Steel Panther @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (07/10/2012)
It was a cold Melbourne night and the streets outside Festival Hall bustled with profanity, alcoholism and most importantly the spirit of hair metal. Steel Panther were in town, hookers on hand and ready to blow away a sold out show.
If you’ve never experienced Steel Panther before, allow me to be your chemist. It’s like freebasing Axle Rose’s ego then mixing it with the porno tape of Pamela & Tommy Lee whilst high on laughing gas. A Steel Panther show is the closest you will ever come to a live taping of Rock of Love, otherwise musical herpes.
A dedicated crowd filled the stalls of the venue. Each punter was dressed to the nines in glam rock apparel including hair, make-up, leather and this was just the men. It’s safe the say the female audience were impervious to feeling sexually objectified. It was all leopard print, leather and bustiers that came down quicker than you that time you tried bad coke.
The energy was high and alcoholic when the L.A based four piece hit the stage rocking leather pants and hair higher than a giraffe asshole. This is a band that demands energy and in the first few minutes lead singer Michael Starr has said ‘fuck’ countless times.
Steel Panther are every bit about the art of comedy as they are about their delicious 80’s riffs. Starr and his quick witted guitarist Satchel banter back and forth primarily about anal sex and metal before hitting off to ‘Supersonic Sex Machine’ from the bands recent record ‘Balls Out’.
Between songs bassist Lexxi Foxxx pouts femininely into a little mirror as he swishes his long blonde glam rock weave around. Each member has character although despite the name, drummer Stixx Zadinia is the quietest member of the bunch. The whole show is a sexy 80’s production.
Between songs and banter, Starr hypes the crowd to a mass of adulation and nudity. It’s not long before the Sunset Boulevard dweller invites a girl on stage. I knew where this was going, I’d seen Steel Panther at the House of Blues in L.A it was only going to end one way and that was in a state of undress.
The crowd seemed almost unphased by the thin blondes presence as the show simply goes on around her. I have to give it to her, although she was almost ignored by the funny men whilst they performed, girlfriend stuck it out and even got a free hat. You hear that? A free hat!
It’s only a matter of time before another girl makes it on stage. The band performs around the blonde as she awkwardly dances but it’s not too long before she’s flashing the crowd. Starr soon asks “Do you shave your box?” and the girl screams that she does. Sadly, it has already been decided by bassist Foxxx that you’d have to wrestle with ZZ Top to get a good look below and the band break out into a 1 minute cover of ‘La Grange’.
Naked girls aside, this is the most choreographed show I’ve ever been to outside of a Kylie Minogue tour. It’s entertaining, funny and the foursome put on quite the show for photographers, striking metal poses and coordinating their steps as they dropped tasty metal.
I have to say the most impressive part of the night is watching Satchel perform possibly the best solo I have ever witnessed. Their whole theme may be comedy but there’s no joke when it comes to talent with Steel Panther. Satchel jams for close to nine minutes with nods to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and even The Sound of Music with the help of a kickdrum.
If you live by ‘Death to all but metal’, then Steel Panther was huge Sunday night success. I am sure the Monday morning hangover was a tough price to pay for rowdy punters. Heavy hangs the head that last night wore the big hair.
Samantha Dickson
Feel the Steel! Our photos from the night can be found here!
If you’ve never experienced Steel Panther before, allow me to be your chemist. It’s like freebasing Axle Rose’s ego then mixing it with the porno tape of Pamela & Tommy Lee whilst high on laughing gas. A Steel Panther show is the closest you will ever come to a live taping of Rock of Love, otherwise musical herpes.
A dedicated crowd filled the stalls of the venue. Each punter was dressed to the nines in glam rock apparel including hair, make-up, leather and this was just the men. It’s safe the say the female audience were impervious to feeling sexually objectified. It was all leopard print, leather and bustiers that came down quicker than you that time you tried bad coke.
The energy was high and alcoholic when the L.A based four piece hit the stage rocking leather pants and hair higher than a giraffe asshole. This is a band that demands energy and in the first few minutes lead singer Michael Starr has said ‘fuck’ countless times.
Steel Panther are every bit about the art of comedy as they are about their delicious 80’s riffs. Starr and his quick witted guitarist Satchel banter back and forth primarily about anal sex and metal before hitting off to ‘Supersonic Sex Machine’ from the bands recent record ‘Balls Out’.
Between songs bassist Lexxi Foxxx pouts femininely into a little mirror as he swishes his long blonde glam rock weave around. Each member has character although despite the name, drummer Stixx Zadinia is the quietest member of the bunch. The whole show is a sexy 80’s production.
Between songs and banter, Starr hypes the crowd to a mass of adulation and nudity. It’s not long before the Sunset Boulevard dweller invites a girl on stage. I knew where this was going, I’d seen Steel Panther at the House of Blues in L.A it was only going to end one way and that was in a state of undress.
The crowd seemed almost unphased by the thin blondes presence as the show simply goes on around her. I have to give it to her, although she was almost ignored by the funny men whilst they performed, girlfriend stuck it out and even got a free hat. You hear that? A free hat!
It’s only a matter of time before another girl makes it on stage. The band performs around the blonde as she awkwardly dances but it’s not too long before she’s flashing the crowd. Starr soon asks “Do you shave your box?” and the girl screams that she does. Sadly, it has already been decided by bassist Foxxx that you’d have to wrestle with ZZ Top to get a good look below and the band break out into a 1 minute cover of ‘La Grange’.
Naked girls aside, this is the most choreographed show I’ve ever been to outside of a Kylie Minogue tour. It’s entertaining, funny and the foursome put on quite the show for photographers, striking metal poses and coordinating their steps as they dropped tasty metal.
I have to say the most impressive part of the night is watching Satchel perform possibly the best solo I have ever witnessed. Their whole theme may be comedy but there’s no joke when it comes to talent with Steel Panther. Satchel jams for close to nine minutes with nods to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and even The Sound of Music with the help of a kickdrum.
If you live by ‘Death to all but metal’, then Steel Panther was huge Sunday night success. I am sure the Monday morning hangover was a tough price to pay for rowdy punters. Heavy hangs the head that last night wore the big hair.
Samantha Dickson
Feel the Steel! Our photos from the night can be found here!