Axl Rose
Steel Panther on the GnFnN
This Bundy Sunday Funday, I had to share one of the most baller-ish napping anecdotes I’ve heard, told through the eyes of Steel Panther.1 Steel Panther is a Los Angeles-based glam metal band composed of phenomenally talented musicians who put out over the top 80s-style metal with absurd, offensive, and often disgusting lyrics, somehow meaning they were almost tailor made to appeal to a (hypothetical) child of the 80s who would grow up to get into guitar playing and napping.2
I got to wondering how they feel about naps, and while I didn’t find anything exactly on point, I did find this story about their 2011 show at the LA Forum opening for the one, the only, Guns N’ Roses. Apparently, the guys weren’t allowed to soundcheck before the show. The reason? Axl was taking a nap!
According to Michael Starr, lead singer of Steel Panther, Axl closed off half of the venue for four hours so he could nap before the show.3 Unlike many who might look at this as a sign of Axl’s reputation as a prima donna, Starr thought it was super metal and super funny — and I agree! I mean, we know that inventors, athletes, artists, politicians, podcasters, and sportswriters value their naps — why wouldn’t rock stars?
Not to be confused with the Eyes of a Panther.
Further to that point, I believe they got their start as a Van Halen tribute band.