Michael Monroe live at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire

Words by Pav Salgado, Photos by Jeff Moh

The lights dim onstage and the band gets into a huggle by the drum kit, this personifies the camaraderie of this lot, then Mr. Michael Monroe enters the stage and the party begins. A quick fire round of One Man Gang and I Live Too Fast to Die Young greet the rock n roll family gathered at Shepherd’s Bush, the band treat us to a short but sweet set of selected tracks, perfectly curated to deliver classics and new tunes that reek of classic good old time rock n roll. Add a couple of Hanoi Rocks tunes like Don’t You Ever Leave Me Motorvatin’ and Malibu Beach Nightmare and you get the gist, pure party mode. Then the band decide to close the short set with Up Around the Bend, the CCR cover song that sound so familiar to them that they basically own it now. Rock on peeps, we want more. Next time!

Set list

  1. One Man Gang

  2. I Live Too Fast to Die Young

  3. Murder the Summer of Love

  4. '78

  5. Ballad of the Lower East Side

  6. Don't You Ever Leave Me (Hanoi Rocks song)

  7. Nothin's Alright (Demolition 23. song)

  8. Motorvatin' (Hanoi Rocks song)

  9. Malibu Beach Nightmare(Hanoi Rocks song)

  10. Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll

  11. Up Around the Bend (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)

Pav Salgado