The world-renowned 'hair-tastic' band, Steel Panther return to Australian shores this month promoting their sixth album, 2023's 'On The Prowl'.
The glam metal, comedic rockers have been shocking audiences since 2009 when they hit the scene with tremendous fashion upon the release of their debut album 'Feel The Steel'; the record landed in the Billboard Top 100 (#98) as well as being #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart, pushing the band into absolute stardom.Steel Panther aren't newcomers to the Aussie shores, the band having toured down under several times in the last decade, playing sold-out venues and festival stages.
The band's frontman Michael Starr reflects on his first time playing at the defunct Soundwave. "We were on the main stage, and we went on in the afternoon, in direct sunlight, and we had to go out and play in front of people, and everyone was f...ing was crazy, it was such an awesome audience.
"Then we came back and did it again, then we came back, and we did our own shows. We started filling rooms up, and it was really exciting. The crowd really got our humour, you guys really get the dirty sh.t, and it's f...ing awesome."
Steel Panther are known for their wildly inappropriate and NSFW lyrics that capture every single glam rock trope known to humanity; from doing excessive amounts of drugs to seeing multiple different girls every night, every song makes you wonder what they won't sing about.
"I think the only things we try and leave out of our music are politics and religion," shares Michael. "I think those are the main two because we don't want to divide anyone who likes us in any way whatsoever.
"When it comes to that stuff, we’re like, that's not a party. When you think about religion and politics, usually that's when the party is over, and people split. We just try to keep it about sh.t that we think is fun and exciting. Usually, it's getting high, having sex."
In terms of modern glam rock royalty, Steel Panther sit above the rest of the pack for their absurd way of being completely serious yet a total joke at the same time. The persona of the rockstars we hear in the music all comes from "putting on the make-up, my headband, and spandex, then jumping onstage". The characters we hear in Steel Panthers music rivals even Eminem's Slim Shady as the most obscene characters in modern music.
The band have found their audiences enjoy connecting to the deviant aspects of modern society. "I would have to say we have a new song on a record called 'Friends With Benefits', that has been resonating with the crowd really, really well.
"It's like a mainstay on our set now. We didn't realise it until we started playing it; and from the first show that we did the song, people were responding to it positively. They could feel the energy.
"The ironic thing about our music and our lyrical content is not only is it over the top and dirty as f..., but it is basically what people do in reality, and a lot of people don't really talk about it.
"So when you come to our show, if you don't want to talk about it, you can talk about it with us because we'll listen – and we'll sing it for you."
If you want a night filled with blazing guitars, over-the-top hairstyles, and wrong-town glam rock to the max, you have to see Steel Panther when they hit the stage this October for five shows nationally, joined by legendary guitarist John 5 as the main support act.
- written by Dante Griffith
Steel Panther 2024 Tour Dates
Fri 18 Oct - Metro City (Perth)Mon 21 Oct - AEC Theatre (Adelaide)
Wed 23 Oct - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)
Thu 24 Oct - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)
Sat 26 Oct - Margaret Court Arena (Melbourne)
