Hanoi Rocks - The Nottingham Tapes

Razzle steals the show

The first version of Hanoi Rocks formed in Helsinki in 1979, but the following year saw a major shift in personnel, with founding members Mike Monroe (vocals) and Nasty Suicide (guitar) joined by Sam Yaffa (bass), Andy McCoy (guitar) and Gyp Casino (drums). They uprooted to Stockholm in 1981, then London in 1982, where they sacked Casino and recruited Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley, former drummer with London punk band The Dark (though even then he could be seen teetering around punk nights at the Lyceum in his high-heeled boots).

The relocation was perfect: Hanoi Rocks’ endearing blend of glam, sleaze, androgyny, punk and earthy rock’n’roll came as a breath of fresh air to early 80s UK. Live, they were welcomed with open arms, but frustratingly didn’t seriously trouble the charts until Two Steps From The Move went Top 30 in October 1984, by which time they had upped sticks again to LA.

This set catches the band at the Palais, Nottingham, during the previous April. They’re at the top of their game, the high point being Razzle (only eight months before his tragic death) taking vocal duty at the end for a stage-invaded version of Blitzkrieg Bop, while Monroe does a decent job on drums.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Cherry Red | CRDVD 169

Reviewed by Shane Baldwin
<< Back to Issue 352

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