May 6, 2025
Steel Panther return, bring Buckcherry and Kurt Deimer with them for the party
Oh hell yeah, dude! The boys are back in town, man! Steel fuckin’ Panther! And you know it’s going to be a great night when these guys roll into town. It always is, and hopefully always will be. And that’s partly because there’s nothing serious here – even the hair is fake. They put the fake hair in fake hair metal, dude! Yeah!
And they’ve brought some buddies out to join the party with them this time, too! How cool is that! Buckcherry and Kurt Deimer. On paper, this was to be quite an entertaining evening, and once the dust had settled – it truly was.
See Also: Dweezil Zappa at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montreal
Arriving early, made me feel like I had entered some sort of time warp. Everywhere I looked, I saw spandex and criminal levels of hairspray abuse. It was like being thrown back in time, back to the 80s, and while that whole retro-rival thing thing is in full swing, this was far more accurate to what I remember than all these kids today that feel the need to dress up like their grandmothers. I just don’t get it. If you’re going to emulate a time period, why would you dress like the ones the cool kids would shove into their own lockers, and throw away the key?
Kurt Deimer
While Kurt Deimer is fairly new to the music portion of his illustrious career, some might recognize him from his acting career. Most notably, playing Teller in the 2018 Halloween film. And if not, stay tuned, as he has a couple more roles in upcoming films slated for release. Facts he went to lengths to tell the crowd about
I spent a good portion of Deimer’s set trying to decide who he reminded me of, and in the end settled on it being a mix between comedian Brian Posehn and Body Count front man Ice T. Deimer’s voice sounds similar to Posehn’s, and his vocal delivery is fairly similar to that of Ice T, too. Quite unique. I suppose the fact that Posehn is a big time metalhead and has acted as well, as has Ice-T, which helps that image for me too. I spent a lot of time listening to Posehn when he and I were DJ’s at Gimme Metal (I did two shows, I’m kidding here of course!).
I particularly enjoyed a cover that the does; Pink Floyd’s Have A Cigar. Then again, as a Floyd nerd, I’m more than a wee bit bias when it comes to that sort of thing.
At one point, Deimer decided to leave the stage, and came out to join the audience and perform for them on the floor. Small things like that get remembered, and I think Deimer earned a few new fans tonight. Not solely for this reason but partially, no doubt. Deimer just comes across as an overall nice guy, the kind of guy you can get behind and really root for – which makes Michael Myers that much more of a dick for killing him in Halloween.
Late in his brief early slot, Deimer asked the crowd to light up their phones and lighters while he and the band played an anthem-type ballad that he plays apparently plays at every show. That track is named Watcha’ Saying, which is dedicated to first responders for all the great work they do for society. As worthy an ode as any, if you ask me. Of course, Montreal obliged, but soon the lights began to fade and the lit phones began to drop in number, until Dreimer urged them to continue on for the remainder of the song.
Deimer seems like he is truly loving life; and that kind of thing is contagious.
Buck Cherry
When I saw the lineup announcement for this tour, my first thought was that this was going to be a perfect pairing. Like fine wine and cheese, only this was more like a nice 40oz. bottle of the cheap stuff of and some flaming Doritos. I’m not really the fancy haute culture type, and hopefully nobody else in this room tonight were either. Nah, I was here for the sleaziness that proper hard rock should be about.
If you’re around my age, which I shall not be disclosing here; but if you are, you’ll know, because you’ll remember shit like being able to smoke cigarettes in pool halls and always hearing Buckcherry’s Crazy Bitch at least three times per night, every night, being played on the jukebox. Am I right!
With over 25 years of stardom, this ensemble of Buckcherry was at ease onstage. With the pure rockstar bravado singer Josh Todd came out onstage with his shirt unbuttoned, almost looking uncomfortable. Said shirt was soon tossed aside, as was most of his attire, and the same went for guitarist Stevie D as the duo showed of an impressive collection of tattoos. Pretty quickly, the band were running through their songs and grandstanding.
Buckcherry are on the verge of releasing their eleventh album, which will be titled Roar Like Thunder (available as of June 13th on Round Hill Records, Sony Japan and Earache Records. There ya go boys, a little free promotion for you!) and as such, two songs from that upcoming record made it onto their setlist. The titular title track, Roar Like Thunder, and a number named Come On. For a band that originally broke up after two albums, its pretty cool to see them about to release an eleventh record.
As, I imagine, an ode to Canadian rock in these times of particular stupid political nonsense; Buckcherry broke out an absolutely ripping rendition of Bryan Adams Summer Of ’69 – and the crowd lapped it up, like a kitten with a bowl of milk. Singing along in unison, and having a great time doing it, marking one of the more memorable moments of the evening, no doubt.
At one point, Buckcherry played a track they call Say Fuck It – I say they call it it that, because the song is basically Icona Pop’s I Love It with a slightly different chorus. Say fuck it as opposed to I love it. Strange that they’ve made that song their own, despite everyone knowing the original piece; even if they wish they didn’t. It’s one of those earworm tracks that eats into your brain. I don’t even know how Buckcherry got away with making that song and recording it… but here we are, all of us, singing along to it.
Buckcherry closed out their set with a medley – because every proper hair metal gig needs a medley. At least one. This one started and ended with Crazy Bitch, with Sex Machine, Bad Girls, Irresistible Bitch and Proud Mary sandwiched between it like a backstage orgy.
Since there’s a new record about to drop, hopefully that means we’ll see Buckcherry back in Montreal sooner than later.
Steel Panther
If you’re easily offended, then you were in the wrong place tonight! That, is also the strength of Steel Panther – a band I try to catch as often as I possible can.
Even before the band hit the stage tonight, a member of the audience decided he was going to climb into the photo pit to “see some tits“. Wait, what? How would he see tits from the photo pit? I have so many questions. Anyway, he faceplanted to the floor while trying to climb over the barricade, earning himself a swift boot out the door.
If he had only waited, he would have seen strippers dancing on poles a few feet away from him. And Steel Panther too. Instead, he saw the gutters behind the venue. Cast out into the rain. According to the security team member I spoke to about the whole affair, he made several attempts to get back in, through very slurred speech (read between the lines, friends!), security rightfully felt his partying had run its course and they kept him out. Poor bastard. He just wanted to see some tits…
Oh, right! I guess I should explain – so, Steel Panther walked onto the stage to begin playing, and with them came two stripers, one at either side of the stage who climbed up onto stripper poles and did their thing while the band did theirs. I thought to myself, this.. is… great. More bands should do this.
It seems as if Steel Panther make their way to Montreal at least once a year now, which is great, to corrupt the masses and any willing asses too, given half a chance.
Bassist Spyder threw candies to the crowd, shaped like tits that he claimed had cocaine in the middle, called booby bites; which I wasn’t fortunate enough to have obtained and thus can’t accurately comment on the quality of the cocaine contained within. Sadly. What sort of reporter am I. Rolling Stone magazines Hunter S. Thompson, my idol and mentor, would have been so disappointed in me.
Between songs, singer Michael Starr Points out a black man in the crowd and has everyone cheer for him, before informing the audience that this guy has the biggest dick in the room. At this moment, I’m glad we’re a city that can take a joke, in the name of fun and just having a good time. Because otherwise, in a world of cancel culture that thrives on being offended by everything and anything, stuff like this wouldn’t be able to happen. There wouldn’t be a Steel Panther – and the world would be worse for ware as a result.
At first I thought this was perhaps a step too far, then I thought wait, no, they’ve told every women in the room that this guy has a giant tool and he surely got a few winks from the cougar portion of the crowd. Lucky son of a bitch!
That information was followed by the song Tiger Woods, but not before they brought out what they claimed was a replica of Tiger Woods’ dick. Cue a roadie bringing out a massive black dido, the biggest I have ever seen by a country mile, which guitarist Satchel then suction cupped onto his instrument. His guitar! Not his package!
For Oklahoma, Starr brought out a young girl from the audience, sat her on a stool in the center of the stage and began to serenade her with the most crass lyrics of the night – and for a Steel Panther song to be called the most crass, means it was greee-heee-heeeeeee-seey. But wait. There’s more. This young lady had only just turned eighteen, and was at the show with her mother, who the band also brought up on stage. You could feel the cringe in the air, as we all awaited what was going to be said and sung next.
Satchel proudly called the mother an “osti salope“; showing off his willing ability to learn the local dialect. I’ll let you find out what that means on your own, if you don’t already.
Following that, Steel Panther brought up a whole bunch of women from the audience to dance on stage, while the band played the song 17 Girls. This was as well as the four strippers that had been rocking the striper poles all night.
Now, I’m not saying I’ve been to a lot of strip clubs, and I’m not saying I haven’t either, but what I will say is that I have never seen a striper climb to the top of a pole, with another below her, as she rides her around in circles like a surfer. That was truly an incredible sight to witness. Or maybe I just need to get out more, see more shit – especially more sleazy stuff.
“I checked your wikipedia page,” said Satchel. “It says Montreal has more French speaking people than any other city in Canada. It also says you have more French Asian hookers than anywhere else in Canada, too!”
Of course, that got a roaring round of applause and it lead into a spot-on rendition of fan favorite, Asian Hooker, obviously.
“Make some noise for the strippers,” said Satchel. “I can’t stop looking at ’em. if I was 30 years younger I’d have a boner right now.” There was some speech about viagra going on at this point, too. Of course there was. Then this doozy. “Make some noise for all the beautiful girls that were on stage tonight”, said Satchel” briefly pausing before adding “…and the ugly ones too, why not.”
Honestly, there was way too much awesome stage banter to write down, and even then, it should probably left for the crowds to come and witness at future shows. The bottom line is, if you’re looking to have a great time, aren’t easily offended by cheesy, sleazy jokes – then you’re really going to have a great night in the presence of Steel Panther. These guys are a riot. Go see them when they come by your town.
When you attend a Steel Panther gig, you get a great concert with funny tunes, a stand-up comedy show… and strippers! In these times of economic uncertainty where everyone is broke thanks to our bullshit governments, it makes financial sense to buy tickets to see Steel Panther. It’s a three in one, baby! And you can never go wrong with a threesome. (Alright, you can, but that’s a story for another time!)
There was talk that the doors to the venue were going to be locked until six o’clock in the morning so we can get naked, fuck and party. But that great idea seemed to fizzle out as people began leaving. Lightweights.
Read More:
>> Steel Panther “On The Prowl” Review
>> Brit Floyd at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal
>> The Damn Truth at Mtelus, Montreal
There’s just something about Steel Panther. It was to be a Tuesday night of true debauchery. With spring in the air, and people already feeling frisky because of it, the filth and smut found in Steel Panther’s lyrics was, dare I say, more apropos than usual. Steel Panther is just different. It’s crass and sleazy and pretty low-brow but it’s also so much fucking fun to spend the night with them.
Not like that! Well, maybe like that… as the band sing, it’s never too late to get some pussy tonight.
