As Flaming Wrekage’s brutal fourth album tickles your earholes, you know this is something special. …
STEEL PANTHER
Big Top, Sydney
Friday 18th May, 2018
Four guys, glam rock and a whole lot of glitter—what started out in the year 2000 as a Hollywood Sunset Strip cover band, evolved into a comedic brotherhood that poked elaborate fun at the glam rock ways of old. Now, this group has turned into a rock ‘n’ roll icon in its own right, complete with great music, great showmanship and a whole lotta love—Steel Panther.
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Steel Panther’s shows write themselves, really. The band regularly put shit on each other, the audience are regularly subject to playful mockery and the girls, well, regularly topless. The LA quartet consistently sell out their Australian shows, all cleverly delivered with filth-laced banter to the excitement of their loving audience and last night’s Sydney show was no different—and by all that is holy, was it good!
Steel Panther // By Ashley Mar
This evening was all about Steel Panther. A celebration of good music, good times and good friends (and not just because it was frontman Michael Starr’s ’73rd’ birthday). Steel Panther took to a stage shrouded in smoke, the lights brighter than an angel’s halo and definitely far filthier, greeted with raucous cheers from an eclectic blend of punters.
Steel Panther // By Ashley Mar
Split into two halves the night began with a mix of original Steel Panther songs, well-loved classics like Community Property and the seminal Death To All But Metal, and numbers from their latest album Lower The Bar. The night’s encore paid homage to classic rock anthems, Steel Panther giving their fans a taste of what they were like back in the day when they covered other group’s hits regularly at LA’s Viper Room on a Monday night. Scorpion’s Rock You Like A Hurricane, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer and plenty of other fan favourites, weren’t so much performed like karaoke so much this was Steel Panther giving a little love the only way they know how—loudly.
Steel Panther // By Ashley Mar
Though there wasn’t quite as much audience involvement as past Panther shows—way less boob, way less visual debauchery—the banter between Michael Starr, guitarist Satchel, drummer Stix and flamboyant lady-boy bassist Lexxi Foxx was as good as ever. True entertainers.
Steel Panther // By Ashley Mar
Steel Panther are good musicians in their own right but they don’t need to be. People aren’t there for a great audio delivery, what they love about a Steel Panther show is the unabashed entertainment, the way the crowd are involved in everything from on-stage antics, in-crowd jests and very loud singalongs. To the sultry ballad Girl From Oklahoma, Steel Panther serenaded two very topless girls on stage while the audience crooned with them. Actually, all Steel Panther’s numbers in their first half were met with enthusiastic vocals from their audience.
Steel Panther // By Ashley Mar
Steel Panther make no apologies for their antics and nor should they. The crowd love them for who they are and Steel Panther, prone to lap up that love, will no doubt be back to dominate our stages sooner rather than later. Steel Panther, Australia thirstily awaits your return, when once again you’ll be welcomed with open arms, and open legs.
Catch Steel Panther’s remaining Sunset Strip Live Australian Tour Dates Below:
Sunday 20th May // Eatons Hill, Brisbane QLD
Tuesday 22nd May // Astor Theatre, Perth WA
