I’m pretty sure the year was 1984 and something strange was in the air in the California punk scene, especially in the Bay Area. Before this year, Hardcore Punx in SoCal and NorCal had no love at all for Hair Metal because we considered them straight poser scum. Then the Finnish Group HANOI ROCKS came on the international scene and branded themselves “Glam Rock.” For some reason that I can not put my finger on, a great number of Punx from around the world started to get into them in a big way. Case in point was the HUGE international show that Goldenvoice put on featuring the DK’s, Reagans Youth, B.G.K, Raw Power and RIISTETYT. It got a little weird when we saw what RIISTETYT looked like, because from the bad xerox photos from MRR we expected black leather jackets and studded d-beat warriors, instead we got some glammed-out rockers who didn’t want to play their old songs. Raw Power also looked pretty glam. I also saw Discharge begin to go the Glam route, along with many of the NorCal Peace Punx. Personally, I got into HANOI ROCKS but I never went glam. The thing about this Finnish band was that they played good Rock & Roll, and they all had swagger. They also had mad style, and there was something more punk about them than, say, Poison. Anyway, I know for a fact that this band had an influence on many of the bands that were coming up under them…Why do you think so many punks got turned out by HANOI ROCKS? While you are thinking of your answer, check out All Those Wasted Years (Live At The Marquee)…HANOI ROCKS kicking out the jams!
UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 01: Photo of HANOI ROCKS; (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
