The death of Razzle was the end for everything they had been going for so long. There was no more talk of their brilliant career. To make matters worse, neither he nor Razzle were wearing their seatbelts that ill-fated evening.īut what about the group? Alas, even after so many years, the remaining members of Hanoi Rocks could not recover from what happened. Neil's BAC was 0.17, well over the legal limit of 0.10. The day of this tragic accident - Decemmarked the first day of National Drunk Driving Awareness Week in the United States. The life of a promising drummer, the fate of an entire band, was valued at 20 days and 2,500 bucks. He served only 20 days in prison! He was ordered to pay 2.6 million dollars in compensation to the victims, do 200 hours of community service and attend lectures. Subsequently convicted in July 1985, the singer was released on $2,500 bail. Neil was taken to the police station, where he was immediately arrested for drunk driving and manslaughter. Vince Neil narrowly escaped serious injury (only broken ribs and minor cuts to his face), but Razzle was declared dead. Then his Ford Pantera drove into the oncoming lane and was hit by two other cars. Īpparently, shortly after leaving at 6:38 p.m., Neil lost control of the steering wheel on a wet road while driving around a stationary fire engine at 65 mph. Seconds later, when it dawned on them, they returned to the scene to find Vince being questioned by the police and Razzle's motionless body being loaded into an ambulance. Along the way, they passed a car accident near Neil's home in Redondo Beach. He and the band's road manager set off in hot pursuit.
Nearly an hour later, Andy McCoy became concerned that the couple still hadn't returned. Vince Neil, heavily intoxicated (and not just from alcohol), but wanting to show off his brand new red Ford Pantera 72, went to the store with Razzle as a passenger. Tragic accident, Razzle's death.Īccording to fragmentary recollections of those present, somewhere in three or four days after the start of the party, namely on the evening of December 8, the stocks of alcohol ran out.
So it's no wonder that as soon as the Hanoi Rocks touring car - temporarily derailed - arrived in Los Angeles, Mötley Crüe threw an impromptu welcome party for their glam counterparts.Īnd while Monroe lay in his hotel room, McCoy, Razzle, Jaffa and Nasty Suicide had a giant Crüe binge that was forever destined to end in absolute disaster. While the two bands were never the closest of friends, they did have an unhealthy appetite for self-destruction. Razzle's drummer vaguely knew Crüe vocalist Vince Neil. Hanoi Rocks' unquenchable passion for partying inevitably led them into the orbit of Los Angeles-based band Mötley Crüe. Hanoi Rocks (Michael Monroe in the center) As a result, the vocalist was found to have a fracture! He was put in a cast, which forced the band to take a break. Monroe, now in constant agony, eventually turned to another specialist for help. To his credit, Monroe ended the show before he was taken to the hospital.Īfter being misdiagnosed as a severe sprain, the tour went on for four more shows: Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland. Literally a few moments later, vocalist Michael Monroe jumped out there, slid over a puddle and. Its contents spilled over the right side of the stage. Michael Monroe fracture.Ĭuriously enough, very often the most catastrophic chain of events can be set in motion by a seemingly small and insignificant factor.Īt one of the first shows on the ill-fated American tour in Syracuse, a bottle of beer fell off the top of guitarist Andy McCoy's amp. Hanoi RocksĮverything seemed to go like clockwork! But something soon happened from which Hanoi Rocks never recovered. MTV was filled with clips of the five glam members, their concerts were selling out at the speed of sound, and even Andy Warhol himself was looking forward to their welcome party in New York. Japan had already fallen to Hanoi Rocks, and it looked like the United States would follow.
In the dreary and monochromatic depression of the mid-80s, Hanoi Rocks seemed like a bright flash to the eye! Their reputation as a live band was impressive. And when the second single from it, Underwater World, went down the charts, Hanoi Rocks got ready for their first American tour. After finally landing a major label deal with CBS, the band have just released their fifth and most confident glam studio album to date, Two Steps From The Move.