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MIKE MONROE – straight in your face
Time for another look in The Rearview Mirror.
Back in 2003 I did a phone interview with Hanoi Rocks-frontman Mike Monroe. I wish every rock star was as honest, openhearted and totally in your face as Mike was. At least THAT evening, he was a journalist’s dream.
When my photographer friend and I met him (and Hanoi-guitarist Andy McCoy) in Malmo a few years later, he was everybody’s nightmare. But that story is too long to tell here, so I’ll save that for another day. Let’s just say that he owes us about 100 bucks for Indian food!
Anyhooo…. In this interview, he talked about everything and anything: Drugs, alcohol and groupies. Overcoming personal tragedies. Religion. Movies and actors. Computers and TV. Fear. Cooking. Biographies. Marilyn Manson…and a bunch of other things.
Still editing some of those clips, phone interviews tend to be a bit “scratchy” so, I’ll add them one by one. If you like Mike Monroe – keep checking back. Enjoy!
MIKE MONROE ON MÖTLEY CRÜE & “THE DIRT”:
“That’s a bunch of horseshit!”
MIKE MONROE ON THE ROCKSTAR-MYTH:
“They cheat on their wives and then they go onstage and sing about how their baby left them….
What the fuck do you expect when you’re screwing around like banshees!”
MIKE ON COPING WITH PERSONAL TRAGEDIES:
“If you can find one friend, one person who you can totally trust, who knows you as well as anybody can know you – then you’re really lucky.”
MIKE’S BEST BEAUTY-TIP! ;-)
…last but not least – Mike (and Axl) kicking some ass in Dead, Jail or Rock’n’roll!
Van Halen ticket-hell!
So…. the Van Halen presale-tickets went on sale today. My GOD…. I didn’t realize what a MESS it is to get hold of tickets to the big arena-shows in the US. Oh, boy.
Here in Europe, or in Sweden at least, it’s plain and simple. A release date is announced. On that day and that time, it’s the law of the jungle that applies – whoever comes first grabs the best tickets.
And when it’s sold out – it¨s sold out. But you can, of course, always buy them unbelievably overpriced somewhere online at any time before the show. Even on the day of the show. So – you never have to panic. It’s all cool and it’s fair.
In the US it’s a freaking nightmare trying to figure out who gets what.
You get all these different “exclusive pre-sales”, all of them starting on different dates, different time zones, you need passwords and special links. Then of course, to make things even more confusing, there are the various VIP-packages and whatever else…..
It stressed me out so much I almost lost it. I REALLY – and I mean R-E-A-L-L-Y wanted a GOOD ticket to one of the Van Halen-shows (in this case the Madison Square Garden-show).
If I’m going to get on a plane and travel across the Atlantic, I really don’t feel like sitting in the nosebleed-section, thank you very much.
When the first tickets went on sale today, it turned out it was just for American Express-holders. I didn’t realize that. I can’t recall seeing that information anywhere before – cause if I had known, I would have asked around to see if anyone HAD an American Express that I could use for this.
I made a test just to see what kind of seats I would get, and got one on the floor, 5th row… that I couldn’t buy..!. My temper got the best of me at that point.
A few hours later, Live Nation finally revealed the password for THEIR presale (sigh…) So, I went back to Ticketmaster, ready to purchase one of THOSE tix…. Nope. Presale on Friday – when I’ll be on a PLANE all day on my way to ATHENS, Greece for the Firewind-show! Gah!!
And then, the day after THAT – tickets for “the general public”…..
Seriously, what’s the deal?? Why not just get those tickets on sale and get it over with! Thousands of anxious fans out there are DYING to get their hands on those tickets, why all these meaningless “VIP” this and VIP-that -games?!
You know that even the so called “VIP”-seats are going to suck, because the REAL good seats are already reserved for the “important” people. I’ve never been front row at any arena-show in the USA except for the VH1 Rock Honors show in Las Vegas in 2006 – because I was “TV-audience”, chosen by VH1.
I’ll never forget my very first concert-experience in the States (big arena-show). It was AC/DC playing at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, NY (I think it’s called the Pepsi arena nowadays). I was looking forward to standing in front of Angus jumping and screaming my guts out. You know, the way it’s supposed to be at a rock concert.
When I walked into the arena that night, I thought it was a joke. There were CHAIRS on the floor, in front of the stage….. WTF?! I wasn’t there to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra, I was there to see a ROCK BAND.
Over here, there are no chairs in front of the stage at rock-shows. I guess it’s a matter of reserving the “Best seats in the house” for celebrities, girlfriends, friends, radio stations, journalists, whoever. As a FAN you never get a chance at those really good seats – forget it. You’re lucky if you end up on the 5th row – and of course you’ll have to pay two months worth of rent for the ticket.
Very frustrating for someone like me who’s used to getting good tickets simply by being prepared: Logged in, links and everything else that I need, my credit card and all that in my hand…. That’s how I got a ticket for the Golden Circle for the Black Sabbath concert in Malmo this summer (if it happens, now with the shocking news we heard yesterday…. who cares about the show, I hope Tony gets well). I got the best spot in the house all over Europe all summer to see Ozzy for instance!
And then you get all this crap as soon as you want to see a band you love in the US.
American Express, Live Nation, passwords, codes, special links, different sales-dates, Facebook-pages (“Like”, “RSVP”, share to get a presale code…!) VIP-packages blah blah – and in the end, you’ll end up with nothing. A seat somewhere way UP or way in the BACK. Take a pick.Am I pissed off? You bet I am. I think the system blows. It would be a lot easier for everybody if we all could go to a great show under the same circumstances.
But maybe that’s just me…
Tony Iommi facing a demon
I was on the train, on my way home from work….pulled out my cell to check my e-mail. Went on Facebook and saw a message left by Neil Murray:
Wishing Jon Lord and Tony Iommi all the strength and luck needed to fight cancer. Here’s hoping for a return to full health and many more years of creativity!
It’s strange how the world just stops for a moment. You think you got it wrong, so you read it again. Cancer? Not again…! Suddenly all the worst scenarios start going through your head.
You get scared – because what’s always been there in your life, solid as a rock – are your metal heroes. And Tony Iommi is a legend. Without him we wouldn’t be listening to this music, you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog and I certainly wouldn’t be writing it. The people who are playing the music we all love, wouldn’t have known it existed unless Tony and a few other dudes had invented it….
People like that are immortal. I always thought that Dio was one of those people who would be around forever and ever, because it felt that way. Those that have always been there are kind of like family. You expect them to be well and live forever. In a way I guess they do.
Well, those are only the first moments when all the WORST case scenarios run through your head. You stop to take things for granted for a second, it just shakes you up a little bit.
Even legends get sick.
It reminds you that they are human, after all.
I texted my friend in Australia who’s a huge Iommi-fan and he was stunned and a bit shocked too. But, once you shake that fear and start thinking positively and realistically you realize that there’s no reason to freak out.
Tony’s lymphoma has been detected early with good cure rates. And this is a very determined man. I think and believe that he will be just fine.
Jon Lord was diagnosed with cancer too recently and he’s doing okay. Cancer can be cured, it’s no longer a death sentence.
We should all send our love and positive thoughts to Tony and the support he needs for a speedy recovery. He’ll get through this a winner.
Get well soon Tony!
Evening of the nerds
First nerd-evening of the year. First one in months actually. It was great to meet everybody again, and also welcome a new member of the “nerd club”.
The idea for this whole “nerd”-thing came about when I had some people over for my birthday about two years ago.
When a bunch of musicians get together, you end up talking music. I love that. But I was quickly made aware, by one of my non-musician guests, that not everybody enjoys it as much as I do. She said: “Could we please not talk about just music today?”
I realized that it might be a better idea to invite ONLY the “music nerds” to a “music evening” and overindulge in everything music….! That way, we wouldn’t have to bore other people.
Said and done. We’ve had those nerd-evenings ever since. We meet at my place, popcorn, snacks, beer, wine, the usual- and dedicate the evening to music: Watch music-related DVD, a live-concert DVD, listen to a record, watch stuff on YouTube…anything that we can check out and yap about. Sometimes somebody brings a guitar or two, well you get the idea.
Basically – it’s an evening where every music nerd can live it out without worrying about boring someone.
I love those evenings, and it’s funny how they have somehow earned a reputation. There have been different people joining up every time.
Today it was the guys from Chains – I missed those guys, we’ve always had fun when we got together. “Original nerd” Hemmi came with his friend Christoffer who went with us on the trip to Manchester recently, to see Steel Panther, Motley and Leppard.
But he had been up all night so he did most of his nerding in his sleep, half passed out in the chair…! :-)
Today was a 6 hour session, but they have been longer sometimes. I think our record was 8 or 9 hours. I guess that this opportunity for “nerding” is something that people who are as passionate about music as we are, really need.
Cause you usually spend your days with people who don’t get that whole “rock’n’roll thing”. So when you finally get to hang with people who get it, you just can’t get enough.
[Watching Steel Panther on YouTube]
I can talk about all kinds of things with all sorts of people, no problem, but when I meet new aquaintances and I discover that they know music and are interested in it, I get such a kick.
I could talk about music for hours, and if I had people around me 24-7 who were also into it, I probably would.
So, the “nerd evenings” are popular for a reason.
There’s always something new to see or hear or discover. The world of music is like an endless well, you could spend a lifetime exploring, yet you wouldn’t have discovered a fraction of everything that’s out there.
I guess I’m a nerd – and proud of it. :-)
David Lee Roth: “There’s the Swedish girl! Give her a pass”
So today has been a bit nerve-wracking.
Today is when Van Halen is supposed to announce their tour dates for 2012, and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on a ticket – AND a plane ticket to wherever I need to go to see them.
VH is one of the last classic rock bands that I haven’t seen. So there’s no question about it, just tell me where and when and I’ll be there.
I’ve seen David Lee Roth as a solo-artist though. It’s been a while and I don’t remember all the details anymore, but I believe it was 1999, he played Sweden Rock Festival. I was hanging at the hotel all day meeting other bands, and for a split second I saw Dave just whoosh by through the lobby, never had a chance to catch him. Dammit – I really wanted to meet him.
[David Lee Roth – performing at Sweden Rock Festival 1999]
Later that evening, I ended up talking to two nice guys in the hotel-bar, who had travelled everywhere, had interesting stories to tell and were basically just really good company.
As it turned out, one of them was David’s body guard…
He promised me he’d get Dave to stop for a few minutes the next day to sign something for me “He doesn’t go anywhere without me, so don’t worry, we’ll take care of this for you“.
He did. And I’ve got a horrible photo to prove it, lol! ;-)
[David Lee and me in the hotel lobby at Karlshamn Hotel, June 12, 1999]
Later that year, my friend Bianca and me went to Washington to visit my aunt, and decided to go see David once again. He played the MCI Center June 24, 1999, opening for Bad Company. He blew them off the stage, if you ask me!
But anyway… We had no plans for that day. It was a hot and sunny, and we were just out sightseeing in Washington D.C most of the day.
Tired from all the walking, we found this big concrete….something (like a big stair or something, not sure what to call it) where we sat down and leaned our backs against the wall – just relaxing in the sun.
Suddenly, we saw this big limo with black windows approaching. It disappeared down in an underground garage that was right next to us. I figured it had to be either David Lee Roth or Bad Company.
I didn’t think more of it, we went to the arena entrance cause it was almost time for the doors to open. Once again we found a little window ledge to sit on, when…. The sun was blocked by a shadow. Somebody was standing there. I looked up, and there was that guy again – David’s assistant/body guard whatever.
He was holding two backstage passes in his hand. “David told me to go find you and give you these. You’re welcome backstage after the show”.
Uh… WHAT…??
I couldn’t believe what he just said. DAVID LEE ROTH sent his assistant to FIND me and hand me backstage passes?? How exactly does something like that happen just out of the blue??
– He saw you when we pulled up in the limo. He just said: “There’s that Swedish girl. Find her. Give her passes.”
That shit just doesn’t happen. Or it happens to somebody else. Or in this case, it happened to us. To this day, I can’t believe it. But there’s the laminate to prove it. :-)
The backstage area was crammed, strippers and groupies and all the usual sort of people you’d expect to see backstage with Kiss, or David Lee Roth. I wondered what the hell we were doing there.
I helped myself from the buffet, had a bottle of beer, eventhough I don’t even drink beer – but the beer was cold and I was thirsty. I remember talking to his drummer Ray Luzier and his girlfriend, really nice people both of them. I’ve got a bunch of photos from the backstage area somewhere, I’ll post them on the Facebook-page once I find them. :-)
David disappeared into another room with the boobie-queens, I’m sure they were just talking politics somewhere. :) When he came back, I thanked him so much for inviting me. He just smiled and said that he immediately recognized me when they drove to the venue. Guess that sometimes you just need to be at the right place at the right time!
So…. Now when he’s out with Van Halen again, I’m one of the first to go – trust me! :-)
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