SLASH

featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

SPECIAL GUEST

MICHAEL MONROE

Hartwall Arena, Helsinki

19′TH of February 2013

REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY MARKO SYRJALA

Legendary guitar hero Slash appeared in Finland for the second time as a solo artist, this time in Hartwall Arena in Helsinki. Slash released his second solo album LOVE APOCALYPTIC LOVE last May and it also features Slash’s longtime touring band members: vocalist Myles Kennedy, drummer Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. The new album has not only been a sales success, but critics have also generously praised the disc. The success of this album and ongoing tour has proved that ex Guns’n Roses guitarist is doing great on his own without the burdens of the past.

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MICHAEL MONROE

REVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJALA

Year 2012 was another great one for Michael Monroe. The band did shows in U.S, South America, Sweden and they played numerous shows in Finland including all the biggest festivals. Lately the band has been working on the follow up for highly successful SENSORE OVERDRIVE and the album should be out in early 2013. The band returned to Helsinki and Club Tavastia on early December and played three sold out shows in a row. These gigs were the last ones of the SENSORE OVERDRIVE –tour which lasted over one and half years.

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Electric Boys – headline

And Them Boys Done Swang Tour 2012

Bonafide – support act

Kulturbolaget

Malmoe

Sweden

23/3 – 2011

Live Review & pictures by: Anders Sandvall

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Michael Monroe

 MICHAEL MONROE

CLUB NOSTURI, HELSINKI

31′st of December 2011

REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY MARKO SYRJALA

2011 was definitely a great year for Michael Monroe. The new album SENRORE OVERDRIVE was a critical and commercial success and Monroe won several prizes from the media including the album of the year award from the valued Classic Rock magazine as well as the band of the year title from Finnish Emma gala. Monroe’s great year ended up with two sold out nights in Helsinki’s Club Nosturi before leaving for a well-earned three month break.

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Michael Monroe – headline

Sensory Overdrive Scandinavia Tour 2011

Vomit Supreme (support act)

Rock The Night Club, The Rock

Copenhagen, Denmark

April 2, 2011

Reviewed and live pictures by: Anders Sandvall

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23.03 2011

CLUB TAVASTIA, HELSINKI

REVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJÄLÄ

Michael Monroe finally released his long awaited studio album SENSORY OVERDRIVE. Despite this, the band spend the whole last year performing across the globe band now started another tour to support its new release. The new album has received excellent reception here in Finland. It was number one in the official album list here and that’s something, I’m not 100% sure about this, but it’s something that the re-united Hanoi Rock’s was never able to reach with its three albums. For sure it wasn’t an easy thing for Michael to decide to quit Hanoi Rocks but the success of this new album does prove that it was after all a right decision. 

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Michael Monroe

Another Night In The Sun Tour 2010

Kulturbolaget

Malmoe

Sweden

12/10-2010

Reviewed and live photos by: Anders Sandvall

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RUISROCK FESTIVAL 2010

9 – 11′th of JULY, TURKU, FINLAND

 REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY MARKO SYRJÄLÄ

Ruisrock celebrated its 40th anniversary in sunny Ruissalo. Although the festival lineup included mostly domestic artists, there were lots of interesting foreign names as well such as the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, former Guns’n Roses guitarist Slash, Arch Enemy, and Amon Amarth represented the heavier side while there were also a long list of bands from pop, punk, prog and alternative worlds as well. Such names as: Billy Talent, Canned Heat, NOFX, Flogging Molly and the Sounds show clearly how versatile the festival Ruisrock is and that mix seems to work out well. Altogether there were over 70,000 visitors in Ruisrock during three days.

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MICHAEL MONROE

Club Tavastia, HELSINKI

1′st of APRIL 2010

REVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJÄLÄ

It’s been about ten years since Michael Monroe last played a solo show in Helsinki.  That’s of course because of Hanoi Rocks rebirth which started in 2001. Hanoi Rocks released three successful studio albums before they decided to disband again in 2009 after a series of sold out shows in Club Tavastia. Unlike his former colleague Andy McCoy, who announced his very short live Real McCoy project almost right away, Michael decided to take to some time before getting  back in action.  In January of 2010 Michael announced his new all star band which included: Ginger from The Wildhearts, former Hanoi Rocks / Demolition 23 bassist Sam Yaffa, guitarist Todd Youth and another former Demolition 23 member Jimmy Clarke. This new band first did a handful of successful shows in the USA before heading back in Europe. They arrived in Finland in late March to play six shows with the renewed line up including New York Dolls guitarist Steve Conte and and drummer Karl Rosenfist.

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ELECTRIC BOYS

CONNY BLOOM AND A.C CHRISTELL

On April 12th, 2009 the eighth sold out gig in only six days, at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki, concluded the series of farewell performances by HANOI ROCKS. After putting out three albums, TWELVE SHOTS ON THE ROCKS in 2002, ANOTHER HOSTILE TAKEOVER in 2005 and STREET POETRY in 2007, since reuniting, Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe have decided to call it a day.

To coincide with the farewell tour, a book entitled "All Those Wasted Years" has been released, but since it hardly scratches the surface concerning the more recent stages of the band we decided to sit down for a chat with current guitarist Conny Bloom and bassist Andy Christell. Both also share a long history in connection with HANOI ROCKS, having already toured alongside them in the 1980′s with THE ROAD RATS [also featuring ex-HANOI ROCKS drummer, Gyp Casino]. In addition to HANOI ROCKS and THE ROAD RATS, Conny Bloom and Andy Christell have played and reaped success together in ROLENE and most importantly the, now reunited, ELECTRIC BOYS.

INTERVIEW BY MARKO SYRJÄLÄ AND JARNO HUOVILA

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GYP CASINO ex-Hanoi Rocks, Live Ammo, Road Rats, Rolene

GYP CASINO

Interview by Marko Syrjälä

Pictures: Marko Syrjälä & Archives

The Swedish born drummer, Gyp Casino, will forever be best known as a member of the original, and arguably the best, lineup of the legendary Finnish band HANOI ROCKS. He played on the bands first three albums, BANGKOK SHOCKS, SAIGON SHAKES, HANOI ROCKS in 1981, ORIENTAL BEAT and SELF DESTRUCTION BLUES both in 1982. His tenure with the band culminated in getting fired over an on-stage fight with the band leader Andy McCoy [the reason why he isn't credited for his work on SELF DESTRUCTION BLUES despite playing all the drums].

He then went on to play with the Swedish ROAD RATS and later ROLENE, together with future HANOI ROCKS members Conny Bloom and Andy Christell. Later on he got to enjoy great success, both in the charts aswell as live, all over Sweden with PELLE ALMGREN before again joining up with Andy McCoy in his band LIVE AMMO and putting out the BUILDING ON TRADITION album in 1995. He currently runs a business in Stockholm where he was gracious enough to recount some interesting tales from his career with HANOI ROCKS, ANDY MCCOY’S ALIVE AMMO, ROAD RATS, ROLENE, etc.

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Hanoi Rocks

Street Poetry European Tour

Kulturbolaget

Malmoe

Sweden

16/2 – 2008

Reviewed by: Anders Sandvall

Pictures by: Anders Sandvall

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Hanoi Rocks
Another Hostile Takeover Swedish Tour
Kulturbolaget
Malmö
Sweden
10/12 – 2005

 Reviewed by: Anders Sandvall
Livepics by: Anders Sandvall

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ALICE COOPER with Hanoi Rocks     06.08 2005 Ice Hall TAMPERE, FINLAND

After a couple of years break Alice Cooper once again brings his rock?n roll circus back to Finland. He recently released a new album called ?Dirty Diamonds? and he?s been on tour supporting that album since last June. When Alice Cooper last visited Finland it was 2001 and he was playing the Ice Hall in Helsinki. There was less than 3000 people in the audience the and the place was half empty so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I heard that this show was completely sold out and it means that there were almost 6000 people seeing this show.

Review and pictures by Marko Syrj?l?

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RUISROCK FESTIVAL
8-10.7 2005
TURKU, FINLAND

Reviews and pics by Arto Lehtinen and Marko “Spandex” Syrjala

Ruisrock is one of several festivals arranged on the soil of Finland every year by carrying the profile and image of the main stream rock with the proud and honor. Ruisrock is claimed to be one of the longest running rock festivals arranged in a row without big breaks in Europe. The main important purpose of the concept of the festival is to present the frontline names of the Finnish rock scene and have a few big names booked to filling up a headliner?s spot. Originally the much claimed Velvet Revolver was supposed to conclude the whole festival on Sunday, but for a reason or another Slash and the company packed up and was replaced by a long time British gothic mongers Paradise Lost. However the festival was damn success in every aspect as all in all 70.000 people visited the festival during the weekened in the beautiful national park in a town called Turku. However here is the brief article of the festival with a solid dissection of a few bands which played there.

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