WATCH: Michael Monroe says The X Factor allows him to bring rock to a wider audience
One of the most exuberant and entertaining Planet Rockstock performers of the entire weekend, Michael Monroe spoke to Wyatt backstage after his wild set.
Asked by Wyatt what his plans are for 2018, Michael said: “We’re recording a new album in March, we’re going into the studio to record a new album with this band. And I’m doing The X Factor in Finland.
“I did The Voice for six seasons in Finland, which is very different from any other (series of The) Voice in any other country because it’s rock and roll. I brought a lot of rock of roll.”
Quizzed about whether the TV talent shows are predominately pop orientated and manufactured like the UK and America, Michael said: “No, nothing like that. I wouldn’t do anything like that.”
He continued: “I speak my mind (on the shows), I get the chance to tell the truth – nobody can stop me at the live shows, no one can censor me. It’s great. I don’t abuse that freedom, I say things as they are y’know.
"I get to choose in the battle episodes, I got to choose the songs for example and took great pleasure in introducing bands to people in Finland that they don’t know about.
“Cheap Trick, for example, nobody knows them in Finland at all. I’ve had four or five Cheap Trick songs in the show over the years. The singers are young and I also like to be in touch with today’s music too and see what it’s like – it doesn’t sound any better than the stuff back in the day but usually when I play songs that none of these kids know they’re like ‘what’s this man? Yeah yeah let’s do this one.’
“I had one guy he did (Guns N’ Roses’) ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, he did Led Zeppelin ‘Rock ‘n Roll’, he had that voice it’s amazing. I’ve had ‘Rock n’ Roll Outlaw’ by Rose Tattoo on the show, I’ve had ZZ Top ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’.”
Reflecting upon his Planet Rockstock set that saw him scale speakers and stage barriers, lasso his microphone with casual abandon, play saxophone, jump from the drum kit and bound around every inch of the stage, Michael said he was battling a cold for the performance.
“I struggled to get my voice out, all of a sudden I hit the stage I realised I had no voice.” Michael said. “I caught a cold over the last couple of days, it’s so cold and damp all the time! I don’t get it man, it’s like always like this, why?
“And then last night at the gig we did, it was just… the room was horrible, you just couldn’t hear nothing so I blew my voice out for that and we shouldn’t have done that gig; next time we won’t. So,I had to work so hard to get some kind of voice out of my throat. I would have been more energetic, all over the place more.”
He continued: “That’s the thing, nobody can replace me, I’m the only guy in the band who can’t have a sub. My voice is physical, a guitar player breaks the string on his guitar they get a new one. I can’t get a new throat so you just have to go with it and try not to say anything to the audience too much otherwise they get bummed out.
“I remember once I had laryngitis, it went pretty well, it was Nottingham, everyone was like digging it and at the end of the show I says ‘well it would have been a lot better if I’d had a voice and everyone was like ‘oh, we’re not having a good time?’.”
Watch Wyatt’s full chat with Michael below: