Michael Monroe, most known for his time dominating the 1980s Sunset Strip with the band Hanoi Rocks, oozes rock and roll prowess once again with the release of his 12th solo album, I Live Too Fast To Die Young. The 11-track record released features many of Monroe’s long-time friends and collaborators including Hanoi Rocks’ bassist Sami Yaffa, Rich Jones (guitars), Steve Conte (guitarist), and Karl Rockfist (drums). BraveWords’ Sydney Taylor caught up with the legendary glamster recently for an upcoming feature and he talks his recent touring escapades with Alice Cooper. 

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been a big fan since I was a kid, probably around 10 years old,” Monroe gushes about Alice. “50 years ago, I would never have imagined that I'd be on stage with him in Germany and that he’d be singing happy birthday to me. He had a cake brought on stage and sang happy birthday with the audience. I was totally flabbergasted. I was like, ‘Is this the best birthday ever?’ At the end of the tour and after the last show in Milan, he gave me this stiletto knife. I posted it on my Facebook. It was the coolest, coolest thing. It wouldn't be cool if it wasn't from Alice.

Alice said that he’s only given one to Bernie Taupin and Nick Cave; so, it's very rare. It's special. They’re really sharp - he uses them for target practice. He has a dart board backstage. I said, ‘Are you throwing darts?’ He said, ‘No, knives, you know, target practice.’ He said he'll teach me. He's such a brilliant guy, now that Little Richard is gone, he is the undisputed king of rock and roll in the world today. He's always stayed rock. Like Mick Jagger of The Stones. I mean, he's one of the pioneers and e did it before a lot of people. Nobody will ever do what he does live… and the show was also so great to tour with and to get to see the show every night. It's the best show in the world. Everybody should see it at least once in their lives. It was a great honor and privilege to open for him. I hope we get to do it again.

It's gonna be in a documentary movie in the making of us these last couple of years. It's gonna be coming out next year. We got a great clip with Alice and me in his hotel in Milan. He was telling me all the stories about… we're talking about rock and roll and then he’s telling me the stories about the early years in Detroit, you know, when they were playing with the MC5, The Stooges, Ted Nugent, and the whole Detroit scene. I hope we get to tour with them again. It was a perfect combination; it worked out perfectly.”

Watch for the full-length BraveWords feature next week!

Order I Live Too Fast To Die Young via Silver Lining Music here.



Photo credit: Bobby Nieminen