Michael Starr Recalls Fans Booing Steel Panther For Singing A Bon Jovi Song
The fans of Steel Panther, a rock band that could make you laugh and headbang simultaneously, wanted to hear their original songs rather than covers. Guitarist Michael Starr spilled the beans on this memorable moment in a recent interview with Justin Hawkins. Let’s take a trip to the past with Michael Starr and relive the moment when Steel Panther was booed for singing a Bon Jovi song.
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In the early 2000s, the Sunset Strip was buzzing with a band that had a knack for bringing hair metal back to life. Known initially as Metal Shop and then Metal Skool before finally settling on Steel Panther, the band played covers of hair metal hits at the Viper Room and Key Club every Monday night. Their passion for the bands behind these hits was contagious, and they slowly started gaining a loyal following. Despite various name changes and time spent in the Van Halen tribute band Atomic Punks, they eventually tasted success.
Fast forward to today, and Michael Starr shared the moment when Steel Panther realized that their fans wanted to hear their original songs. At a show in Vancouver, the band was torn between sticking to their cover roots or venturing into their own musical territory. As it turns out, the audience had an appetite for originals and didn’t hesitate to let the band know by booing their Bon Jovi cover.
Michael Starr recalls the turning point:
“There was a turning point where we were doing a show in Vancouver, and we were backstage trying to write the setlist, and we’re like, ‘Okay, what do we do? Do we play just our songs, or do we do covers?’ We didn’t know because we were so used to being a cover band. So we get out there, and we start playing Bon Jovi, and people start booing us, and we’re like, ‘Okay, this is weird, man.’
So we said, ‘You guys don’t want to hear covers? You wanna hear our stuff?’ And they went, ‘Yeah, that’s why we’re here.’ That started our transition into basically an original band. It’s like taking the training wheels off and really going on your own. It’s such a great feeling to be able to accomplish what we’ve accomplished. We don’t take it for granted, and it’s so exciting. It still is to this day, even as we age like cheese.”
The day Steel Panther was booed for singing a Bon Jovi song was a turning point for them to come forward with their own original tunes. So, next time you’re at a Steel Panther show, remember that they had to be booed to leave Bon Jovi covers behind and embrace their own unique brand of metal. After all, that’s what the fans want – and as they say, the fans are always right!
