20 Aug 2012

After a 2 week hiatus, I’m back to avail your ears with something particularly grungy today. There’s one genre of 80s music out there that has some die-hard fans that won’t ever give up their love.  The admittance of love of this genre is often met with a groan when trying to explain it to someone who isn’t, and was never a fan. You know what I’m talking about. 80’s hair metal. 

My love affair with hair metal began with a chance purchase from columbia house mail order CD’s, a package that contained  Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue and Whitesnake albums. My friends older sister had been blaring these artists all summer long, and I was salivating to hear them again.  I loved their acid washed denim, I loved all their broken hearts, I loved the word ‘bitchin’. I played those albums on my maxell deck for months straight, bought a crimping iron and never looked back. I may have been an eighties baby by birth, but I was a eighties rocker at heart now.

As a result of that fateful purchase, I spent a good part of my formative years wishing I was Tawny Kitaen, sexily posing on a camaro in a sheer white shirt, backcombing my hair and putting a hole in the ozone layer from my hairspray youth. I became obsessed with the band Tesla. To me, they were the perfect blend of metal and pop, the entire decade just emanated from them. I was probably the only person under 40 at their reunion concert 6 years ago in Toronto (and definitely the only one screaming in the front row).  To some, they probably looked a little washed up and rough, but to me, they were still rock gods. I swear, you could hear every backstage, every venue, and every line of coke ever done in that decade coming from his voice.

You probably know of all these bands I’m mentioning, they were quite popular. You may however, not know of Steel Panther. I only say this because I DIDN’T. Imagine my shock when I was in San Diego last month, discussing live music and hair metal with someone fantastic, and he completely scooped this music maven with his mention of these guys. How I had never heard of a current, touring hair metal/almost parody band? 

Steel Panther has been around for a while apparently, and I’ve heard that they put on a live show like no other. Their lyrics are laughable, yes. They don’t have the sustenance of the aforementioned bands, no. I had a hard time finding you a video that wasn’t completely and almost solely comprised of profanity. But they’re fun in a way that doesn’t happen as often in music anymore. So hit play, maybe make yourself a nice brush microphone and let your hair down today. 

*Note: The 2nd video contains some language that may not be appropriate for children, depending on how you parent. Watch the volume levels, FYI*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZM1CzQF8Y