Steel Panther in The Academy, Dublin, on 18th January 2018

The absolute embodiment of Throwback Thursday was in full display at The Academy as Steel Panther brought their 80’s glam-rock to Dublin for the first time.

The Californian foursome are known predominantly as a parody act due to their lewd, sexualised lyrics, leather & fishnet garb, and somewhat oafish comedy act between songs; for those old enough to remember, there’s a blunt smack of Spinal Tap. The band don’t joke around, however, when it comes to their musicianship and energy onstage.

Right from the start, the band appear in the mood for mincing old rockstar clichés; telling off the crowd for not being loud enough before they’ve even struck a chord, cranking the smoke machine into a health & safety officer’s nightmare – until they finally reappear and open the show with Supersonic Sex Machine. It’s an homage to thrash-metal, LA style, and the mist of hairspray catches the back of your throat. Fan favourite Asian Hooker (from the band’s debut album ‘Feel The Steel’) soon gets the Academy bouncing and its chorus draws a choir of choked singing and laughter: “Asian Hooker/hot little motherfucker.”

It’s worth noting if Steel Panther didn’t write & produce catchy rock songs, the graceless humour throughout their live show simply would not work. At their best, the Steel Panther shtick can come off as utterly charming and self-aware, poking fun at the era they so dramatically express. But they so regularly coalesce fiction and reality (as they continuously ask girls to “show titties“) it’s hard to tell whether they’re still poking fun at the times, or they’re being full blown perverts. Comedy aspect aside, what they have in guitarist, Satchel, and in lead singer, Michael Starr, is a duo who can write on par with some of the great 80’s rock bands, and deliver it live with some serious gusto.

As if the theme and lyrics to 17 Girls in a Row wasn’t obvious enough, the band go ahead and haul as many female fans onstage as security can allow, doubling their duties from playing their instruments, to now dancing, dry humping and taking selfies with their female fans. Wasted Too Much Time and Poontang Boomerang, from their new album ‘Lower The Bar,’ are the best-received of the newer stuff before lead guitarist Satchel then shreds into an interlude solo which could probably strip the paint from a wall – all while simultaneously playing the drums with his foot and right hand!

Finishing off a highly-charged night with their most-acclaimed material, Death to All but Metal and Party All Day is a good move. Fans who love the throwback humour sing with those who love the timeless riffs while the band play up that oldest of rockstar clichés; “Dublin is now our favourite place to play.”