Finnish Sleaze-Glam troupe HANOI ROCKS was originally formed in Helsinki during 1980 and led by ex-NYMPHOMANIACS vocalist MICHAEL MONROE (a.k.a. Matti Fagerholm) together with guitarists Stefan Piesnack, ex-BRIARD member Nasty Suicide (Jan Stenfors) bassist Pasi Sti and drummer Peki Senola.

Piesnack was soon superseded, joining PELLE MILJOONA OY, by another former BRIARD and NYMPHOMANIACS member in the form of Andy McCoy (Antti Hulkko), sometimes going by the title Andy von Hulkko, and a new rhythm section was also added comprised of drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Spore) and bassist Sam Yaffa (Sami Takamäki). The PELLE MILJOONA OY album 'Moottoritie On Kuuma' featured both McCoy and Yaffa.

At some point the band were living in Blåkulla in Solna, Sweden, Monroe claiming that they slept in subways and railway stations and busking in order to rehearse. This line-up debuted by recording for the Joanna label in Finland with first a single, 'I Want You' seeing Keimo Hirvonen sessioning on drums, and then an album, March 1981's 'Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks', before beginning to make in-roads into Britain aided by a supportive press. The group recorded their second album, February 1982's 'Oriental Beat', after relocating to London. The album underwent a number of changes, at first given a provocative title of 'Second Attempt For Suicide' and subsequently causing a stir with the original cover art, featuring McCoy's wife Anna, with prominent exposed breast, as the sleeve. Apparently upon a complaint by New Musical Express magazine the photo was switched. In Japan, HANOI ROCKS was already making a name for itself with their albums being issued through major label Nippon Phonogram.

In September 1982 Casino was unceremoniously given the boot, joining ROADRATS, and replaced by Englishman and Isle Of Wight native Razzle (a.k.a. Nick Dingley, ex-DARK and DEMON PREACHER) as the band set to work promoting the October released third outing 'Self Destruction Blues'. 1983 saw the release of HANOI ROCKS' fourth album, 'Back To Mystery City'. Limited edition UK variants on the Lick label hosted a white vinyl 7" single 'Malibu Beach' / 'Rebel Rebel'. That year also found Andy McCoy indulging in a side project act titled URBAN DOGS featuring Charlie Harper and Alvin Gibbs of UK SUBS and Knox of the VIBRATORS. Further extra curricular activity involving the group found the quintet appearing as backing musicians to ex-VIBRATORS vocalist Knox on the FALLEN ANGELS eponymous album on Fallout Records in 1984.

With increased media coverage and a burgeoning cult status the band were ready to be snapped up by a major label and, in 1984, HANOI ROCKS signed to CBS Records, although kept their independence in Scandinavian territories upon their own insistence. The ensuing 'Two Steps From The Move' album was produced in New York by veteran producer Bob Ezrin. The initial promise was justified when the band's cover of CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL's 'Up Around The Bend' scored a valuable hit in the British charts.

Tragically, on December 8th the band suffered a blow from which it would never recover. HANOI ROCKS were taking time off in Los Angeles after an American tour had been put back due to Monroe injuring his foot. Razzle, whilst a passenger in a Pantera sports car being driven at excess speed by MÖTLEY CRÜE vocalist VINCE NEIL, was killed in a head on collision with another car. Swerving to avoid a fire engine Neil's car also killed the driver of the second car and put it's passenger in hospital with severe injuries. The band immediately postponed all planned shows.

Razzle's position was filled by ex-COWBOYS INTERNATIONAL and THE CLASH drummer Terry Chimes and the band grimly soldiered on, only to find another setback occurred when longtime bassist Yaffa quit, feeling that the band was no longer the same. Yaffa formed CHAINGANG then moved to the States and wound up in the San Francisco based Glam outfit JETBOY.

HANOI ROCKS cancelled a planned TV show 'ECT' in June 1985 owing to a suitable replacement for the departed Yaffa still being elusive. Eventually former IDLE FLOWERS bassist RENE BERG joined the band in time for their last shows in Poland. The band's final concert, at the 'Rockerina' estival on May 19th 1985 in front of 8,000 people, would be captured on the live album 'Rock n' Roll divorce'.

Following the collapse of HANOI ROCKS, Nasty Suicide teamed up briefly with Berg once more in WEST END CENTRAL. This band, established in May 1987, added bassist Tom Fox and ex-IDLE FLOWERS drummer Smash and changed titles to SOHO VULTURES. FALLEN ANGELS issued a second album in 1986 dedicated to Razzle and featuring tracks written by Suicide and Yaffa. Meantime, Andy McCoy travelled through a string of acts including CHERRY BOMBS, alongside Suicide and Chimes, and SHOOTING GALLERY. Suicide contributed his guitar skills to noted Finnish AORster ANNICA and her highly rated 'Badly Dreaming' 1988 opus.

MICHAEL MONROE released creditable solo albums as well as ill-fated band projects JERUSALEM SLIM, with ex-BILLY IDOL guitarist STEVE STEVENS, and DEMOLITION 23 involving Yaffa and Suicide. During 1989 GUNS N' ROSES, publically acknowledging their debt in both sound and to the Finns, re-issued the HANOI ROCKS back catalogue in the USA through their custom Uzu Suicide imprint. A further project of McCoy's would be a studio alliance with SKID ROW singer SEBASTIAN BACH. Apparently an album's worth of material was recorded at New York's Electric Ladyland studios during 1992 but rejected by Atlantic Records.

Suicide was a member of CHERRY BOMBZ before creating his own act CHEAP AND NASTY for two albums, 1991's ''Beautiful Disaster' and 1994's 'Cool Talk Injection'. Suicide also released a solo album, titled 'Vinegar Blood' in Finland during 1996 under his original name of JAN STENFORS. The record notably featured Yaffa on bass and ANNICA (Annika Wiklund) on vocals. Chimes would join Heavy Metal heavyweights BLACK SABBATH in 1987 for tours of South Africa and Europe.

News emerged in the summer of 2001 that McCoy and Monroe had reunited under the billing 'HANOI REVISITED' for the Finnish 'Ruisrock' festival in July. By early 2002 it would appear a HANOI ROCKS reformation might be in the offing as Monroe and Andy McCoy officially reunited for songwriting sessions. Also involved in these sessions would be guitarist Costello, bassist Timpa Laine, and drummer Kari "Lacu" Lahtinen. The quartet even made available a track, 'People Like Me', through their website as an intriguing taster. When issued as a single 'People Like Me' took the top spot on the Finnish singles charts and was soon certified with gold sales status. The album 'Twelve Shots On The Rocks' gave the band its highest ever Japanese chart position, at number 27.

HANOI ROCKS drummer Kari "Lacu" Lahtinen would temporarily deputise for fellow Finns SNAKEGOD on the live front during the summer. The transition was less involved than it might have been as Lahtinen was actually a former member of SNAKEGOD. Road work would see the band hitting the UK clubs throughout November. Original HANOI ROCKS guitarist Nasty Suicide made a special guest appearance at the band's New Year's Eve show at the Caribia/994-Hall in Turku, Finland. This marked Suicide's first reunion with the band since 1984. However, with Suicide effectively out of the music business the search was on for a permanent replacement. In March 2004 Conny Bloom, frontman for the ELECTRIC BOYS, was suggested as being the frontrunner for the position but in early May the task was given over to DIAMOND DOGS guitarist Steve Klasson. The band's first showing of this new line-up would be on July 8th at the Tavastia club in Helsinki. Meantime, ex-HANOI ROCKS man Sam Yaffa would be on the road in the US as part of JOAN JETT's live band.

Sadly, former HANOI ROCKS bassist RENE BERG passed away on 28th July 2003. Rumours amonst the musical community, from whom Berg had deliberately drawn away from, suggested the musician had a history of battling depression and drug abuse.

Los Angeles Hard Rockers L.A. GUNS cut a rendition of 'Until I Get You' for their 2004 album 'Rip The Covers Off'. Meantime, HANOI ROCKS found themselves back in demand in their home country, the single 'Keep Our Fire Burning', entering the Finnish charts at number 2. In early December drummer Lacu stood in for THE 69 EYES, regular sticksman Jussi 69 having been forced out due to a burst appendix. After these shows bassist Timpa opted out. Former ELECTRIC BOYS man Andy 'A.C.' Christell was acquired as replacement.

Monroe too put in a guest appearance, donating his harmonica skills to SUNRIDE's 'The End Justifies The Means' album.

UK shows in February of 2005 promoting the new album 'Another Hostile Takeover', which landed at number 5 on the national Finnish album chart, saw ADAM BOMB as support act. The new album saw inclusions of the STIV BATORS penned 'No Compromise, No Regrets' and a cover of PHIL LYNOTT's 'Dear Miss Lonely Hearts'. Japanese variants, issued through JVC Victor, added an extra track in 'Heaven Is Gonna Be Empty'.

The erstwhile HANOI ROCKS pairing of keyboard player Pate Flintstone and drummer Kari Lahtinen formed up part of ex-RAINBOW singer GRAHAM BONNET's touring band for Russian and Baltic gigs in February. Meantime, ex-bassist Sami Yaffa, having teamed up with the legendary NEW YORK DOLLS, also joined up with all-star trio TODD YOUTH'S HEARTACHES, fronted by Todd Youth of MURPHY'S LAW, D-GENERATION, DANZIG, WARZONE, AGNOSTIC FRONT, SAMHAIN, CHROME LOCUST and THE CHELSEA SMILES repute on vocals and guitar with GLUECIFER drummer Danny Young.

HANOI ROCKS created traffic chaos in central Helsinki on 15th April when they played a free showcase concert outside the Stockmann department store. The group performed twenty minutes of new songs from 'Another Hostile Takeover', their first recorded output featuring Conny Bloom, to a crowd estimated to be 14,000 strong. The band also appeared as unnannounced guests at the German 'Bang Your Head' festival.

'Another Hostile Takeover' finally saw a full European release in September through the UK label Demolition Records. Finnish headline dates took the band through October. For a one off 26th December gig in Seinäjoki, Finland the band employed the session services of drummer Gary Bitter.

HANOI ROCKS supported TWISTED SISTER in the UK in June 2006.

In October 2008 Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy issued a statement signalling the demise of the band. "HANOI ROCKS have decided to break up by the end of the year 2008. Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy feel that they've taken the band as far as it can go and now wish to go their separate ways. All commitments until the end of the year, including the UK tour starting in London on Halloween, will naturally be honoured. In addition, the band has decided to say farewell to their fans by doing a final tour of Japan in the spring 2009 and immediately thereafter wrapping things up with a few nights at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki, Finland where their career originally got started in the 80's".

A farewell tour of Japan in March 2009 was supported by WEDNESDAY 13.