STEEL PANTHER Frontman Michael Starr - "We Take What We Do Extremely Serious As Far As Musicianship Is Concerned"
October 25, 2014, 9 years ago
Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr is featured in a new interview with the Belleville-Nutley Patch. An excerpt is available below:
Q: Would you say that your high-caliber musicianship sets you apart as being more than a simple novelty act? Your songs are hilarious and in many aspects you’re a modern day Spinal Tap, but you’re also serious musicians.
Starr: "Absolutely. That’s one thing that separates us from a Spinal Tap. We take what we do extremely serious as far as musicianship is concerned. Singing on key, playing onstage, getting the audience involved, having charisma. But at the same time we have a lot of fun. We do care, but we don’t care. We’re not faking it but we’re having fun. I think that’s one of the things that has really propelled us. We have nothing to lose."
Q: You may be playing to fans that don’t know Steel Panther on the Priest tour. Does that change any aspect of your performance?
Starr: "Not really. We pretty much forge forward the same way we would do it in front of a crowd that knows who we are. We’ve had a lot of experience playing festivals before a bunch of people that have never seen us and we just do what we do, no matter what. It’s challenging too, because you have to realize that just because they’re not screaming your songs, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you. Usually by the end of our show people are fans or hate us. Nobody leaves are show going, 'they’re pretty good.' They just go, 'I hate them' or 'I love them.'"
Go to this location for the complete interview.
Steel Panther have been confirmed for a United States headlining run of tour dates in December. The band is currently bringing their raucous show to North American audiences on tour as main support for iconic metallers, Judas Priest. Immediately following the Judas Priest tour, Steel Panther will make a quick jaunt to Japan for two shows and then will return to the United States to begin their December headlining run, rounding off a very hectic, successful year.
Dates include:
October
26 - Simpsonville, SC - Charter Amphitheatre*
28 - Duluth, GA - The Arena At Gwinnett Center*
29 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live*
30 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Arena Live*
31 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre
November
4 - Laredo, TX - Laredo Energy Arena*
6 - Allen, TX - Allen Event Center*
8 - El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Center*
10 - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre*
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Jobing Arena*
13 - Highland, CA - San Manuel Casino*
14 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl*
16 - San Jose, CA - City National Civic Center*
17 - Reno, NV - The Knitting Factory
18 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center*
19 - Broomfield, CO - 1st Bank Center*
21 - Boise, ID - CenturyLink Arena*
22 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome*
December
4 - Osaka, Japan - Akaso
10 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
12 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
13 - Cleveland, OH - Hard Rock
17 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
19 - St. Paul, MN - Myth
20 - Des Moines, IA - 7 Flags Event Center
21 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre
* supporting Judas Priest