Michael Starr recently spoke with Brutal Planet Magazine about Steel Panther’s rise to fame in the early 2000s. He highlighted how performances with renowned musicians, including Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil, helped their journey. Starr shared a story about Neil’s unforgettable, alcohol-fueled appearance on stage.
“The first dude to get up on stage is Vince Neil,” Starr recalled. “This happened in Vegas in, like, ‘91 or some sh*t, I think. He got off stage with us. No shoes, and he’s hammered, and he sings ‘Live Wire’ and ‘Shout at the Devil.’ I was like, ‘This guy’s [the coolest].’ Vince Neil is one of the coolest dudes around. He really is a super sweet guy. And those kind of guys getting on stage with us is really cool ’cause we’re big fans, and, you know, other celebrities that were our age, we knew that ended up having success in their life.”
Starr explained how these collaborations helped Steel Panther gain exposure. “The thing that really helped us out with them getting on stage is they would talk about us to other people and spread the word of our band,” he said. “And it just got everywhere. I mean, people just knew who we were, especially in LA, and that’s the right place to be if that’s happening for you.”
Years later, Steel Panther joined Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard as special guests on the Mirrorball Tour in 2011. Starr has often credited the Crüe as a major influence, though a past controversy strained their relationship.
The tension began when Starr joked during an interview about “bringing Vince Neil back from the dead,” referring to how Neil’s earlier self seemed “dead and gone.” This comment sparked backlash from Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, who called Steel Panther “backstabbers” on social media. Steel Panther’s drummer Stix Zadinia responded, accusing Sixx of seeking attention.
In 2020, Starr addressed the issue again, expressing hope that the feud had blown over. “Hopefully that was just a blip in the heavy metal news,” he said. “If we ran into each other, I’d be like, ‘What’s up, dude?’ The last thing I want is for a band that influenced me to be mad at me.”
