Cult act DEMOLITION 23, founded by HANOI ROCKS members Michael Monroe and Sami Yaffa in New York in 1993, will return to play six shows in Finland in the fall 2023. The band’s debut album, “Demolition 23” (1994),was produced by Little Steven Van Zandt and ended up as DEMOLITION 23‘s only release, as the group broke up in 1995. DEMOLITION 23‘s original guitarist Jay Hening was replaced by Nasty Suicide (HANOI ROCKS) in 1994.
The idea for these DEMOLITION 23 shows came after the band reunited for the first time in 30 years, performing as the “support act” for Michael‘s sold-out 60th-birthday bash at the Ice Stadium in Helsinki on September 23, 2022.
Monroe says: “The DEMOLITION 23 reunion at the Helsinki Ice Stadium was so cool and so much fun that we started talking about doing some more shows in the future. So now it’s actually happening, as we’re playing a short tour of six gigs in Finland this fall. These shows are very special so don’t miss them.”
After DEMOLITION 23‘s demise in 1995, their only album was unavailable for decades until it was rereleased in the fall of 2022, remastered with three bonus tracks, on Little Steven‘s Wicked Cool label in all formats — digitally, on CD and now for the first time on vinyl too.
DEMOLITION 23 Finnish tour dates 2023:
Sep. 28 – Tampere, Pakkahuone
Sep. 29 – Turku, Logomo
Sep. 30 – Lahti, Möysän Musaklubi
Oct. 05 – Jyväskylä, Lutakko
Oct. 06 – Helsinki, Tavastia
Oct. 07 – Kotka, Hotelli Leikari
DEMOLITION 23 2023 is:
Michael Monroe – Vocals
Nasty Suicide – Guitar
Sami Yaffa – Bass
Karl Rockfist – Drums
Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy founded HANOI ROCKS in the late 1970s and the band’s original lineup was established in 1980. HANOI ROCKS, the first Finnish rock band to make an international breakthrough, recorded their first three albums with the original lineup: “Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks” (1981),“Oriental Beat” (1982) and “Self Destruction Blues” (1982). Drummer Gyp Casino was replaced in 1982 by Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley who became an integral member of HANOI ROCKS. Razzle died in a tragic accident in 1984. Unfortunately, this led to the band’s untimely demise in early 1985.