Michael Monroe - 08.05.2024 - Tavastia club, Helsinki.

I had waited for this night since December. I had marked it into my calendar right after getting my hands on the tickets, and when May finally came around, this year with its ‘takatalvi’ and my strenuous last weeks at the university, I was more than prepared to see Monroe and his band play. My outfit was picked, the weather was triple-checked and the route back home was all planned. As I had received two tickets for the gig, I could even bring my boyfriend along to share the long-waited experience.

Knowing the gig was fully sold out, me and my boyfriend decided to get to the venue in good time before the doors would be opened. This proved to be a superb decision; as we stepped out of Kamppi and made our way toward the venue doors, we saw about 20 other people already standing in line. The weather was quite warm and the atmosphere in the queue good, so we did not mind simply hanging around, but after standing outside for over 30 minutes we both agreed that thicker jackets could have made our time go by much smoother.

Inside Tavastia the air was warmer and the club's speakers played many great songs. Most people headed straight to the club’s bars, so we were able to score places right in front of where Sami (the bassist) and Monroe himself would stand. Only a couple other dedicated fans stood in front of us, but I was simply enjoying the fact that none of them were tall giants who would make it impossible for me to see the stage. We spent the next hour and a half jamming to the music and following the crew as they checked all the instruments for the upcoming gig. I was pleasantly surprised that the club provided such well-thought, accessible places for the wheelchair users at the venue, as well that the older generation was happy to get to know younger fans and vice versa.

As the lights slowly dimmed down and the speakers finally died at 21.30 o’clock, me and my boyfriend looked at each other while nodding in unison. The gig was about to start.

Bright flashes of white lights. Rhythmically bouncing beats which made the crowd scream with anticipation. Smoke both from the roof of the building and the sides of the stage poured into the venue. Then, accompanied with the roaring screams of the crowd, the players marched onto the stage. After them came Monroe, jumping to the stage with the energy of a wildcat, and the show began.

I had watched a recording of Monroe’s show in Japan earlier this year prior to the gig, so I knew exactly which songs he would sing and in which order. One could think this to dull the experience of seeing an artist live, but I see it as mere preparation for the actual live show. Besides, it is nice to know in which order the songs will be sung so one can save their voice for their all-time favourites. Further, the live experience of seeing Monroe proved to be, once again, much more emotional and engaging than I had anticipated. The piercing sound of the instruments, the raw yet polished performance of Monroe, and the visuals of a packed crowd could only be felt in those moments inside the venue. In addition, Monroe kept throwing his accessories into the crowd, which we were really close to catching a couple times, and he held the hands of multiple people during his show. It was those small moments that made the night even more memorable.

Monroe and his band started the show with the classic Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll, after which they played a mixture of songs from their newest album I Live Too Fast to Die Young and some older well-known songs. They also played some songs all the way back from the days of Hanoi Rocks in honour of the album Oriental Beat turning 40 years. My highlights of the night were definitely Derelict Palace, The Ballad of the Lower East Side, and Murder the Summer of Love from Monroe’s own works, and Up Around The Bend and Don’t You Ever Leave Me from Hanoi Rocks. I might have almost lost my voice singing (screaming) along to Don’t You Ever Leave Me, but luckily only almost.

 As all gigs eventually do, this one also had to come to its end at 23.00 o’clock. The crowd scattered, most people starting to move toward the cloakrooms. I did not appreciate how messy the floors of the venue had become at this point, but me and my boyfriend did indeed manage to avoid the spilled drinks and abandoned mugs. Before leaving, we decided to take a look at the merch table we had missed while entering the building and I did get to buy myself a new, cool t-shirt. Afterwards, we slipped into the chilly May night, feeling both satisfied and drowsy, and made our way to the central railway station in order to start our journey home.

All pictures used in this article were taken by Anceliga Andström.