MICHAEL MONROE, DREGEN Interviewed At Finland's RUISROCK Festival (Video)

Festari TV conducted an interview with former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe and his new guitarist, Dregen (real name: Andreas Tyrone Svensson) of Swedish sleaze rockers BACKYARD BABIES, at this year's edition of the Ruisrock festival, which was held July 8-10 in Turku, Finland. You can now watch it below.

Dregen made his live debut as the guitarist of Michael Monroe's solo band on June 26 at Kalasatama in Helsinki as the support act for the FOO FIGHTERS.

Regarding his addition to Monroe's band, Dregen previously stated, "Sure, I was listening to KISS and SEX PISTOLS when I was a kid, but it was HANOI ROCKS that made me do it! I wanted to be a rock star, but 99.9% of my record collection as a kid was either U.K. bands or bands from the USA and everything felt so far away and untouchable apart from one band… HANOI ROCKS! If they could make it, I could make it!

"It's an honor for me to be in the band together with Michael and Sami [Yaffa, bass] who were the brightest shining stars when I grew up, starting to play rock and roll music, AND bonus to that is also to share stage with Karl and Steve who are incredible players. So. I. Am. A. Happy. Fucking. Dregen!

"I hope I can bring even more explosivity and energy to the band, as well as, of course, loud guitars, great live performance, killer riffs and songwriting for upcoming studio works."

Dregen is best known as the guitarist of BACKYARD BABIES and as a founding member of the HELLACOPTERS.

Dregen was a member of the HELLACOPTERS from the band's inception in 1994 until 1998, at which point he decided to focus on BACKYARD BABIES.

In addition to playing with Michael Monroe's band, Dregen is starting work on his first solo album.

BACKYARD BABIES announced in November 2009 that it was going on an indefinite hiatus following its most recent European tour.