Steel Panther

If Steel Panther’s hair flipping bassist Lexxi Foxxx had things his way the band’s new album would be called The Foxx Corner or There’s Bitchin’ Lexxi Foxxx Pictures Inside This Record. Sadly Lexxi didn’t get his way and the album, which features such classics as Supersonic Sex Machine, Handicapped Slut and a subtle collaboration with Chad Kroeger called It Won’t Suck Itself, ended up bearing the name Ball’s Out.

Although he didn’t get things his way, Lexxi isn’t too concerned. For the man who invented and perfected the art of the ‘hair solo’ and sports a Botoxed lip pout to rival Lana Del Rey’s the only important thing in life is to always look bitchin’. Everything else – including the music – is just a distraction.

Before the Soundwave tour kicked off, FasterLouder caught up with Lexxi between Botox and tanning appointments to learn how to how he maintains his looks, how to smuggle contraband onto a long haul flight and the one thing he’d never do even if it meant all the pussy in the world.

Why should punters be coming to see Steel Panther rather than going to see one of the other bands on the lineup?
Because we’re bringing heavy metal back and we need Australia to help us do that. We want to come out and play there more than just once a year. I’m getting clothes made especially for Australia. I’m tanner than I’ve been. I’m doing enough cocaine that I’m at the same weight I was two years ago. I’m getting Botox done. I’m getting my hair frosted. We are going to be better looking than any band that’s on the lineup.

So anyone that wants to see bitchin’, colourful, rockin’ dudes, with bitchin’ hair and moves and real heavy metal songs and shit like that then you need to come check us out. If enough people do we’ll be able to come back and play a lot more and then we can have relationships with chicks out there – not serious ones. You just need to get to the stage ‘cause we’ve got some bitchin’ clothes and hair and make-up and shit.

It’s a long flight to Australia, I was wondering how the band will cope with out access to your diet of sex, drugs and rock and roll for so long?
Well obviously I can’t bring onto the plane what I’d love to bring on the plane, but I know there’s a bar and I think I’m going to upgrade to business class – I’m going to spend the money so that I can ‘tie one on’ if you know what I mean with a couple of Jack and cokes and then I’ll be able to rest. And then wake up and do it again. I’ll do it for 14 hours fucking hours man and then I’ll still be able to go when I land Down Under. It’s a long flight but there’s a few things I’ll be able to sneak on the plane…

Any tips for smuggling things on a flight?
Yeah, they don’t check your socks… wait, shit if tell you then the police plane people will check what I’m going to tell you. So I can’t fucking do that.

When you guys are on tour is there a lot of competition within the band to, for want of a better phrase ‘get your passport stamped’?
Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. We each have our own little techniques that we do. A lot of times, especially between Michael and I, we’ll be looking at the same chick on my side of the stage but if I’ve got my eye on one and he thinks he’s going to tap on that I have my own way of going about it. I can pass her certain signals. I can get one of the techs to give her a pass backstage or I’ll pass her a note and she won’t even see Michael. Usually I get the most chicks anyway so it’s not like I’m really even fuckin’ worried about it, but just to make sure I don’t have any stress over it I will have my tech direct her to where I’m gonna be. Sometimes, if that can’t happen, we all slip out of the dressing room at the right time. Sometimes we have a bus schedule – sometime I have the first fifteen minutes or the sometimes last fifteen minutes, we rotate like that – to give each other time to ‘stretch out’, you know.

So it’s competitive, but you do help each other out.
Sometimes. It depends – if she’s super hot and the other guys get jealous ‘cause I’m banging on her then sometimes some jealous shit happens. But for the most part we give each other room. Sometimes we’ll high-five each other if it’s a good land, you know?

As the best looking member of the band, do you sometimes find that the girls on tour don’t match up to your own standards of grooming?
First of all I have to say you have great questions. Sometimes, yeah. If it’s the end of the tour and there’s slim-pickings there or if she’s the last girl in the club but I’m ‘ham and cheesed’ enough it won’t matter. But if I wake up next to that person, well sometimes I can help out with their make-up tips. I can say “Hey, let me show you how to accentuate your cheek bones. Just put a little bit of darker blush under there.” Sometimes I’ll say “put on your fake eyelashes better, your glue was falling off last night.” I’ll give tips on ways to pucker your lips. I’ve seen girls again and they’ve taken my tips. I’ll say “Hey, you’re pretty bitching looking, but if you’re gonna be seen coming out of my hotel room or off the tour bus then you need to look presentable.” I don’t want people to think I’m with some kind of donkey. She’s gotta look fucking bitching. If I know there are people outside the hotel room I’ll make her up before she goes out to keep my reputation.