Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe has made it clear that the current political climate in the United States will not deter him from performing for his American fanbase. In a new interview with “The Logan Show,” the Finnish rock icon discussed his intent to bring his high-energy show back to the States in support of his latest studio album, Outerstellar, released on February 20 via Silver Lining Music.
Monroe emphasized that rock and roll should transcend political divides, rejecting the idea that artists should skip the U.S. because of who sits in the Oval Office.
“Some people say, ‘Well, no, we’re not gonna go and play in America ’cause of [U.S. president Donald] Trump.’ F**k that. Politics and rock don’t mix. Who cares? That’s more of a reason to go and play there,” Monroe stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “It’s not our audience’s fault if the president is what it is. I mean, if you’re not gonna not go to America because of that, then you’re kind of giving up and playing in to doing exactly what they want — joining the enemy.”
He added that the connection with the audience is paramount.
“There’s a great audience there. I love American people. [They] are fantastic. I love playing there, and I wanna come there as much as possible.”
Reflecting on his previous tour in the spring—his first U.S. run in 13 years—Monroe noted the deep-seated appreciation Americans have for the genre.
“We definitely wanna come to the States to play… When we played there, it was fantastic. It was a great reaction. And rock and roll has such a strong foothold. It was just such a strong part of the culture already in the States. In America it’s always been taken seriously… And Little Richard, Chuck Berry, they started it. They actually were the key people, and Buddy Holly and all that, that’s such a strong thing. And you could tell when you play a gig in America, you guys love the guitar rock, especially with two guitars. So, we definitely wanna play in the States more.”
While no dates are officially booked yet, Monroe confirmed that he and guitarist Rich Jones have secured work permits for the next two years. He explained that the long gap between visits wasn’t by choice, but rather a result of financial realities, the pandemic, and the logistics of managing a band spread across the globe.
“Financially, I mean, we played there… We did a couple of months touring, but playing clubs in America, I just came to the conclusion that at the level that we were doing it, you’re just pissing away money. And it’s not worth it. You’re just losing money unless you get some kind of grant or somebody sponsoring something.”
He also highlighted the geographic hurdles of his current all-star lineup, which includes bassist Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls), guitarist Steve Conte (New York Dolls), and drummer Karl Rockfist (Danzig).
“And also my band lives all around the world. Steve Conte lives in New York City, the guitar player. Rich Jones lives in Toronto. [Bassist] Sami Yaffa, he lives sometimes in Helsinki, sometimes in Mallorca in Spain. [Drummer] Karl Rockfist lives in Spain, but far away from Sami. And they’re all all over the world. So getting this band together, all the members in one place, is always a bit of a challenge.”
Despite these obstacles, Monroe credits his current manager, Gav McCaughey, for turning things around and making future U.S. tours a viable reality.
“We’re working on another [tour], getting something happening in the States, coming back to tour there, one way or another, before too long, with this album, for sure. We’re doing the best we can, and as soon as possible we’re coming to play there — the promised land of rock and roll.”
