MICHAEL MONROE + CJ WILDHEART – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 27.5.25
We’re halfway through Michael Monroe, ex Hanoi Rocks frontman’s UK tour and what better venue to see him in than the Concorde 2 in Brighton. Small, dark and perfect for his style of dirty punky glam rock.
Despite some press reports a month ago regarding his demise it is very clear that Michael is still very much alive and high kicking. The energy in this show was immense and he tore through a blistering ninety-minute set with his usual vigour, intensity and flamboyance.
If there is one man who still maintains the old adage of rock and roll virtuosity it is Michael Monroe. From the moment he and his band stepped foot on the stage the audience knew they were in for a night of high calibre, high octane rock n’ roll.
With opener ‘Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘n’ Roll’ followed rapidly by ‘I Live Too Fast To Die Young’, he made the stage his own, high kicking, swirling his scarf bedecked microphone stand a-la Steve Tyler, all the expected hallmarks of a great rock and roll show were here and the audience were lapping it up from the very first moment.
Providing a caring nod to now departed New York Dolls guitarist and mentor Johnny Thunders he produced a rip roaring version of ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’, a song that said more about the style of performance that Michael produces and probably the one song he would wish to have written himself.
This was a perfect set for any die-hard fan of Michael Monroe. Solo material, a few covers, songs from Hanoi Rocks and songs from Demolition 23, he provided the perfect hot and steamy answer to a grey, foggy night in Brighton. If there was one place where the blues were shrugged off for a few hours, then the Concorde 2 was it.
Whether cavorting around the stage, reaching out to the audience or showing his own musical prowess providing melodic blasts on his saxophone and harmonica, Michael is the consummate performer. He knows exactly what his audience wants and he more than delivers.
‘Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics’ was dedicated to the hardcore drinkers in the audience, unsurprisingly receiving the relevant response and raised beer glasses.
‘Stained Glass Heart’ saw him slow proceedings down for a brief moment enabling him and the band to take a very brief breather before tearing into ‘Old Kings Road’.
With ex Hanoi Rocks band member Sami Yaffer on bass, there were times that it seemed as though the eighties had never ended.
The night closed out with two Hanoi Rocks staples, ‘Malibu Beach Nightmare’ followed by ‘Up Around The Bend’, the Creedence Clearwater Revival song that Hanoi had more than made their own.
Returning for encores they continued in the same vein, with a storming ‘Taxi Driver’, before an extended cover of the Stooges ‘I Feel Alright’ with an interjection of Golden Earrings ‘Radar Love’ which had the audience in full voice.
Quite simply this was the perfect evening of rock ‘n’ roll, providing a welcome ass kicking for the enthusiastic audience. Though Hanoi Rocks may be long gone, Michael, Sami and the band keep the memory and the legacy well and truly alive.
Michael Monroe:
Michael Monroe – vocals, saxophone, harmonica
Sami Yaffa – bass
Rich Jones – guitar
Steve Conte – guitar
Karl Rockfist – drums
Michael Monroe setlist:
‘Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘n’ Roll’
‘I Live Too Fast To Die Young’
‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory’ (Johnny Thunders cover)
‘TNT Diet’
‘Eighteen Angels’
‘Last Train To Tokyo’
‘Motorvatin’’ (Hanoi Rocks song)
‘Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics’
‘Man With No Eyes’
‘Soul Surrender’
‘Stained Glass Heart’
‘Old King’s Road’
‘Trick Of The Wrist’
‘’78’
‘Ballad Of The Lower East Side’
‘Don’t You Ever Leave Me’ (Hanoi Rocks song)
‘Nothin’s Alright’ (Demolition 23. song)
‘Hammersmith Palais’ (Demolition 23. song)
‘Malibu Beach Nightmare’ (Hanoi Rocks song)
‘Up Around The Bend’ (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
(encore)
‘Taxi Driver’ (Hanoi Rocks song)
‘I Feel Alright’ (1970) / ‘Radar Love’ (The Stooges/Golden Earring covers)
linktr.ee/michaelmonroeofficial
CJ Wildheart of The Wildhearts fame, or perhaps infamy was the perfect opening act for Michael Monroe. If there is an artist who can get an audience perfectly warmed up then he and his band is it.
With a forty five minute set they crammed in as many songs as they could. The banter between CJ and the audience was humorous and produced the perfect introduction to the songs. Quite honestly on this performance CJ could easily have headlined himself as the bar was particularly empty and the audience seemed to be here as much for him as the headline act.
With standard ‘Beg’ opening the set he produced a number of songs from across his solo career, with songs from his own solo albums, The Jellys and Honeycrack before closing out with a trilogy of Wildhearts numbers.
There is as much enthusiasm and adrenaline pouring through veins in a CJ Wildheart show as with Michael Monroe. The punk-metal fuelled anthems were the perfect introduction to a glorious evening of high intensity rock and roll.
‘The Baddest Girl In The World’ was a new song from his latest album ‘Slots’, released in December 2024, and this was followed up with fan favourite ‘Lemonade Girl’.
‘Coma’ was the second new song introduced this evening and this was received as though it was any old favourite.
Closing out the set he roared through three Wildhearts songs, ‘Stormy In The North, Karma In The South’ before setting the stage alight with the boisterous hit single ‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go’ with the audience punching out the chorus with abandon.
Closing out with all time favourite ‘OCD’ he had laid down a very high level for Michael Monroe to follow. The audience were buzzing and it was the most perfect, high adrenaline opening performance that could have been wished for.
CJ Wildheart setlist:
‘Beg’
‘Another Big Mistake’
‘The Baddest Girl In The World’
‘Lemonade Girl’ (The Jellys song)
‘Go Away’ (Honeycrack song)
‘Coma’
‘You Got The Best Of Me’
‘Sitting At Home’ (Honeycrack song)
‘Stormy In The North, Karma In The South’ (The Wildhearts song)
‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go’ (The Wildhearts song)
‘OCD’ (The Wildhearts song)
Michael Monroe & CJ Wildheart fans might like to visit our sister website Sussex News where they are 19 different photographs of this concert – Find them HERE.
