Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney
Friday May 18, 2018 :
It’s hard to define Steel Panther as a band. Mix Tenacious D with ’80s hair metal and you’re close, but they need to be seen to be believed. Tonight they played two sets, one of their own originals (with a few skits in between) and one of covers of metal classics. Steel Panther definitely aren’t for the faint of heart, with plenty of racism, sexism and nudity thrown in for good measure. No complaints from anyone attending though, with many donning lycra and leopard-print pants and going all out.
Steel Panther may fall into “comedy” music, but there’s no denying that they are some of the best musicians playing anywhere. Satchel is an amazing guitarist and was given plenty of time to shine. Their originals set had their best tunes like ‘Gloryhole’, ’17 Girls in a Row’ and ‘Eyes of a Panther’. The band invited an Asian girl on stage to dance for ‘Asian Hooker’, and one skit had drummer Stix Zadinia impersonating Rick Allen from Def Leppard and playing one handed. Peppering the set with hilarious banter, a healthy dose of bare breasts, and a shitload of solos, Steel Panther are the most entertaining band I’ve ever seen live.
At one point Satchel described frontman Michael Starr as a “fat David Lee Roth”, and credited the lusciousness of bassist Lexxi Foxx’s hair to a healthy amount of sperm. The band invited two girls on stage to serenade them with a song about banging groupies called ‘Girl from Oklahoma’, and finished off with ‘Community Property’ and ‘Death to all but Metal’. At one point Michael Starr noticed someone in trouble in the crowd and kindly stopped the band so that security could help, which got a round of applause. Once he was safe and sound, a few jokes were made at his expense in true Panther style and the music continued.
After a short break the band were back for their covers set. Steel Panther cut their teeth as a cover band on the Sunset Strip and it shows, as they arguably played these songs better than the original bands. The band started with Motley Crue’s ‘Kickstart My Heart’ and Van Halen’s ‘Jump’. Satchel was given time for an extended solo with some well-known riffs chucked in. By far the highlight of the night was their cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’, with singer Michael Starr doing the funniest Ozzy impersonation I’ve ever seen (complete with hunched posture and medicated stare). Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again’ was turned into a Bob Marley jam and cleverly used the same chord progression for a medley of other tunes (funnily enough including two Weezer songs). There was Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, G’n’R and, before the band returned for an encore of their own tune ‘Party All Day (Fuck All Night)’.
Steel Panther are funnier than most stand up comedy acts and play better than most other bands, and are one of the best live bands around today. They have been touring Australia every year for some time now so let’s hope they’re back soon.
Reviewer : Matthew Glen
Photographer : David Youdell
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