Steel Panther Talent Alert!

Robboman

Fractal Fanatic
So I'd heard of these jokers, seen their pictures pop up in a few guitar mags and on the web. A comedy show, mocking 80's hair metal with the full spandex and makeup treatment. Lyrics are all x-rated porn, funny in that juvenile trailerpark Beavis and Butthead kind of way.

None of that inspired me to actually LISTEN to Steel Panther, but I finally did. Holy shitballs! They are *musically* amazing!

The ridiculous comedy act and vulgar lyrics are so over the top it's hard to admit being a fan, but if you are able to look past all that and really listen.. WOW. It's like taking a time machine back to 1985 and hearing the best of the best LA bands at their peak. Loaded with ripping technical guitar solos that could hang with ANY of the guitar heros from then, or now. And the vocalist has PIPES. Like the greatest qualities of Plant, Coverdale, Paul Stanley and the guy from Def Leppard all rolled into one vocal. These guys would have slayed everyone in that timeframe.

I was raised on 80s rock and I loved a lot of those bands, even though I was never into the glam thing. Makeup and poodle hair and all the stage posing was cheesey even to teenage me. But the music blew my mind. The bands were all trying to outdo eachother with superfast flashy guitar and powerhouse vocals with huge range. Truly the golden era for guitar heroics and it was fun. Seems to me all the fun went out of heavy music. Since the 90's it's all death, darkness, anger and being disenchanted.

Steel Panther is bringing back the fun, and that's great, but I think their talent is being totally missed, overlooked and ignored. Overshadowed by the whole comedy spectacle. Makes me wonder if they'll ever do any serious music.

steel_panther_lg.jpg
 
So I'd heard of these jokers, seen their pictures pop up in a few guitar mags and on the web. A comedy show, mocking 80's hair metal with the full spandex and makeup treatment. Lyrics are all x-rated porn, funny in that juvenile trailerpark Beavis and Butthead kind of way.

None of that inspired me to actually LISTEN to Steel Panther, but I finally did. Holy shitballs! They are *musically* amazing!

The ridiculous comedy act and vulgar lyrics are so over the top it's hard to admit being a fan, but if you are able to look past all that and really listen.. WOW. It's like taking a time machine back to 1985 and hearing the best of the best LA bands at their peak. Loaded with ripping technical guitar solos that could hang with ANY of the guitar heros from then, or now. And the vocalist has PIPES. Like the greatest qualities of Plant, Coverdale, Paul Stanley and the guy from Def Leppard all rolled into one vocal. These guys would have slayed everyone in that timeframe.

I was raised on 80s rock and I loved a lot of those bands, even though I was never into the glam thing. Makeup and poodle hair and all the stage posing was cheesey even to teenage me. But the music blew my mind. The bands were all trying to outdo eachother with superfast flashy guitar and powerhouse vocals with huge range. Truly the golden era for guitar heroics and it was fun. Seems to me all the fun went out of heavy music. Since the 90's it's all death, darkness, anger and being disenchanted.

Steel Panther is bringing back the fun, and that's great, but I think their talent is being totally missed, overlooked and ignored. Overshadowed by the whole comedy spectacle. Makes me wonder if they'll ever do any serious music.

steel_panther_lg.jpg

Agreed, these dudes rip! LOVED Feel the Steel! Everyone in the band is a great player, but the guitar player is especially good!
 
Fun show to watch, especially if you have an affection with the 80's era rock music.
However... The schtick does get old quickly. So it's a good thing these guys are monster players.
IIRC Russ (the guitarist) used to play with Paul Gilbert.

My gues is we'll be hearing a lot more from them, either comically or musically.8)
 
Russ is indeed a fantastic player and super great all around guy. He did play with Paul Gilbert. He was the bass player in The Electric Fence band with Paul.

Michael Starr used to front the Van Halen tribute band Atomic Punks in the 90s. Best VH tribute Ive seen, maybe even better than the real Van Halen ;)
 
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Love their thing or not, these guys are astonishing musicians. I saw them in Hollywood, and it was a weird magic portal to the best 80's party rock scene of our imaginations. Not something I need to see every day, but crazy fun. Also, based on my (limited) interaction with the guys in the band, they're also really great people and are genuinely having fun doing this.
 
Especially cool (IMHO) is that in every song they've done, they managed to capture the "signature" of one of the 80's bands.
Whether it's Iron Maiden, Priest, Ozzy Osbourne etc.
 
They are the shizzle. Seen them three times in the last two years. Really put a freshness and oomph to the 80's sound.

And I like their dirty comedy. To me they just embody the essence of my pubescent memories and fantasies of how bands were really like back then and what I aspired to ;).
 
Russ was also one of Rob Halford's guitar players after he left Judas Priest and formed the band "Fight" in the very early 90's. If I remember correctly as well he graduated (or attended) GIT. All these guys are monster players.
 
I like Russ and Michael Starr in the Atomic punks era, saw then live and it was a great show! Not into the Steel Panther thing way to juvenile.
 
I don't know if it's true or not, but I've read that Starr has a PhD in English Literature. He produces genius rhymes sometimes, e.g. "eyes"/"fertilize". :lol
 
Russ was also one of Rob Halford's guitar players after he left Judas Priest and formed the band "Fight" in the very early 90's. If I remember correctly as well he graduated (or attended) GIT. All these guys are monster players.

Russ Parrish taught at G.I.T. when he was like 17. I have some of the lessons from my old teacher. Awesome repeating pentatonic ideas, I still use now.

And "Fight" "War of Words" is pretty great too!
 
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Literally can't get past the vulgarity. Not that I care... But it's so over the top with it.

I get that and I wonder what percentage of the world feels the same. I'm not easily offended, I admit I even get a few laughs out of it, but it gets old quick.

I posted about them because I'm just astonished what incredible musicians they are. For years I ignored them, didn't bother listening because I really assumed they'd be average talent, just milking a gimmick for all it's worth. Every big city has a few 80's hair metal nostalgia party bands. I thought Steel Panther was just another. I'm really shocked.

Russ is a total monster player, but I bet most of their fans don't notice or care, they just see the funny guy in a wig playing really fast and posing.

This Michael Starr character.. wow. I've always been fascinated with the mechanics of singing. As a rock vocalist, his voice has it all and then some. Tone, power, range. He's Bon Jovi or Joe Elliot without even trying. He can do that impossible vintage David Lee Roth multi-timbral screaming thing. Even Dave can't do that anymore, but this guy does it even better, and then notches up a full octave and belts it like Bruce Dickinson (Maiden). Seemingly effortlessly.

Now I have to wonder if they're as successful as they are because of their gimmick, or despite it.

They've written some really great songs too (I mean music, not lyrics). But you can tell they are writing to the formula, staying within the confines of the 80's hair band they are channeling. Arranged and produced to match their gimmick. What if they didn't have that limitation? What if they took off the wigs, got serious and created their very best all-original music with the talent they have? They seem to have the talent to be one of the greatest bands of all time. Is it possible the gimmick is holding them back?
 
I'm going to the Soundwave festival in Sydney next weekend where among other bands Steel Panther is playing. Really looking forward to be transformed back to the 80's :).
 
I must have been hiding under a rock all through the eighties. I have never heard of this band until recently.
 
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