Half-assed Michael Monroe Live Review: NYC April 2, 2025
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 7:02 am
Didn't see anyone post anything, so I will.
Overall One Sentence: MM & band played an energetic, well done, and enthusiastic set to a mix of older rockers and "young punks".
Venue
Venue was Racket, which is the site of the former Highline Ballroom. Pretty small venue - saw some online info said it holds 600ish people. The show was shoulder to shoulder, so assuming it was very well sold, maybe sold out. Missed the openers by design, so can't comment on them. Show started around 8:30pm with some theatrical sounding song that I recognized, but can't place (maybe past MM shows, this is my third time seeing him since he's returned with this band). I'd go back to this place.
The Band
Band was really good - I'm a huge Steve Conte fan from his time in the NY Dolls pt 2. Really good performer who does it all - cool rocker guy, good playing, backing vox, maybe most importantly strong song writer. Missed Sami Yaffa for his playing/cool factor, who has a TV gig in Finland from what I heard, but the dude filling in (think it was Todd Kerns from Slash's band). Kerns did a good job, was into the gig, so probably the next best thing. Michael Monroe, energetic as expected... vocals were good. Climbed around the venue scaling what I assume was a bar extending along the side, but people blocked my view. More or less, you got what you came to see from him. Other guys are serviceable+.
Setlist
Overall good setlist.. sprawling his career/Hanoi/Demolition 23. The one and only complaint from me, maybe for the entire night beside the fool filming the entire show with his phone, is they didn't play Tragedy. I highlighted the songs that hit best for me.
Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll
I Live Too Fast to Die Young
Murder the Summer of Love
Last Train to Tokyo
Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics
Man With No Eyes
Old King's Road
'78
Ballad of the Lower East Side
Don't You Ever Leave Me (Hanoi Rocks song)
One Man Gang
Horns and Halos
Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Hanoi Rocks song)
Motorvatin' (Hanoi Rocks song)
Hammersmith Palais (Demolition 23. song)
Malibu Beach Nightmare(Hanoi Rocks song)
Up Around the Bend (Hanoi Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
Encore:
Taxi Driver (Hanoi Rocks song)
Nothin's Alright (Demolition 23. song)
Overall One Sentence: MM & band played an energetic, well done, and enthusiastic set to a mix of older rockers and "young punks".
Venue
Venue was Racket, which is the site of the former Highline Ballroom. Pretty small venue - saw some online info said it holds 600ish people. The show was shoulder to shoulder, so assuming it was very well sold, maybe sold out. Missed the openers by design, so can't comment on them. Show started around 8:30pm with some theatrical sounding song that I recognized, but can't place (maybe past MM shows, this is my third time seeing him since he's returned with this band). I'd go back to this place.
The Band
Band was really good - I'm a huge Steve Conte fan from his time in the NY Dolls pt 2. Really good performer who does it all - cool rocker guy, good playing, backing vox, maybe most importantly strong song writer. Missed Sami Yaffa for his playing/cool factor, who has a TV gig in Finland from what I heard, but the dude filling in (think it was Todd Kerns from Slash's band). Kerns did a good job, was into the gig, so probably the next best thing. Michael Monroe, energetic as expected... vocals were good. Climbed around the venue scaling what I assume was a bar extending along the side, but people blocked my view. More or less, you got what you came to see from him. Other guys are serviceable+.
Setlist
Overall good setlist.. sprawling his career/Hanoi/Demolition 23. The one and only complaint from me, maybe for the entire night beside the fool filming the entire show with his phone, is they didn't play Tragedy. I highlighted the songs that hit best for me.
Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll
I Live Too Fast to Die Young
Murder the Summer of Love
Last Train to Tokyo
Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics
Man With No Eyes
Old King's Road
'78
Ballad of the Lower East Side
Don't You Ever Leave Me (Hanoi Rocks song)
One Man Gang
Horns and Halos
Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Hanoi Rocks song)
Motorvatin' (Hanoi Rocks song)
Hammersmith Palais (Demolition 23. song)
Malibu Beach Nightmare(Hanoi Rocks song)
Up Around the Bend (Hanoi Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
Encore:
Taxi Driver (Hanoi Rocks song)
Nothin's Alright (Demolition 23. song)