Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Alphabet Beats #027: The Letter D is for...Demolition 23

D is for...

Warning: The Video does contain some bad language.

Demolition 23 was a hard rock/sleaze glam metal 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 14th, 1995 the former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy joined Demolition 23 for three songs at Tavastia Club, in Helsinki. 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-Razzle) have played together since December 1984.

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.