Steel Panther Release Two Van Halen Cover Versions
Steel Panther have paid tribute to late hero Eddie Van Halen by releasing two lockdown-style videos in which they perform a couple of Van Halen classics.
The band recorded faithful renditions of “Beautiful Girls” and “D.O.A.” You can see both videos below.
The group’s passion for Van Halen is a matter of record. Before they found fame for their pastiche on the glam-rock lifestyle, singer Michael Starr (Ralph Saenz) and guitarist Satchel (Russ Parrish) were members of a tribute band called Atomic Punks.
“When we were playing weekly shows on the Sunset Strip, Van Halen music was essential to our set lists to keep the place rocking,” they said in a statement. “The music of that band is what helped shape who Steel Panther is today. The loss of Eddie Van Halen has affected each of us in the band and these covers are our tribute to him to say thank you for the joy Van Halen music has given us.”
Watch Steel Panther Perform ‘Beautiful Girls’
“Beautiful Girls” and “D.O.A.” both originally appeared on the 1979 album Van Halen II and were the respective A- and B-sides of the second and final single to be released in support of the LP.
Speaking just after Eddie Van Halen’s death in October 2020, Satchel noted that hearing the solo piece “Eruption” at the age of seven changed his life.
“I didn't know that a guitar could make that sound,” he told Talk Is Jericho. “I think that was part of what made me become a guitar player. … I never even talked to Eddie, I never met him one time, but he's been such a huge part of my life, from the beginning of me playing music. ... How many guitar players do you know who could smile like Eddie and make it look so easy, and actually look totally at ease? … It was like he was laughing at all of us, like, ‘You'll never be able to do this.’”
Watch Steel Panther Perform ‘D.O.A.’