America's Got Talent fans are confused about why Steel Panther band is on the show

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"Why does a band like this need to audition for AGT?" viewers wondered.

Steel Panther on America's Got Talent
Steel Panther (Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC)

Steel Panther brought head-banging heavy metal to America's Got Talent season 18 — but are they already too big for AGT?

At the America's Got Talent auditions during the show's premiere episode on Tuesday, May 30, fans were introduced to a quartet of long-haired hard rockers: Michael Starr, Satchel, Stix and Spyder, better known as Steel Panther. Before the group took the stage, video clips of famous musicians such as Dave Navarro, lead guitarist for Jane's Addiction, extolled the rock 'n roll bonafides of the band, already a clue that this wasn't any old amateur performance. 

Prior to tearing through their song "Eyes of a Panther" from their album Feel the Steel — and offering lifetime Steel Panther tickets and backstage passes to AGT's bombshell judges, Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum — lead singer Michael Starr informed the women as well as fellow judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel that the band actually has six studio albums, as well as several live records. 

And even more, the famous Los Angeles-based band had previously played the 40th birthday bash of Vergara's husband, Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello. 

"I've seen these guys. My husband Joe hired them for his 40th birthday and it was the best birthday he ever had. You guys are amazing!" the Modern Family star proclaimed. 

The band didn't just win over the crowd with their guitar licks and spandex-legged kicks, but also the judges: Vergara as well as the rest of the judges' panel put Steel Panther through to the next round. "I'm sure a lot of your friends were like, 'You shouldn't come on a show like this.' I'm a great believer in, 'You do what you want to do'," Cowell told the rockers. "You're so talented, it's so clear you've been doing this a long time... I can see this in Vegas."

AGT fans react to Steel Panther band's audition:

America's Got Talent viewers took to social media to raise concerns about whether or not it's fair to have such a professional musical act like Steel Panther competing on the televised talent show against less established performers, like children's choirs and homegrown magicians. Here's what AGT fans are saying over on Twitter:

New episodes of America's Got Talent season 18 air on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC. Previous episodes are available to stream on Peacock.

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Christina Izzo
Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.