Depending on how you look at them, Steel Panther are either loved or hated, and you can say the same for just about any comedian. Especially after the #MeToo movement, the group has been slammed with controversy. Their humor in sex, drugs, and rock and roll hasn’t always been for everyone to stomach. However, the band refuses to change their image, and we saw that in their new album Heavy Metal Rules. The group continues to push boundaries, and open doors to a world of hilarity as their videos, music, and live shows consistently bring laughter. Since 2010, the group has released four albums, supported Judas Priest, headlined many tours, and managed to offend just about everyone, especially themselves. On their recent tour with Stitched Up Heart, Steel Panther has done the unspeakable and turned their song “Gods of Pussy,” into an animal rescue. There you have it, and the band also has a sweet spot: animals. These glam metal comedians brought the comedy we needed in this decade, and we are curious to see where their humor will take them over the next ten years.
Earlier this year, we asked Michael Starr what would be the politically correct way to describe Steel Panther:
“Well, that’s a good question. I always get the opposite question of that. I would say that there is no real political way to describe a band that talks about fucking lots of girls, doing drugs, and talks about whatever we want to talk about. But if you want to have a good time, unplug yourself from what’s going on in the world, and escape reality for 90 minutes to laugh, have a beer with your friends and enjoy yourself, maybe see some naked girls, then our show is for you.”
We recently saw the group at Gramercy Theatre in NYC on November 26th, and the show was a mix between playing music to making jokes. The entire venue laughed during most of the set. Overall, the band sends a message to stop taking life too seriously and not to sweat the small stuff.
Based on Spotify Wrapped, the group had a total of 33.7M streams, 1.8M hours, 2.5M listeners in 79 countries in 2019. Additionally, Steel Panther’s 2011 record, Balls Out, landed at #219 on our 225 best metal albums of the decade list.
Steel Panther – 11/26 @ Gramercy Theatre
