies with the eyeliner, jeans and T-shirt. I encourage people to find their own style, do not look like me, just because I do something that they like. All imitations are flattering. Individualism and punk at the time was a resounding kick in the ass to the rich rocker who were there to play twenty minutes of solo while people are asleep. Instead it’s okay not to be perfect in the play, the music is emotion, is what you hear. Simplicity is a feature of writing songs both simple and complex.

LFdM: It’s the feature of your last album. The previous one, "Sensory Overdrive", was much more compact, direct and songs though very nice had the same sound... The latter is much more varied, as the old albums of Hanoi Rocks, to return to the old days. Do you agree?

MM: I think it's a matter of point of view. I'm glad of what you say, it’s cool. The last is an album made by the band, in which different songs and personalities mingle ...

LFdM: There were reggae influences on that album, right?

MM: Well, yes. I’ve always loved reggae music, what it’s said in the songs... I love reggae since its beginnings: Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Bob Marley of course. The Third World is one of my favorite bands. I like to put a little of it here and there. Horns and Halos has reggae parts, "Soul Surrender", for example.

LFdM: 50% punk and 50% reggae?

MM: Yes exactly. Because when we were writing the songs we were never all in the same place at the same time so we had time to recover before the US tour. We were in New York, we started from the East Coast, and we went into the rehearsal room of Steve Conte and we put something down. At the end of the tour we were in Los Angeles and went to studio there and we put down other ideas. But in NY Karl was away for the first two days when we wrote and I was playing drums, Sami has placed a riff and they came out the verses. "Reggae, we said, fuck why not? It’s cool. "

Lfdm: you'll do it again? Play drums, I mean?

MM: Oh well, the last time I played drums was to play "Rock'n'Roll Damnation" by AC / DC with Steve Conte singing.

LFdM: I remeber that. So Michael, you mentioned several times NY: the city has a special place in your heart?

MM: Well, once you lived in NY you will always from that city. I lived ten years in Manhattan.

LFdM: You played a couple of years ago in America ...

MM: Yes, we played at the Electric Ballroom and at the Electric... there's another  Electric in the city... anyway... we played there a few times in recent years. In 2011, Dregen was already in the band, it was the end of the year. Then again we were there in the spring. It's always nice to play in the city, there's whiskey in rivers.

LFdM: How do you feel to play in the USA?

MM: That's great. The public is present, knows the good rock'n'roll. Playing in clubs is always different, there are people who bursts into tears, is moving, they always return. Obviously I love being able to do a long tour, to be with people like Slash or the Foo Fighters, people who have very large bands and who are also our fans. It's great to have this opportunity and assume these levels. We play in front of small groups of people, which are also very passionate of our music, but it is equally great to play in front of a wider audience and increase our fans.

LFdM: Ballad of the Lower East Side: You’ve found a NY much changed. It's a very powerful song, enthusiastic, but also melancholy. Do you agree?

MM: Maybe. It depends. The past does not come back, is one of the largest cities in the world, it has changed, is cleaner and retains the charm of the past anyway. There's no harm in keeping the streets clean.

Lfdm: no certain. In Finland it is always so.

MM: Yes ... cleaner, safer ... nowadays you are not safe anywhere. If I lived in the American campaign would feel the need to have a gun at home and guard dogs, which in Finland is not happening to me. There are people crazy around. It’s productive to live in the country. In Finland I lived there for two years: no TV, I had my well, even if the water was not drinkable and I used only for the shower. Then I had the opportunity, from a friend of a friend, to move to Turku and went. I live in an apartment in the city center, close to the river, I see the skyline, is like a loft, there are no neighbors. It is very private. There are the offices below. This means that I can play in the evening and on weekends, playing the sax and do all the mess that I want. It's perfect for me.

Lfdm: you also have a studio in Suomenlinna?

MM: It's not my study, we have mixed there Sensory Overdrive and Horns and Halos. We worked with Petri Majori, the best engineer in the world, my favorite. We have also recorded three albums with Hanoi. Suomenlinna is only a 15 minute ferry ride from Helsinki, was comfortable ... unfortunately the studio closed. Now a lot of bands must go to Finnvox, Petri works there now.

LFdM: Yes. I visited Finnvox, weird and great experience. 

With some band members you have relationships that go far beyond the simple work ...

MM: With Steve and Sami. He and I are two of the Hanoi Rocks.

LFdM: I was wondering if you'll be working again with Dregen and Ginger.

MM: At the end of the month we will go to Russia to play at a festival and Dregen will join us. We are friends, a family. With Ginger we’re friends ...

LFdM: He’s a fool. You recorded two albums in three years.

MM: Yes, he had a great influence on me. He's a good guy, unpredictable, but a very pleasant company. A talent, I loved working with him. After two years he told us that he was no longer happy and we replied that he was not compelled to remain in the band. So we looked around to find a replacement and I called Dregen before we took Steve. The idea was to play together with Dregen and Ginger. A year later, when we had to replace Ginger, I called him back and he was happy. A year earlier he had regretted not having accepted due to a solo album that was not progressing so much. So he accepted.

LFdM: you put together the greatest guitarists in the world. You are a magnet for talented people.

MM: I am very honored that they want to work with me. They are part of my career, being in a band that makes rock and roll at the highest levels. I am very happy with this band.

LFdM: You see, I was at the Ruisrock when you celebrate your 50 years.

MM: Really? Great party. I have never felt so loved and appreciated. There was a lot of positive energy, very touching.

LFdM: yeah, I was also in Pori ...

MM: uhm what show was?

LFdM: The one where Dregen was completely pissed.

MM: great, right? In the past people would say, well, this is rock'n'roll. Instead they stood there wondering what happened. He was drunk. I had not met off stage and we have not seen him coming. I had no idea of what was happening, I was wondering where he was. He was hiding behind the amps.

LFdM: Yes I agree with you, once they would have called rock 'n roll. Do you remember that rose Jyrki of 69Eyes to convince him to perform? ahahaha 

MM: True! Cool! ahahahaha

LFdM: already, he kicked and like… took the cigarette from his mouth and told him to go and play, at least from the mimicry seemed so ..

MM: Rock 'n roll baby, call it rock' n roll ...

LFdM: Will be the title of this great interview. Thank you with all my heart.

MM: thank you for these relaxing time.

Official Website
Facebook