Antti Hulkko (born 11 October 1962), better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is best known for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop and a variety of other groups.

McCoy's works cover a range of music genres, including rock 'n' roll, punk rock, flamenco, glam punk, glam rock, blues rock and hard rock. He is also an avid painter.

Biography

Hanoi Rocks (1979–1985, 2001–2009)

Before Hanoi Rocks, McCoy had become well known in his home country, Finland, due to his work in the punk rock band Pelle Miljoona Oy. During this time McCoy was talking with Matti Fagerholm (better known as Michael Monroe) to start a band of their own, but because McCoy was currently in Pelle Miljoona Oy, he told Monroe to start the band without him in 1979.

The next year 1983, the band released Back to Mystery City and after that, in 1984, the band worked with producer Bob Ezrin, and released Two Steps from the Move. Before this, McCoy had written most of the songs by himself, but for this album Bob Ezrin helped McCoy with the writing, along with Monroe. He also got some help with the lyrics from legendary Ian Hunter (of Mott The Hoople).

In 2007 the band released the album Street Poetry. In 2008 Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe stated that they had taken the band as far as they could and so they decided to end the band. Hanoi Rocks played 8 sold out farewell gigs in 6 days at Tavastia Club, Helsinki. The original guitarist Nasty Suicide appeared as a special guest on three of the last gigs.

After Hanoi officially ended in 2009, Andy McCoy formed a band called "The Real McCoy Band", but this band broke up after just three shows, when guitarist Chris Shiflett decided to leave the group and returned to the US.

Other projects

Besides music, Andy McCoy is an avid painter and he also makes a lot of his own and his wife's clothes, along with designing jewellery, scarfs and other accessories. McCoy held his first Art Exhibition McCoy Hits Canvas at The Cable Factory in Helsinki in 2010.

thumb|McCoy at the Borderline Club, London, 2000|left|342x342px

After 2009, McCoy was recruited as lead guitarist for Grease Helmet, a new Helsinki-based band. The self titled first album of the band was released in September 2012. McCoy entered Finland's Celebrity Big Brother Tv show on 3 September 2013.

Besides working with Grease Helmet, McCoy has also performed with several other bands including the new band for a Finnish punk singer, Pelle Miljoona (which he had played before joining Hanoi Rocks) as well as Bam Margera's band in which he toured in Australia in 2015.

McCoy released an EP "Soul Satisfaction" in December 2018 and toured with Pelle Miljoona Oy from November 2018 to late August 2019. The band released a new EP called "Anna soihtusi palaa" (Let your torch burn) in October 2018 with McCoy on the guitar. McCoy released a new single "Seven Seas" on 15 August 2019, with the announcement of a tour starting in 2020 and a full album release on 27 September the same year. He also hosted an art exhibition with an acoustic gig at Hard Rock Cafe in Helsinki on the release day of the single Seven Seas.

In 2022, he put out Jukebox Junkie, a covers album featuring eclectic takes on songs by artists such as Toots & The Maytals, Squeeze, and Wanda Jackson. and McCoy has stated that his paternal grandfather was a Romani musician who taught him "gypsy and flamenco guitar" in his childhood,

Throughout his career, McCoy has also struggled with long-standing issues related to drug and alcohol abuse. between 1991 and 2021.

Legacy

When Acey Slade was asked "Who is the best guitarist in rock right now?" He replied: "Andy McCoy. Period. When Dave Grohl met Andy McCoy, he said 'I have met my first rockstar.' That's a pretty good reason."

McCoy is a friend of Bam Margera (professional skater and Jackass star). McCoy made appearances in Viva la Bam and Bam Margera Presents: Where the#$&% Is Santa?, and appeared several times on radio Bam. Margera has a tattoo of McCoy on his right arm.

Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett wrote a song about Andy McCoy titled "Helsinki" Song is included on the Chris Shiflett album Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants

On 27 July 2009 a statue of McCoy (sculpted in wood by Matti Hulkko) was erected in the main square of Pelkosenniemi. All proceeds went to charity for newcomers in the music business.

Discography

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Solo

  • Too Much Ain't Enough (1988)
  • Building on Tradition (1995)
  • The Real McCoy – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1999)
  • R'n'R Memorabilia – The Best Solo Tracks So Far! (2003)
  • Soul Satisfaction (2018)
  • 21st Century Rocks (2019)
  • Jukebox Junkie (2022)

Hanoi Rocks

Briard

  • I Really Hate Ya – 7" (1977)
  • Fuck the Army – 7" (1978)
  • Chirpy Chirpy Cheap Cheap – 7" (1979)
  • Miss World – LP (1983)
  • Briard (1996)
  • Miss World – rerelease with 15 bonus songs (2005)

Pelle Miljoona Oy

  • Moottoritie on kuuma (1980)
  • Anna soihtusi palaa (2018)

Suicide Twins

  • Silver Missiles and Nightingales (1986)

Cherry Bombz

  • Cherry Bombz/Hot Girls in Love (mini-LP) (1985)
  • House of Ecstasy (EP) (1986)
  • "Coming Down Slow" (Live) (1987)
  • Shooting Gallery 1992 (Mercury records)

Grease Helmet

  • Grease Helmet (2012)

Guest appearances

  • Maukka Perusjätkä: Ennen kolmatta maailmansotaa (1980)
  • Pete Malmi: Malmi Re-released 2005 (1981)
  • Urban Dogs: Urban Dogs (McCoy on guitar on A Bridge Too Far and Human Beings) (1983)
  • Fallen Angels: Fallen Angels (McCoy on additional guitar) (1983)
  • Fallen Angels: In Loving Memory (McCoy on additional guitar) (1986)
  • UK Subs: Killing Time (McCoy plays guitar on Drag Me Down) (1988)
  • Snatches of Pink: Bent With Pray (McCoy plays guitar on Screams) (1992)
  • The 69 Eyes: Savage Garden (Wild Talk with/by McCoy) (1995)
  • The 69 Eyes: Velvet Touch (McCoy plays guitar on TV Eye) (1995)
  • Juice Leskinen: Kiveä ja sämpylää (1996)
  • XL5: Taas Mennään (Guitar by McCoy) (1996)
  • 22 Pistepirkko: Downhill City (McCoy on the song Let The Romeo Weep) (1999)
  • The 4 Faces: Best Of Both Worlds b/w Poison Heart (single) (2002)
  • Hidria Spacefolk: Balansia (McCoy on slide guitar on "Pajas") (2004)

References

  • The first Hanoi Rocks website - online since 1995
  • A gallery of Andy McCoys paintings
  • A profile Kaksi minää – 22 ihmistä kertoo, millainen on oikea Andy McCoy giving a detailed look on Andy McCoy's personality
  • Andy McCoy interview at WickedInfo.com
  • SHERIFF MCCOY: Outlaw Legend of Hanoi Rocks, by Andy McCoy