MICHAEL MONROE Checks In From MOTÖRHEAD U.K. Tour

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe, who is currently on the road in the U.K. as the support act for MOTÖRHEAD, has issued the following update:

"Having a fantastic time here on the MOTÖRHEAD 35th-anniversary U.K. tour! This might be the best tour I've ever been on — I'm totally loving it. MOTÖRHEAD and their crew are treating us super-nice and everyone is very kind and helpful. Plus they have the best catering in the world!

"Normally one would lose a couple of kilos on tour, but on this tour it's easy to put on a few since the food is so good. The opening band, SKEW SISKIN, and their crew are very nice and helpful, too. All in all, there's a great positive and peaceful vibe around here. Everyone (including our own newly formed and brilliant crew) is very professional and together — we're all just having a blast!

"I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to MOTÖRHEAD, their crew and everybody involved. It's been an absolute pleasure. I can't believe we've only got four shows left to do. This tour will be over too soon and it's been so much fun!

"Some audiences are more responsive than others for us, but mostly I've been positively surprised how well we've been received. After all, especially in the U.K., the MOTÖRHEAD crowd can be very tough to win over or even to get a reaction from. However, by the end of our show they seem to think we're quite alright. At first they're a little wary, I guess... untl they realize — oh, he's a nutcase, THAT'S why he's on this tour... AND this band does some serious rockin' every night...

"One of the greatest thrills for me is having been invited on stage with MOTÖRHEAD to sing 'Born To Raise Hell' [see fan-filmed video footage below]! I've done it on four occasions already. What an honour and privilege! It doesn't get much cooler than that. I actually did sing backing vocals on the recording of the song with Sebastian Bach back in the day in New York.

"Ginger [THE WILDHEARTS mainman and guitarist for Monroe's solo band] has soldiered on bravely with his broken foot... and I haven't managed to hurt myself too badly (knock on wood). However, while on the subject... I guess I can reveal now that at the end of the last show of our Scandinavian tour in Tampere, Finland (two weeks before this MOTÖRHEAD tour) when I fell off the lighting rig I slammed my back against the side of the stage and fractured two ribs (on my left side, for a change). This happened just as I had pretty much recovered from breaking the other two ribs in Japan in August! Actually, this time they were just fractured, and not as badly broken as they were in Japan. So I've been coping with it the best I can. I rested a week, but then started doing as much exercising as the pain would allow me to. Now it's been about three weeks since the injury, so I'm on the safe side already...

"The reason I didn't say anything publicly about breaking my ribs again was that I thought it was becoming a bit of a joke with this band. First I break two ribs, then Ginger breaks his foot, then I break two more ribs — I mean, it does get a bit ridiculous. I can just hear people going, 'Oh, them old guys are just literally falling apart, etc...' The truth really is that our live show is so intense and we give it everything we've got so it's not surprising that some injuries happen. Also, my falling off the lighting rig (first time ever, by the way...) just goes to show that even I ever really don't know if I'm gonna fall or not — which adds to the excitement, right?

"Other than that, all I can say that Lemmy is king and long live MOTÖRHEAD!"

Monroe recently entered a Los Angeles studio with legendary producer Jack Douglas (AEROSMITH, JOHN LENNON, CLUTCH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, NEW YORK DOLLS) to begin recording his new solo album, due on February 21, 2011 via Universal Music subsidiary Spinefarm Records. The CD will feature a guest appearance by MOTÖRHEAD's Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister and three-time Grammy-winning country/folk singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams.

Monroe's brand new live album, "Another Night In The Sun/Live In Helsinki", was released on November 1 via Spinefarm. Mixed in Los Angeles by Niko Bolas (whose credits include NEIL YOUNG, FRANK SINATRA, KEITH RICHARDS, KISS, SPINAL TAP and more) and mastered by Grammy winner Richard Dodd (the man behind TOM PETTY and DIXIE CHICKS),the CD — recorded on July 6 at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki, Finland — features key tracks from Monroe's solo career spiced up with selected HANOI classics, some well-chosen covers, plus two brand new, previously unreleased songs — "You're Next" and "Motorheaded For A Fall".

Monroe's current solo band includes THE WILDHEARTS mainman Ginger on guitar, Yaffa on bass, Steve Conte of NEW YORK DOLLS and COMPANY OF WOLVES fame on guitar, and Karl "Rockfist" Rosqvist, a Swedish/Finnish drummer who has played with both CHELSEA SMILES and DANZIG.