Demolition 23
Encyclopedia
Demolition 23. was a rock
band formed in 1993 in New York
by former Hanoi Rocks
frontman Michael Monroe
and ex-Star Star guitarist Jay Hening, following the ending of Monroe's Jerusalem Slim project with Steve Stevens
.
Initially Demolition 23. was a covers band
playing live shows in New York with Monroe and Hening joined by accomplished session drummer Jimmy Clark. Their shows were notable for guest appearances by music industry friends such as Sebastian Bach
and Kory Clarke
.
Demolition 23's eponymous debut album was recorded at Power Station Studios
in New York City and produced by Little Steven
. Monroe's former Hanoi Rocks bandmate Sami Yaffa
played bass guitar on the album and the music was a return to Monroe and Yaffa's punk
roots with tracks such as Same Shit Different Day, Hammersmith Palais
and covers
of songs by Johnny Thunders
, UK Subs
and The Dead Boys. The album was dedicated to the memory of Stiv Bators
and released on the Music For Nations
label in 1994.
Jay Hening was injured in a road accident in 1994 and after being refused entry to the UK
for a tour of Europe
was replaced on guitar by Nasty Suicide
. With three former members, the touring line-up of Demolition 23. was the closest to a reunion of Hanoi Rocks since that band had split up in 1985. On February 14, 1995 the former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy joined Demolition 23 for three songs at Helsinki's Tavastia Club
. That date, despite the 2001 rebirth of Hanoi Rocks, marks the only time that the four surviving members of the classic Hanoi Rocks line up (Monroe-McCoy-Suicide-Yaffa) have played together since January 1985 at the Europe-A-Go-Go Festival in Helsinki.
In March 1995 Nasty Suicide announced his departure from the band much to the surprise of Michael Monroe who then decided to split the band.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in 1993 in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by former Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
frontman Michael Monroe
Michael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
and ex-Star Star guitarist Jay Hening, following the ending of Monroe's Jerusalem Slim project with Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens is an American guitarist and songwriter.He is best known for playing for other artists and less known for his critically acclaimed solo efforts , collaborations Steve Stevens (born as Steven Schneider on May 5, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.He...
.
Initially Demolition 23. was a covers band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
playing live shows in New York with Monroe and Hening joined by accomplished session drummer Jimmy Clark. Their shows were notable for guest appearances by music industry friends such as Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
and Kory Clarke
Warrior Soul
Warrior Soul is an American hard rock band formed by lead singer Kory Clarke, guitarist Cliff St. Croix , later replaced by John Ricco, later replaced by Alex, a Scotsman living in New York City , and guitarist Chris Moffett. Then Peter Jay Tsudis...
.
Demolition 23's eponymous debut album was recorded at Power Station Studios
Avatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
in New York City and produced by Little Steven
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
. Monroe's former Hanoi Rocks bandmate Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa
Sami Yaffa is a bass guitarist best known for his time in Hanoi Rocks during the 1980s. He is currently the bassist for the New York Dolls and the Michael Monroe band. He also plays guitar in his own band "Mad Juana".-Biography:Yaffa first began playing music when only fourteen years old in 1977...
played bass guitar on the album and the music was a return to Monroe and Yaffa's punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
roots with tracks such as Same Shit Different Day, Hammersmith Palais
Hammersmith Palais
The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...
and covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of songs by Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
, UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
and The Dead Boys. The album was dedicated to the memory of Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
and released on the Music For Nations
Music For Nations
Music For Nations was a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. They were a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records who in turn is owned by BMG....
label in 1994.
Jay Hening was injured in a road accident in 1994 and after being refused entry to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for a tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
was replaced on guitar by Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide
Nasty Suicide is the ex-rhythm and lead guitarist for Hanoi Rocks between 1979-1985. Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band that combined elements of punk, glam rock, rock and roll, and blues. Before his tenure in Hanoi Rocks, Suicide played guitar in a Finnish punk band called Briard in the late...
. With three former members, the touring line-up of Demolition 23. was the closest to a reunion of Hanoi Rocks since that band had split up in 1985. On February 14, 1995 the former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy joined Demolition 23 for three songs at Helsinki's Tavastia Club
Tavastia Club
The Tavastia Club is a popular rock music club in Helsinki, Finland. The house is owned by Hämäläis-Osakunta, one of the student nations at the University of Helsinki, but since 1991 the club has been operated by a private enterprise renting the house from the nation. It is located in central...
. That date, despite the 2001 rebirth of Hanoi Rocks, marks the only time that the four surviving members of the classic Hanoi Rocks line up (Monroe-McCoy-Suicide-Yaffa) have played together since January 1985 at the Europe-A-Go-Go Festival in Helsinki.
In March 1995 Nasty Suicide announced his departure from the band much to the surprise of Michael Monroe who then decided to split the band.