If you have never been to a Steel Panther show, you would not know why it is extremely hard to write about it while maintaining family-friendly language. I will try, while writing about their gig at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. But I can not make promises. You will see why.
Steel Panther – Black Sonic Pearls
O2 Forum Kentish Town – 18 July 2026
Words: Bogdan Bele
Photography: Dominic Beaven
As I get close to the location of the show and stop for a pint with one of my MetalTalk colleagues, it is very obvious that these boys have lost none of their popularity. If anything, it has grown.
There is a massive queue at the entrance, and a lot of said queue is made up of people dressed in such a way that you would be forgiven if you were thinking you were in 1987 Los Angeles. And there is a reason I am using that specific year here (stay tuned). But I can only say that tons of hairspray or, failing that, wigs, plus a lot of neon-coloured spandex. It is all there, in all its ’80s glory.
Steel Panther get on stage before 9 PM, and nobody cares about anything anymore. Not the England game that will start in an hour, not anything else that happens outside this space. Or time. It is just a full O2 Forum Kentish Town, with one collective smile on its face. And, a lot of the time, that smile is accompanied by a hearty laugh.
But let us start with the serious bit. Steel Panther are, before adding humour to the whole thing, excellent musicians. These guys can play with the best of them. For example, guitarist Satchel could easily be in almost any band on this planet and do a fantastic job.
Do not tell anyone, but before this, among other things, you could hear him playing on an album by Fight, a band led by a guy you might have heard of, named Rob Halford.
Now, the fact that Steel Panther choose to add a metric ton of humour on top of that does not in any way diminish their musical ability. It only makes everything even more entertaining. It also makes it completely unrecommended for those without a sense of humour or, more importantly, easily offended.
Because this is no ordinary humour. They inhabit the characters of a Glam Metal band, with all the clichés that go with that. And the fact that some people actually take what is supposed to be funny seriously is probably even funnier.
The humour, whether you appreciate it or not, is an important part of why they are successful. Safe to say that this is not an ordinary hard rock/Heavy Metal show. And you should know that when you see that the stage is adorned, aside from the massive logo background, with two exotic dancer poles.
As the band burst onto that stage, so do the two dancers joining them, dressed in bikinis that do not leave a lot to the imagination. They are introduced later, jokingly of course, as the stepdaughter and granddaughter of some of the members of the band. You also can not help but notice guitarist Satchel’s t-shirt, with the imprint Fet’s Luck…
They start with Eyes Of The Panther, and it is another reminder of how well they can sound. But the show truly starts with Tomorrow Night, a song about the occupations one can have on his own when the party of the century is tomorrow night. It features one of the best, or crudest, some might say, lyrics ever, expressing what one can do the night before that gathering. Spoiler alert. It is not getting a good rest.
The boys on stage are obviously in a great mood, with the show a mix of great playing, the filthiest lyrics you will ever hear, and ironic/self-deprecating banter between songs. It is brilliant when Satchel says that we are lucky to witness one of the top 175 Heavy Metal bands in the world tonight. He also expresses his happiness that his gonorrhoea is gone. They even discuss the idea of offering free cocaine at the end of the show, but renounce that idea.
The infamous Asian Hooker is preceded by the funniest band introduction you will ever hear. I will not ruin it for you if you plan to see them on this tour, but I will say that drummer Stix Zadinia has one hell of a stage name. Read that out loud. There you go.
But back to Asian Hooker. They are, of course, joined by not one, as usual, but two Asian ladies, and they make sure they live up to the track. As the whole room shouts the lyrics, said ladies pull their tops up, in case one more reason was needed to keep this an 18+ show.
Just Like Tiger Woods sounds very good as well, with its lyrics about the the ladies in the neighbourhood sung, like pretty much the whole set, by the whole audience together with frontman Michael Starr. Hell, they even manage to instigate a moshpit at one point, during Friends With Benefits.
The thing with Steel Panther is that they have this ability to write, along with very funny lyrics, absolute bangers that will be stuck in your head for days. Worryingly enough, you might end up singing out loud. It could happen in the supermarket, while at the fruit section. So I heard, at least.
Death To All But Metal is another example. Apart from a great riff, it manages to offend half the music industry, all mentioned by name. I will refrain from quoting, but it is worth a listen, also for the great riff.
The second part of the set includes the latest single, The Mother’s Day Song, an ode to loving other people’s mothers. At this point I look at the gentleman next to me, brave enough to be joined for this by his girlfriend. He sings all the lyrics and, a few seconds later, I realise she is as well. If that is not having things in common as a couple, I do not know what is.
We get to 1987. This is a song that, underneath the similarly styled lyrical moments, is a great ode to a much simpler, more rock ‘n’ roll time. It ends with the band paying tribute to fallen heroes like Lemmy, Ozzy and Vince Neil. When warned that Vince Neil is, fortunately, still very much with us, Starr mentions he was referring to old Vince Neil.
And this is where the show goes even more bonkers. They bring up a lady from the crowd, and each take turns writing parts of a song for her. She is fabulously composed, has a great singing voice, and the moment does not look staged. This is confirmed by the chat my colleagues had with her later, when they happened to run into her in a pub.
Girl From Oklahoma is played with her on stage, a beautiful acoustic moment. And a great track, which I urge you to listen to at work. If you want to get fired, that is.
It could not end without 17 Girls In A Row, during which a lot of ladies from the crowd join the band on stage, dancing and doing the things one does on stage at a Steel Panther show.
Party Like Tomorrow Is the End Of The World ends the regular set in its entire catchy glory, and with the essential advice that, if the end of the world is coming, you should be coming too. To the party that this occasion demands, presumably.
Of course, there is the matter of the encore, and they oblige, with Community Property and Gloryhole. Now, if this is not a fun rocking night out, I do not know what is.
Black Sonic Pearls
Tonight was supposed to also feature Kelsy Karter & The Heroines, a band that I was looking forward to after their dynamic set opening for Halestorm recently. Unfortunately, travel issues prevent them from making it.
Black Sonic Pearls, the other band opening the set tonight, are an interesting combination of sounds and influences. They play a dynamic set, with some pretty impressive vocals and guitar playing. They would have sounded even more interesting if the sound mix helped them.
Unfortunately, despite their ability to get those present moving at various points, it does not. Even like that, their mix of hard rock, Metal, alternative, with some grunge thrown in makes them an interesting moment. They even play a pretty tasty cover of Michael Jackson’s Earth Song, believe it or not.
