Steel Panther – 08/02
So, in a complete 180 from the previous night, we were at the opposite end of the country, and a very different kind of show!
Birmingham means staying over, so we chose the Ibis, which is a very short walk to the O2 Academy. Downside is that short walk is on a very steep hill, so that’s crutches rather than wheelchair territory! We have since spotted another hotel that’s a couple of minutes further away, but on a flat road. We’re booked in the same hotel for Black Stone Cherry in October, but it’s good to have options!
Accessible tickets for the O2 Academy in Birmingham involve booking Chris’s ticket, then contacting them to get my companion ticket. We usually get a reply pretty quickly with confirmation. There’s a separate queue for entry which seems to get let in a few minutes earlier as well. The lift – slowest lift every! – has an attendant who checks names, to make sure that only those that need it use it though. Once you get to the balcony, there’s a specific area set aside for wheelchair users, otherwise it’s first come, first served. We managed to get front row at one side, at the right end for Chris’s leg. The venue is small enough though that I think you’d be hard pushed to get a bad seat.
Support came from Wayward Sons, who we previously saw supporting them at the Apollo a couple of years back. Good old fashioned rock and roll, what can I say?
As for Steel Panther, this is the 4th time we’ve seen them, and arguably it’s the best form they’ve been on. The important thing to remember is that, while these guys are talented musicians, they’re also playing characters on stage, clichés of 80s hair metal acts. Right down to the hair solo from Lexxi Foxx! Don’t take them seriously, and you’ll have a ball!
Note in April 2021.
I just realised, I hadn’t posted this. We had a load more gigs booked for the rest of 2020, but since the world went to hell in a handbasket, they were understandably cancelled or rescheduled. We had 3 good ones first though, this, Slipknot and Jason Manns & Paul Carrella, Things are starting to look up again, and we’ve got a number of gigs booked for the second half of the year. Here’s hoping.
