Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe recently revealed the heartfelt reason behind his decision to collaborate with Guns N’ Roses without payment. He shared his story in an interview with IndiePowerTV.
Monroe discussed how his collaboration with Axl Rose on the Dead Boys cover “Ain’t It Fun” came about organically through a phone conversation. When asked about the chemistry between the bands and what clicked in working together on “The Spaghetti Incident?” album, Monroe provided detailed insight into the collaboration.
“As I was talking on the phone with Axl beforehand, I happened to mention Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys and he said he never heard the Dead Boys,” Monroe said. “So I said, ‘Wow, I got to make you a tape.’ So as I was in LA, I had the tape I gave it to Axl and he was driving in his car around Hollywood and listened to the tape in the car and then when any fun came on Axl was like, ‘Wow this is amazing. We’re making a cover album.'”
The collaboration quickly evolved into something more meaningful for Monroe. He saw an opportunity to honor the late Stiv Bators.
“And he said to me, ‘We’re going to do it as a duet with you and me.’ I was like, ‘Really? And could it say in memory of Stiv Bators in credit?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, of course.’ This is fantastic. So many millions of their fans will see Steve’s name and we’ll be doing this song. The Dead Boys will be on the map after that,” Monroe explained.
Monroe’s decision to forgo payment stemmed from his desire to keep the tribute pure and ensure the song remained on the album.
“I was glad that I was able to help him also and then millions of Guns N’ Roses fans would see Stiv’s name because in memory of Stiv Bators. That’s why I said if you could say in memory of Stiv Bators and I said I don’t want anything other than just have it say in memory of Stiv Bators and spell my name right. That’s all,” he said. “And I said I didn’t want any money because I had a manager, he was like, ‘All right I’m going to negotiate a deal.’ I was like, ‘You you’re going to stay the away from this now. You ain’t going to touch this.'”
Monroe concluded by expressing his distaste for treating the collaboration as a business opportunity. He stated: “I don’t want to take the song off the album because I would be demanding, you know, greedily something, you know. Because all these clearly many people think of Guns N’ Roses as the bank of Guns N’ Roses and I thought it was disgusting.”
This collaboration represents just one chapter in Monroe’s extensive career of high-profile musical partnerships and his commitment to artistic integrity over commercial gain.
Triple G Events reported that Michael Monroe is a Finnish rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. His musical journey began much earlier than his Hanoi Rocks fame. Hanoi-Rocks.net revealed that Michael’s real name is Matti Fagerholm and he started his musical career in 1971 when he formed Black Magic, inspired by Black Sabbath.
Monroe’s willingness to collaborate without financial compensation on the Guns N’ Roses project aligns with his long history of guest appearances with major rock acts. Louder Sound documented that Monroe has maintained a history of guest appearances with major rock acts. This includes performances with Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones in 1993, where he played harmonica on “Honky Tonk Women.”
The Finnish musician’s approach to the Guns N’ Roses collaboration demonstrates his dedication to preserving the memory of influential punk figures like Stiv Bators. Michael Monroe’s official biography described him as an icon, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist, media personality, flamboyant force of nature and one of rock’s most celebrated and uber-kinetic front-men.
Monroe’s decision to prioritize artistic tribute over financial gain reflects the values that have guided his career since the early days of Hanoi Rocks. His insistence on crediting Stiv Bators and refusing payment ensured that the collaboration remained a genuine homage rather than a commercial transaction. This introduced the Dead Boys’ legacy to millions of Guns N’ Roses fans worldwide.
