I’d had my tickets for this gig on order from the moment they went on sale last year. Having seen Steel Panther at Rock City back in 2012 I just had to go again. To be honest, this show was even better than last time.
To begin with, the support band was The Cringe, who hail from New York. It made a pleasant change for a headliner to bring their own support – it’s become quite common for touring bands to hire a local group for each city they play in, and as the recent Haim gig showed, this doesn’t always come off. The Cringe were a good old rock and roll band with an alternative twist.
Strangely, it took a long time for the audience to warm to them (at the Haim gig, the crowd went nuts over the very average support). I always feel sorry for bands in these circumstances, but I guess they are used to it.
Steel Panther’s set up was over the top, as usual. The drums are on a four foot high plinth, and there were microphones on it either side for Lexxi Foxxx and Satchel to use as needed. Foxxx also had his dressing table and spent a lot of time preening and putting on make-up.
The lyrics to nearly all their songs are virtually unprintable (and, in most cases, unplayable on the radio because of their lewd and totally unambiguous content). Their set always includes a lot of talking (and swearing) because it’s a complete show, and it is always very funny indeed.
Steel Panther are a brilliant rock and roll band. They could cut it on their music alone, but as I say they are a complete show, and the lewdness is a huge and additional part of what they do.
Towards the end of the main set they did their usual trick of inviting girls on to the stage. They already had one girl in the audience bare her boobs, and they got two more to do it on the stage. There were maybe 15 girls, all wearing very little.
And no, I didn’t try to take any photos of the girls who got their boobs out (though I almost got arc eye from all the people who did). I can’t believe those girls weren’t paid performers, but Starr insisted that they weren’t, and that they turn up to their shows dressed like this.
There was a distinct change in the crowd compared to last time. There seemed to be a lot of bald-headed men who looked like amateur boxers, and there was a lot of stuff being thrown around (beer, beer glasses, and so on). To be honest, anyone who throws anything at a gig is a complete and utter wanker – but, as I said, there was a distinct change in the demographic, and so there were a lot of wankers present.
The floor at Rock City wasn’t quite as sticky as last time, but it was still TOO sticky. I’m taking a bag of sand next time so I can sprinkle that wherever I’m standing.
Some great photos for the collection, and all rounded off with a decent curry at the Mogal-e-Azam (they aren’t under new management, but they DO have new chefs).