Gig review: Steel Panther

You might think that This Is Spinal Tap was the heavy metal spoof to end all spoofs, but cock rock is the genre that keeps on giving, as the brief but entertaining career of The Darkness demonstrated.

MUSIC

STEEL PANTHER

ACADEMY, GLASGOW

Steel Panther hail from LA, the home of hair metal, and a couple of members of this Sunset Strip-birthed troupe have even played in bands who rock this schtick for real, giving them first-hand knowledge of rock’n’roll’s most ridiculous sub-genre.

The recipe is simple: have a great time all of the time. While wearing spandex and wigs. Though at least one member of the group, frontman Michael Starr, was wearing all his own hair. Presumably he tosses his mane so ostentatiously to lure the spoof groupies – if narcissistic bassist Lexxi Foxxx doesn’t get there first.

They announced their lurid intentions with the turbo-charged metal boogie of Supersonic Sex Machine and the thoroughly gallant Fat Girl (Thar She Blows) then gleefully continued in this vein throughout, with the occasional pause for a widdly guitar solo, costume change or pelvic thrust.

The precise nuances of their lyrics were often lost in the sound mix, but other edifying themes explored included partying, the awesomeness of metal and the suitability of Tiger Woods as a role model. Mostly chicks and dicks though.

This was unflinchingly un-PC stuff, but in lampooning metal’s caveman sexism with such pornographic accuracy, are Steel Panther not just having their cake and eating it?