“It’s fun, man. I think people really understand what we’re doing. We’re entertainers.” — Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr.
Published Sep 15, 2023 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 4 minute read
(L-R) Spyder, Satchel, Michael Starr and Stix Zadinia of Steel Panther attend the red carpet for America’s Got Talent in Pasadena, California. Photo by Kevin Winter /Getty Images
Steel Panther arrives in Regina with a warning label.
The raunchy American rockers may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but their cult following is apparent within a fun-loving, beer-swilling, middle-finger-raising crowd that’s looking to let its hair down and enjoy some old-school glam metal — with an obvious satirical twist.
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So, be prepared to check your discretion at the door of the Casino Regina Show Lounge next Thursday.
No prudes allowed.
“… if you want to see some boobies and have a laugh and have some beers with your buddies and you want to escape the reality of living in your $#@&!% mom’s house, come to a Steel Panther show,” lead singer Michael Starr said with a laugh. “No matter what you’ve heard, you will have a good time. Even if you hate heavy metal, you can enjoy Steel Panther.”
Starr and his gang of ‘80s throwbacks are currently enjoying the Canadian leg of their latest world tour. The group is fresh off an appearance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, having made plenty of noise prior to elimination on Aug. 30.
“(The producers) called us out of the blue,” recalled Starr (real name Ralph Michael Saenz). “We told them, ‘Look, we don’t have a bass player, we don’t have a new record out, so it’s probably not a good time for us.’ They said, ‘We’ll call you for next season’ and they did. It was great. It was not fun to lose but it was a great experience.”
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AGT was just one stop on a wild ride that began almost 30 years ago in Los Angeles. Starr and guitarist Russ Parrish (stage name Satchel) were part of various groups over the years, including a Van Halen tribute band, before finding a rhythm with Steel Panther.
They performed covers at Hollywood’s legendary Viper Room in the mid-’90s and continued for several years before finally signing a record deal.
The rest is history.
“It just kind of happened,” Starr noted. “Our mission as a cover band back then was to bring heavy metal back because grunge had basically wiped it off the planet. When we started writing music, we started writing it with a little comedy twist. We were really just having fun with it so we thought, ‘Let’s just sing about what we know.’ We did and we got signed.”
Although the band spent many years chasing its dream, Starr didn’t necessarily expect it to be realized.
Not to this level, anyway.
“We’re definitely proud of our career,” he said. “We didn’t see it coming but we’re stoked and we’re not going to give it up.”
Steel Panther’s circuitous journey has included some bumps in the road, especially in the early days of creating their act. Things really got interesting when they started cracking jokes and interacting with the audience.
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“People used to throw (stuff) at us and say, ‘Shut up and play music!” he recalled. “I’ll never forget that. It used to happen a lot. Then we honed our skills and people stopped throwing (stuff) at us. It was an organic evolution of this show over the years.”
That evolution also applies to the fans.
While they’re still tossing things on stage, it’s now out of reverence instead of disrespect.
“People will throw anything,” he said, including balloons, lighters, cigarettes, underwear, weed, cocaine, even girlfriends. “It sounds funny but people really do throw their girls on stage. Not literally throw, but we like to get girls on stage. It’s fun, man. I think people really understand what we’re doing. We’re entertainers.”
Satchel (left) and Michael Starr of Steel Panther perform in New York on Jan. 4, 2012. Photo by Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty I /PNG
Starr is the first to admit that Steel Panther’s glorified comedic take on an era of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll isn’t for everyone. Their colourful language, debaucherous antics and explicit lyrics may offend some people, but clearly not everyone.
“If somebody comes to our show and they really don’t like what they’re hearing … they don’t come back,” he said. “That’s just the way it is. It’s like going to a restaurant. You eat there and, if you like the food, you come back.
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“There’s something for everybody in this world and that’s what makes it so fun to be alive.”
The world has also changed since the heyday of Starr’s favourite bands like Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Cinderella and Aerosmith.
Steel Panther’s version may not appeal to the woke crowd, but cancel culture hasn’t caught up to them yet.
“We have enough people who love Steel Panther for what we do and we’re grateful for it,” he said unapologetically. “Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it needs to be cancelled. (That mentality) started from a good spot and then it was just kind of taken in a direction that’s silly after a while.”
Despite the complexities of today’s entertainment industry, Steel Panther has become bigger than ever. The band released a new album, On The Prowl, earlier this year and watched it “really blow up” after some initial uncertainty about how it would be received.
“We’re not on the radio because we’re so damn dirty and nobody really sells records anymore,” Starr added. “The only way to tell (how you’re doing) is your Spotify numbers and who comes to the shows. So far our shows are doing really well.
“We’re ready to rock!”
gharder@postmedia.com
STEEL PANTHER
On The Prowl World Tour
Thurs., Sept 21, 8 p.m.
Casino Regina Show Lounge
Tickets at casinoregina.com
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