Manchester Academy 03/11

   By Chris Rockson

   

    Back in Manchester on the UK leg of their latest promo tour, Hanoi Rocks have certainly changed in  both personnel
    and direction. Gone are the days of Nasty and Razzle [R.I.P] and Sami is now a fully fledged New York Doll.
    The sounds are, although similar to the Hanoi Rocks of old, strangely different too. It was way back in 1984 that I
    first came across them, playing at the Gallery, just down the road from tonight's venue at the Academy.

    That night, I was introduced to something very fresh, vibrant and quite new. Tonight, I don't know how, but they have
    lost their shine and shimmer of old, replaced by a straight-forward rock act. Monroe still has 'it'...whatever 'it' was,
    he still has 'it'!! Andy McCoy, playing some of his best stuff in years, still looks every bit the wasted rockstar,
    and he still has the moves too. The remainder of the band are tight. But that's it! They are tight!

    The songs cover their entire career, with heavy emphasis on the new CD 'Street Poetry', which has some
    well crafted numbers. The crowd was somewhat disappointing too, to say that it is now some years since their last visit.

    Once the crowd had settled, and the band were in full swing, who cared whether they dropped a chord or Monroe
    forgot the words...the audience, which was a real cross-section, some oldies and lots of new fans were
    loving every minute of it.

    It's great to see them back on the road again, with new material to sell....it's what these guys do best!
    There has been a million look-a-like Hanoi Rocks, since their demise in the late 80's, but none could come close...
    and just like the Dolls' are packing them in again, its also nice to know that Hanoi are back!