Steel Panther
02 Academy Birmingham 8/2/20
Live review by; Deedee
Guys remember the days when your hair was long and you used a can of hairspray every time you left the house. You wore spandex, with about 6 scarves hanging and borrowed everyones eyeliner. Remember gigs when girls flashed their boobs while sitting on their boyfriends shoulders and political correctness hadn’t been invented. Well, tonight it’s a step back in time to honour those days. On a cold Saturday night in Birmingham, the queue stretches halfway down the Bristol Road and waiting patiently for the doors to open. After a blistering set by Wayward Sons, the 02 Academy is in party mood and ready for the outrageous, disgraceful, shocking, sexist and totally brilliant Steel Panther.
After 10 years, the performance may follow a similar path, but there is no lack of spontaneity and ad-libbing. I have a permanent grin on my face, even when guitarist Satchel flicks a plectrum at me and it lands in my hair, (not in my eye, as he gestured to the crowd!). Bursting into love action with ‘Eyes Of The Panther’, vocalist Michael Starr struts the stage in his skin tight lycra. The audience are already screaming and guitarist Satchel, also on backing vocals, gives us some attention with more plectrum flicking. ‘Let Me Come In’ from the ‘Balls Out’ album, a steady number that is counteracted with plenty of cheesy pouts, mainly from bassist Lexxi Foxx, who is the most glamorous of men. I love his side-table, with hairspray, makeup and mirror at the ready.
The new release ‘Heavy Metal Rules’ is full of more delightful crudeness and ‘All I Want To Do Is F**k (Myself Tonight) is a faster taste of sleaze rock, with its catch of a chorus, it’s a great singalong. They bring out a couple of massive hairdryers and Lexxi is made to play while Starr and Satchel ensure the bassists’ hair is blowing freely for the ‘Hair Solo’. More antics during ‘Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World’ and ‘Poontang Boomerang’ and a rendering solo from Satchel, let’s not forget these guys are damn good musicians behind all the theatre. A couple more new ones ‘F**k Everybody’ and ‘I Ain’t Buying What You’re Selling’ at which point drummer Stix Zadinia, takes up position on keyboards, for this beautiful ballad. Stix is hilarious, if you watch him, he loses his sticks all the time and the stage crew are employed to constantly hand them back.
A girl is picked from the crowd, to be subjected to amorous attention from the band during ‘Weenie Ride’ serenading her, with tongue in cheek, devotedness. More girls clamber over the barrier to join the band for ‘Party All Day (F**k All Night)’ It’s total mayhem, selfies and a lot of fondling going on, while they manage to carry on playing. Another highlight is when the tribute band Surreal Panther also get on stage, dressed very similarly, they help out on ’17 Girls In A Row’, absolute magic.
Just to prove how good the 2009 debut album ‘Feel The Steel’ was, they play ‘Community Property’ and ‘Death To All But Metal’, keeping up the momentum to the end, we’ve had Starr salute Ozzy with a comical impression and a few lines of Sabbath thrown in and loads of suggestive comments from Satchel and his interaction with those down the front is nonstop. The defining track ‘Gloryhole’ is the last of the night, bringing the sex circus to a finale.
Not for those who are easily offended, but even the security guy, with his back to them in the pit, was in tears from laughing.
5/5
Steel Panther are -
Michael Starr - Vocals
Satchel - Guitar
Lexxi Foxx - Bass
Stix Zadinia - Drums / Keyboards
Set List -
Eyes of a Panther
Let Me Come In
All I Wanna Do Is F**k (Myself Tonight)
Asian Hooker
Hair Solo
Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World
Poontang Boomerang
Guitar Solo
F**k Everybody
I Ain’t Buying What You’re Selling
Weenie Ride
Party All Day (F**k All Night)
17 Girls in a Row
Community Property
Death to All but Metal
Gloryhole
