Michael Monroe - Finn Glam Thank You Ma'am... Page 3
By Martin Popoff

One of the cool things about Mike Monroe is that's he's not just another Norma Jean with stubble. As well as a consummate frontman and singer, Monroe is a multi-instrumentalist, especially evident on these last two Finland-bred records.

"Well, that band is basically me, a drummer and a bass player, " answers Mike on the specific Life Gets You Dirty experience. "I play all the guitars, everything except the bass and drums. Jude Wilder (Mike's collaborator and galpal) is backing vocalist and she co-wrote most of the songs with me. On Peace Of Mind, I even played the bass but this time I had a drummer and a bass player. But I played all the guitars because I can (laughs)."

Which instruments do you consider yourself particularly good at?

"Guitar, but I must add that it still sounds like a band. Usually if you have one guy doing everything it sounds like one man band. But in my case I can make a couple of guys sound like a band. Even on Peace Of Mind, you would never know that it was Jimmy Clark (the drummer), and me (laughs). I'm a pretty good guitar player, singer, sax player, harmonica player. I play piano on the album, bits and pieces here and there; if I practiced I could be a good piano player. I could be a good drummer if I wanted to, if I practiced (laughs). I started playing drums when I was a kid. I can play anything pretty much except, violin I never studied, and trumpet and things with that kind of mouthpiece, I can't play."

Michael Monroe - Finn Glam Thank You Ma'am... Page 4