Like your heavy metal that rocks you into next week, while taking the piss at the same time? You were in luck. Love tongue-in-cheek rock poses, headbands, long hair and on-stage banter that leaves you in stitches? You were in the right place at the right time. How about topless girls from the crowd up on stage mixing with porn stars throwing out free shit? You hit the jackpot.
Sunday night blew the roof off Festival Hall, with tracks like Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast, amongst others, seeing the crowd roaring the lyrics in fervent anticipation of the arrival of Steel Panther. The introductory voice-over that preceded Supersonic Sex Machine boosted the feeling amongst the crowd, before Steel Panther bolted on stage and ripped through the aforementioned, and then Tomorrow Night, as a blow-up doll thrown from the stage surfed its way back to the stage. Sharing the banter between bassist Lexxi Foxxx and guitarist Satchel, Michael Starr was the consummate frontman: charismatic, over the top, but most importantly a fine rock vocalist, seemingly borrowed from 1984 when David Lee Roth and Dee Snider dominated the glam rock vocal style.
Satchel eagerly informed the crowd that their latest album, Balls Out, had just gone triple platinum: in Guam. And while the jokes were a little repetitive from their shows earlier in the year on the Soundwave Festival bill, the crowd certainly enjoyed having a laugh before the next balls-to-the-wall rock anthem exploded from the stage. As young girls crowd surfed their way up to the stage to fulfill their lifelong dream of getting their kit off in front of an ogling crowd of drunk, sweaty men, the band continued to do what they do best, as Asian Hooker, and The Shocker, along with ballads If You Really Really Love Me and Girl from Oklahoma, were performed flawlessly and with good humour.
Satchel singlehandedly almost brought the house down with a solo that saw him drum and guitar simultaneously, whilst belting out classics like Master of Puppets, Paranoid and oddly enough, Do Re Me Fa So La Ti Do from The Sound of Music. Clad in his ripped fishnet singlet and leather pants, and shredding his hot pink guitar, Satchel represented, along with the rest of the band, every bit of rock theatre that you would expect from an act that does nothing by half and everything over the top. From attire to unashamedly clichéd rock poses, Steel Panther were every bit the performers. With the gags coming thick and fast throughout, it’s a wonder they had time to get through their set. As breakout hit Death to All But Metal closed the set in typically flawless fashion, the crowd expected more. They demanded more. Perhaps they knew more was bound to be just moments away.
Community Property drew the biggest cheers of the night, as the cheeky romance that only Steel Panther could get away with as being one of their most recognised hits, could have won over most of the women in attendance. Eyes of a Panther brought the hair rock back, and as they finished their set with 17 Girls in a Row, the crowd had been treated to a Sunday night that they will look back on with fond memories. Satchel ensured that he got the final word in, leaving the audience with some wise words regarding drink driving, “Make sure you be responsible if you’re driving tonight. Don’t do anything stupid. If you’re feeling tired, just have a quick bump, and make sure you get home safe!”
