by Jason Lymangrover
 
Satirically pretending to be a hair metal band that missed its big break in the '80s, singer Ralph Saenz (&Michael Starr&), drummer Darren Leader (&Stix Zadinia&), bassist Travis Haley (&Lexxi Foxxx&), and guitarist Russ Parrish (&Satchel&) hit the club circuit on the Sunset Strip around the turn of the millennium under the name Metal Shop (later changed to Metal Skool, and then Steel Panther). With big spiky wigs, leather jackets, zebra-striped spandex, chops earned from playing in a Van Halen tribute band, and lots and lots of machismo, their comic take on sex, drugs, and rock & roll to the extreme caught on quickly, leading to sold-out shows and some unexpected brushes with mainstream success. As their popularity increased, the Hollywood crowd started frequenting their sets, often making appearances on-stage. This led to some opportunities: the band fittingly played the role of a metal band as &Danger Kitty& in a Discover Card commercial; they appeared on The Drew Carey Show as themselves; and their song &FF& was used as the theme for MTV's Fantasy Factory. In May of 2008 the band signed to Universal Republic, and plans were made to release a full-length record in the summer of 2009.