On Monday 20th July we went along to the sold-out Steel Panther show at the UEA LCR in Norwich. I was going in fully blind but was told beforehand to expect a high-energy show and to have lots of fun. Joining the was Black Sonic Pearls, and Kelsy Karter & the Heroines.
First up was Black Sonic Pearls, an alternative, modern rock band. They came out very high energy to a fairly big crowd considering being the first 1st of 3 bands. They had a fairly short set of just 4 songs. The first 2 songs had some very hard-hitting guitar solos that I was very much enjoying. They did well with getting the crowd involved with some easy parts of the songs. I was personally a big fan of the Michael Jackson – Earth Song cover. A very short but sweet opening band that did well to warm up the crowd.
Up next was rock and roll band, Kelsy Karter & the Heroines. Kelsy came out singing a capella showing off her strong vocals from the get-go. The crowd had definitely fallen a little quieter and she was doing her best to get the crowd going again.
Girl really do be small but loud, as she pointed out to the crowd, encouraging us to be just as loud. Their 4th song ‘Lightning In A Bottle’ was written about the band members but was dedicated on the night to their very own guitarist Matt Peach, whose birthday it was on the night. This song got the loudest applause of the night as it was clearly received very well by the crowd. It was a very different vibe to what I normally listen to, but it was a very fun watch, and Kelsy has an amazing voice.
Which brings us to the reason we are all here, Steel Panther, the glam metal band that needs no introduction. Now, like I said before, I was going in completely blind, no idea what to expect. They came out super high energy, happy to be there and went straight into ‘Eyes Of A Panther’. There were a couple of poles on the stage with dancers that added to the old school rock feel that the band have.
Their showmanship is unmatched, and they are very good at talking to the crowd. They’re a very funny band and seem like genuinely fun dudes. They got the crowd to cuss a lot, which was a very fun part of the evening. The music was very good, lots of riffs and easy to sing along to. Lots of sex talk and innuendos, and it wouldn’t be a Steel Panther show without a lot of boobs. One particular person in the crowd got a shoutout of “nice tits” from frontman Michael Starr. One of the things that stood out to me was just how good they are with their crowd interaction; they were regularly pointing out people in the crowd and communicating with them all, which really adds another level of personality and moments that people will remember for a long, long time.
For ‘Girl From Oklahoma’, they brought up a girl called Kat from the crowd, before going into the song, they took it in turns to freestyle a little song for her. It ended with them having a singing contest. Which personally I think Kat won. Resulting in Michael Starr saying she would be his stand-in replacement if he is ill.
Next up was ’17 Girls In A Row’ which had 17 girls from the crowd come up on stage to sing and dance. Everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives, and loving it. They ended the night with encores ‘Community Property’, and ‘Gloryhole’, both of which had the loudest singing and cheers from the crowd.
It was a super fun night, and I really enjoyed the music. They had such a good vibe and really enjoyable sound to them. I would definitely recommend if you’ve never been to a Steel Panther show to go to one. You’ll love it and I can’t wait to see them again.
