Aspects of Andy McCoy

"We play anything, you know, anything we like." circa 1982

Hanoi Rocks Pictures
Pictures from Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Shooting Gallery Pictures
Flying Solo on Film

Covers from The Hanoi Philes fanzine
(May download slowly)

From the tender age of 15, Andy McCoy has been in one band or another. His first being Briard, followed by Pelle Miljoona Oy, and the most famous being Hanoi Rocks from 1981 to 1985. Now, he is focused mainly on his solo career and doing side projects with old friends. Most recently he's released "Briard Revisited," bringing his music career full circle.

Antti Hulkko was born on October 11, 1962 in the small northern Finnish town of Pelkosennieme, but the family moved to Oulu, north of Helsinki, where he went to school with Jan Stenfors (aka Nasty Suicide).
Andy's first band was Briard, a punk outfit that included Pete Malmi and Andy's brother Ilkka. The band recorded various singles, including I Really Hate You/I Want You Back, Superstars, Fuck The Army, and Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep. The band recorded one album at Kill City Studios in Helsinki called Metropolis. At this time Andy happened to meet Mike Monroe on a bus and they became friends.
In 1980, Andy joined a popular Finnish rock band, Pelle Miljoona Oy, and Sami Yaffa was also in this band. They released an album, Moottoritie On Kuuma, with the big hit Tahdon Rakastella Sinua.
Hanoi Rocks officially started as a band in 1981, after Andy and Sami had quit Pelle, and they hooked up with Nasty and Mike. After searching around for a drummer, they finally found Swede Gyp Casino, and the band began playing gigs wherever they could. They recorded their first single I Want You, then followed by the album Saigon Shakes, Bangkok Shocks, Hanoi Rocks in early '81. At the end of the year, they had followed up that album with another, Oriental Beat. During a show, Gyp had a breakdown on stage, and was soon replaced by British drummer, Razzle. They released an album of b-sides called Self Destruction Blues, and began touring the world. It wasn't until the release in 1983 of Back To Mystery City that the band began to gain worldwide recognition. And as the began to finally break into America with the album Two Steps From the Move, tragedy struck and they lost Razzle in a car accident. The band lasted until 1985, but it was never the same again. "Before we were like a family. Now, we're like a band." - Mike Monroe circa 1985.
Andy bounced around in various other bands, Cherry Bombz, the Suicide Twins, Iggy Pop's touring band, and the Shooting Gallery, before finally deciding to go solo. His back-up band now includes Gyp Casino on drums, and Andy's wife Angela. He recently hooked up with Pete Malmi again for a Briard Revisited CD, and is working on his own autobiography.
Andy's musical career, I'm sure, will keep carrying on, just like the man himself. Can you imagine him doing anything other than playing guitar? I think not!

Andy McCoy freaks on the Web!

The Hanoi Rocks Page
Hanoi Rocks Tribute
Personal Discography
Live Ammo Review
Michael Monroe Page
Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die - Razzle Tribute
Gyp Casino Homepage

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