In the run-up to Steel Panther’s forthcoming fourth album, Lower The Bar (review here), we somehow ended up on the phone to the prettiest bassist this side of the Iron Maidens, Lexxi Foxx. Despite not being the best bassist in the world, in fact not even the best bassist in Steel Panther, Lexxi has managed to defy the odds and become a cog in the Steel machine that has gone from strength to strength since breakthrough single “Party All Day”.
Our thanks to Anna at AM Publicity for sorting things out for us.
I want to jump in with the really important questions first of all – how do you keep your hair looking so good?
It’s very tough when I’m on the road because I can’t find the salons that I need to have it frosted and highlighted. Also the hot oil treatments that it needs. But I appreciate the compliment. Back home it’s easy to do as I don’t have to put Sun-In in it, because it’s always sunny here in Los Angeles. Wow. This is probably the hardest question this interview will give me.
Do you have your lips insured? Because that pout is Lexxi.
I appreciate that again. Being at home and being able to get the proper filler for my lips is much easier than it is on the road. That is the second best question that you’ve asked me so far. If I didn’t have those three things – the lips and the hair – then I wouldn’t be in Steel Panther because anybody can play the bass a hell of a lot better than I can. The guys have me in the band based on my looks and getting older, it’s getting harder and harder every year. I mean, I appreciate this interview because we’re getting older, and we love to party and any one of us could die at any moment.
But you know, we’re bringing heavy metal back and we’re excited about the record that’s coming out on Friday, even though one of us might die. Again I really appreciate this interview as we’re getting really, really old.
Do you have a favourite track on Lower The Bar?
It’s tough to pick a favourite. I’m so excited for our fans to hear this record because we talk about it so much and we recorded it last year. After all the time there’s been and all the songs that Satchel writes… well, Satchel, Michael and Stix write. I don’t write. I’m just told what to do and I do it. As long as my hair and my lips and my cheekbones look good, I’m fine.
There are so many songs that I love. “Wrong Side of the Tracks in Beverley Hills” is one. “Wasted Too Much Time”… but “That’s When You Came In”. I’d have to say that’s my favourite one. It’s one of my favourite that Satchel has ever written.
I do like that one as well. It’s very subtle lyrically, as we mentioned in our review.
Yes, yes it is. We played it on Live From [My] Mom’s Garage acoustically, but I don’t think it has the same effect as when it’s played with instruments that are plugged in.
In the recent video for “Poontang Boomerang”, how much encouragement did it take for you to come out of the closet? Literally?
It was tough because chicks kept getting in my way. I mean, I’m 6’7″… OK, no. I’m not. I’m 6’2-and-a-half. But it’s still tough to get out of that tiny little closet. And they kept putting that girl in there with me and I didn’t want her as she kept taking up my camera time, so I kept telling her to move. The other guys were fine with having chicks all over them, but if there are girls around then that’s going to distract people from looking at me. I didn’t even want my bass in there. I just wanted people to focus on my face.
I know you mentioned you don’t partake in the songwriting as you’re only the bassist, but are the lyrics all based on real life experiences?
That’s exactly what they are – that’s another great question! Touring on the bus, Satchel has ideas from experiences that we have. Let’s say… “She’s on the Rag”. Stix had an experience in Australia and talked to us in the morning when we were on the bus. Satchel was just, “You know what? I’m going to write a song about this”.
When I say I think that Lower the Bar is our best record, it’s because we’ve had so many experiences with touring. People think we’re funny but we’re just giving out what our experiences are. For the lyrics, Satchel starts out with it then we go into the studio and then we change things around. But, yeah, it’s all based on true experiences. You can’t come up with this kind of stuff.
Sticking with lyrics, going back to “If I Was The King”, Michael gets to reel off his dreams and wishes. Are there any you would add if you were the king?
You have the best questions! I mean, we’re doing press like crazy this week obviously, but so far you have the best questions! If I was the king I would have an assistant with me at all times that can do make-up, that can do hair, that can read good, that can explain stuff for me… I would have a hot chick with me at all times – that I could fuck – but also who would pay for everything when I was out on the road. She could be a stripper if she wants to be. But also if I want to be with other chicks, she’s fine with that, she could sleep in another room. Or if she wants to she can join in.
I’d want her to change her hair colour from time to time. Also because I like all types of women, I’d want her to be tanned then pale, to gain weight and then get small again. But all the time maintaining my books, paying the bills and making sure that shit gets done.
My wife wants to know – do you ever get sick of looking at boobs?
No, I don’t think that can ever happen. Boobs are fantastic. Women are beautiful and I will never get sick of seeing the female body ever. Every body is a work of art and I will never get sick of somebody showing me their pallette.
Mind, you said you’re up in Glasgow? There are a lot of man-boobs up there…
You’re reinventing the whole glam scene of the 1980’s. Is there a particular band whose success you want to emulate or exceed?
For me, I like all the bands that looked bitchin’ like Danger Danger, Cinderella, Dokken, Europe, Poison, Bon Jovi… they’d be the closest for me. Stix and Satchel like the heavier, more metal stuff. Michael and me probably agree more on the glam kind of bands. But they’re all heavy metal and that’s what we’re trying to do – bring heavy metal back. It doesn’t matter if it’s Iron Maiden or Bon Jovi or whatever. I know some people will say “That’s not heavy metal”, but there’s metal in there. Slayer’s metal, we’re metal but we’re not Slayer!
That was the great thing about the eighties. There were so many bands that were metal but they all didn’t have to look the same or play the same. They were all still metal and that’s what we’re trying to bring back now.
But I liked the ones who looked good. I don’t care how they played as long as they looked bitchin’. After all, that’s the only reason I’m in the band.
Back to another older track – “Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World”. If the end of the world was approaching and you could stop it by boning one of your bandmates, which one would it be?
Shit. Satchel.
You didn’t have to think about that very long.
Living on a bus with these guys… Satchel’s got great hair, he’s brunette. When he’s sleeping on his stomach sometimes he doesn’t have his curtain right closed, and as I walk by – yeah, look, OK. Satchel. I’ll go with Satchel. Let’s leave it there.
Another random question from our Crew – which is the best venereal disease?
Herpes because you can get rid of it. Actually by now I think everyone has it, like in the eighties.
Can you give us a fact that nobody knows about Steel Panther?
Well, everyone knows that the whole band has fucked my mom so that’s out. Nobody knows… exactly how old we are.
What three words would you use to describe Steel Panther?
Heavy metal rules – easy!
Let’s play a quick round of fuck, marry, kill. Politics first – Donald Trump, Sean Spicer and Steve Bannon.
OK, I don’t know any of those people… wait, I know the Trump guy. I’ve seen him on TV before, but I don’t pay attention to politics. I just like to party. You know what, I’ll do what Metallica says – Kill ’em all.
A good answer. How about Aileen Wuornos the female serial killer, Angela Lansbury from Murder She Wrote, and Beatrice Arthur from The Golden Girls.
I wanna fuck the second one. She’s fuckin’ hot. She’s my age now so I’m down to fuck the second one. It’s cool to fuck the older chicks – they can’t get pregnant because their vaginas are all banged up and broken. So the older the better and the younger the… erm. I can’t say that. Forget that last bit.
One last round. George Michael, Rob Halford and Ricky Martin.
George Michael, always. But this is tough. Shit, we toured with Priest and Rob Halford is fuckin’ awesome. But George Michael is a little bit more my speed. George Michael all the way forever. Marry.
Our last question. What advice would you have for a young band starting out today looking for that elusive contract?
Suck a bunch of dick. Yeah. Suck dick.
Yeah, OK, so it’s real hard to get anywhere these days so for guys to do that it’s hard. If you’re a girl then, yeah do that. It’ll probably help you get a better contract. But for me it was getting along with your bandmates. Mind you, I don’t even know if record contracts matter any more. But just believe in your band, in yourselves and the songs that you write. There are too many bands out there pretending to be something they’re not and people see right through that.
Thanks very much for your time, Lexxi. We look forward to seeing you when you’re next over. I believe Download is the only confirmed date?
That’s right, but we should be over later in the year to support this record.
Lower The Bar is out on March 24th and can be pre-ordered as a [amazon text=digital download&asin=B01N6G7AZ9], [amazon text=on CD&asin=B01LWQ7VK4],[amazon text=special edition CD&asin=B01LXDMLF3] (2 bonus tracks), or [amazon text=on vinyl&asin=B01LXP8M6H]. [sponsored links]
