Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sun 16 Oct
Heavy riffs, arena-size beats, lyrics about sex, drugs, and senior citizens, and the lingering scent of whisky, a stripper’s perfume, and hairspray… what more could you ask for? Since Steel Panther burst on the scene, the full-on foursome have quickly garnered a mass following and gained cult status in the rock/metal world; their track Death To All But Metal has become a national anthem for some.
Starting out in the early 2000s, the band become a regular fix on LA’s Sunset Strip, in what is dubbed “the longest running Hollywood residency”. Johnny’s Depp’s Viper Room was the big break venue for the band; then followed stints at The Roxy Theater, The Key Club and the House Of Blues, before the intense touring schedule put a stop to their weekly shows.
The early days revolved around cover songs – a mass parody of the 80s bands who made the songs famous. Nowadays, though, frontman Michael Starr is keen to stress, “We’ve grown a lot. On the first record, you get a flavour of some Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard. On the second, you get a flavour of Guns N’ Roses. On the latest album, the main flavor is Steel Panther.” Having progressed to recording their own material, they are now standing out by merit.
Tickets: £27.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 (OS)