Recently I got a call asking if I'd like to interview Michael Monroe and Dregen at Hard Rock Hell V and without hesitation I responded, "Hell yeah!" But, as the day drew nearer, I suddenly realised I was about to interview a guy whose music, over the past several decades, has been a massive part of my life and, knowing how tight the schedules are at these festivals, I was only to be given ten minutes and not ten hours of his time. 

With about a bazillion questions flying in and out of my brain I thought it only fair to try and keep things current and not ask him all the questions I wanted to about Hanoi and Demolition 23 and his friends from the '80s, as well as his book and recording with Honest John Plain. Instead I'd try not to rake over the past and keep a modicum of professionalism about proceedings and try not to break down like some giddy school kid when confronted by their heroes. I managed to compose myself (a little) so, armed with every single record sleeve he's ever made (I did leave the Beats & Styles ones at home so as not to come across as a complete stalker), in I went.

With 'Sensory Overdrive' yesterday unveiled as Uber Rock's 2011 Album Of The Year I started by asking Michael, joined for the duration of the chat by guitarist Dregen, how it felt to be awarded a similar accolade by some other, lesser-known publication.......

 
Having just won the Classic Rock Album of the Year award for 2011, it coming at the end of the first two years of this band, did it feel like a just reward for the effort you'd put into the music so far? It's been pretty full-on since you announced the band, what some 18/24 months ago?

MM - It feels fantastic to get this award. I've never gotten anything like that before except in Finland; but internationally no, nothing. It's great when you work so hard on something - to get this is a great feeling and something I'm really proud of.

Throughout Hanoi and the solo records you've never picked up an award outside Finland?

MM - Internationally, no. It's very encouraging and very nice.

Dregen - The first of many, ha ha!

Now, to keep up the momentum, the pressure is really on for the next record. Is that something you're already thinking about?

MM - We're working on songs now but as for going in the studio...um....we've not done anything as far as that for the next album. I guess it'll be ready when it's good and ready, we don't want to rush anything.

Dregen - I think this record [Sensory Overdrive] isn't done yet, we're looking to go another round in the States and then Europe. Places like France we need to go to and Spain and we're also planning to take it to South America as well.

You released the album in America, what about the other territories?

MM - Yeah, it got released in North America in August a while after it got released all over Europe so it's still relatively new over there. The plan is to go back as soon as possible and cover as much of the place as we can, maybe get on a tour and play to bigger crowds every time.

You had Lemmy and Lucinda Williams on 'Sensory Overdrive' - it's well known you and Lemmy are friends but how did you hook up with Lucinda?

MM - Well, she is friends with Sami [Yaffa] and Steve [Conte]. Steve suggested Lucinda so we had that song and we sent it to her and she was happy to oblige. She came to see us play at the Viper Room in LA and she liked the show and when she came backstage she was raving about it so it was a great honour for us to have someone like her involved.

Have you spoken to her about the finished song to see what she thought of it?

MM - Yeah yeah, we sent it to her but I don't remember her coming back to us so I guess she has heard it off the album and she wanted to put it out on her album so... she's fantastic anyway.
 

Dregen - She's one of those late bloomers, she sort of got recognition later on, you know; she hasn't always been such a big star.

MM - She's been playing all her life but not got the recognition until later....like me, ha ha ha!

Do you think having people as established and known as Lucinda and Lemmy will help your profile, especially in the States?

MM - Umm...I never thought of it that way but, you know, hopefully it won't do it any harm and if some people who don't know me get into it from the association then cool. Those guys are so respected it can't hurt.
 

Moving onto Dregen coming into the band. When you knew Ginger was leaving how did getting the right replacement come about?

MM - Ginger was a tough one to replace but there was no-one I could think of other than Dregen because he's got the whole package. The energy, the whole punk rock high energy vibe...

You've obviously worked together before so you knew each other well which I guess helps with the continuity?

MM - Sure

Dregen - Yes, we're like brothers already and we knew we shared the same taste in music.

MM - We knew he'd fit in on stage as well; he likes to go nuts so there's two of us who like to get a little crazy up there.

About sharing the same taste in music; there have always been a quality selection of other people's songs in your set and on your records throughout your career, what with 'Love Song', 'Machine Gun Ettiquette', 'I Wanna Be Loved', 'Endangered Species' and 'I Feel Alright' being played with this band and back in the Hanoi and Demolition 23 days...

MM - We had Honest John Plain come up on this tour and play 'TCP' as well; Nasty and Ginger got up as well so it's always nice to give something back to the people who made us who we are musically.

Do you think playing a festival like Hard Rock Hell in front of mostly metal fans who might not be so familiar with your work that songs like 'Love Song' or 'Ain't Nothing To Do' go down really well as a lot of the people won't have heard them before?

MM - We're not doing 'Love Song' tonight, in fact we haven't been playing it for a while.

Dregen - We may do a few covers tonight but we're not sure of the time we're being given. We've still done some on the last tour with Wednesday 13 but, yeah, they're great songs to play but it'll be about the album mainly.

You always do manage to pull out great songs to cover - are there any others you've thought about doing? I'd love to hear this band play 'Methods To My Madness'

MM - The Lords, yeah great, great song. There are so many great songs out there we could play but I don't want to give them away. I'll keep them a secret for the time being, ha ha. 

Dregen, how do you feel about playing the songs off 'Sensory Overdrive'??

Dregen - Well, filling in Ginger's shoes is a challenge - it is never going to be easy playing someone else's songs. But you know I do my thing and it's not like I was ever asked to play the same as Ginger so I interpret them my own way within the frame of the song.

MM - They both are great players and play them their own way which is great for us as a band to have that - it's a different energy now in the band but a great song is always a great song, right?!

Would it be fair to say that the songs would have sounded different with Dregen's style on them because you're a lot looser as a player live?

Dregen - Yeah definitely, but I could never sound like Ginger and it's not something I would want to do.

MM - Dregen's style is a lot trashier. It works well we think at the moment; we all feed of it live and the band is sounding amazing. 

When it was announced you were in the band it seemed like the perfect fit and, in hindsight, the obvious choice.

MM & Dregen - Yeah, yeah.

MM - We're still going to write with Ginger and he should be proud of what he did on the album of the year.

Dregen - The challenge is now to make the next one even better.

Before we wrap this one up; looking to the future will the next album be more of a band involvement or would you both prefer to write alone then take the songs to the others? It seems like a band full of great writers with Sami having his thing writing Mad Juana and Steve had a superb album out last year with the Crazy Truth....

MM - Yeah, we'll write together and see what we come up with; it won't be us going away and writing on our own then bringing it to the band...

Dregen - I've been writing songs since way back when I was a kid at 16 or whatever but I've never been in such a talented band as this; these guys can really play and all bring their thing to the table and it works. We will start jammin' on a riff and something great seems to come out of it, you know. I don't think there are any limits to what we can do. It's such a great line up.

From a fan's perspective you can see the onstage chemistry in the band works really, really well and I'm excited at the prospect of Dregen being a part of that.

Dregen - Oh yeah, it's great for me and it's felt easy and right; I mean Karl is such a great drummer and that guy is bad ass, ha ha!

MM - Such a great drummer, he really fits the sound well back there. This band has so much energy on stage and writing music it feels great. We're looking forward to what's next.

Well I want to thank you for keeping high energy punk rock 'n' roll alive and for making such a great album, let's hope 2012 is bigger and better: keep the music coming you guys.

MM - Well thank you and Uber Rock for your support, it means a lot.

Dregen - Yeah, thank you and keep enjoying the music.

Many thanks to Michael And Dregen for indulging me and to Dante Bonutto for arranging the interview.

[HRH live photography by Tessa Blakout]