A month after the release of Steel Panther‘s new album ‘On The Prowl,’ lead vocalist Michael Starr shared with Canada’s The Metal Voice a rare moment when the band nearly faced cancellation. Known for their provocative lyrics and theatrical antics, Steel Panther has built a loyal fanbase that thrives on their unapologetic approach to heavy metal. Starr opened up about how the band has managed to avoid cancel culture and the one instance that tested their resilience.
Fans of Steel Panther have grown accustomed to the band’s audacious stage presence, often inviting women to flash the audience and belting out lyrics that some might consider offensive. According to Starr, their followers are there for the same party, and the band has not faced significant backlash. However, the singer did share one instance in which cancel culture nearly derailed them.
The only pushback came from a plug-in Steel Panther guitarist Satchel designed called the ‘P*ssy Melter.’ The controversy surrounding the ‘P*ssy Melter’ began in 2018 when Satchel collaborated with Danish company TC Electronic to create a guitar effects pedal.
The pedal was designed to emulate Satchel’s signature guitar tone, which he often referred to as the ‘P*ssy Melter’ during live performances. The name was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, reflecting the band’s irreverent sense of humor and their penchant for pushing boundaries. However, the provocative name of the pedal caught the attention of some in the music community, who found it to be offensive and inappropriate.
Notably, female guitarist and singer-songwriter Jessica Fennelly took to social media to express her outrage, calling the pedal ‘disgusting’ and ‘gross.’ Her post quickly gained traction, and many others chimed in to express their disapproval of the name.
In response to the mounting backlash, TC Electronic removed the ‘P*ssy Melter’ from their website and issued an apology, stating that they ‘recognize the need for a more inclusive and respectful environment within the music industry.’
Michael Starr’s words about the one instance the band almost got canceled follow:
“I think everyone is there for the same party, so we really haven’t experienced any of that [cancel culture]. Our shows have been selling out on this tour, and I would like to attribute it to how great my hair looks, but it’s not that; it is more like people are sick of not being heard. People are sick of getting bullshitted and want something they can count on.”
He then recalled the ‘P*ssy Melter’ backlash, saying:
“It was on the TC Electronic website, and a girl guitar player saw it, and she got extremely offended by it. And she wrote the company, and they took the plug-in off because one person was upset with it.
We sold them all in, like, two weeks. And so that [was a situation where] somebody tried to cancel us — like a subcategory of us — and it kind of backfired on them.”
Despite the company’s decision to discontinue the pedal, Steel Panther stood by their creation, eventually selling the remaining inventory directly through their website. Although controversial, the incident ultimately had little lasting impact on the band’s career and highlighted their commitment to creative freedom and self-expression.
