DragonForce’s Herman Li ‘Auditions’ for Steel Panther on Twitch, Satchel Judges

In an ongoing effort to raise funds for legendary guitarist Jason Becker, DragonForce’s Herman Li “auditioned” for Steel Panther with Satchel serving as the judge during a Twitch stream where they also engaged in a lengthy solo battle.

The #ShredForJasonBecker virtual event, co-organized by Li to help Becker in his continued battle with ALS, was originally set to run in March and April, but remains ongoing, especially as the guitarist was recently hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate.

The fundraiser has brought some of the most notable metal guitarists to Li’s Twitch stream, with the most recent guest being the devilishly handsome Steel Panther axeman, Satchel.

The segment was billed as Li’s “audition” for the hair metal jokesters, in which he wore the proper attire, outfitted with a scarf, frizzy hair and a black jacket marked by patches of studs.

“I’m a real rock star. I’ve got my makeup artist, my hair… everything in the background. I paid $1,000 for this,” joked the DragonForce guitarist.

Satchel, clearly impressed by Li’s getup, commented, “I don’t know if [Steel Panther bassist] Lexxi [Foxx] would be comfortable with you in the band because you’re really good looking. For me, I’m good looking but I’m not quite good looking enough to make him feel bad about himself, but you’re really good looking.”

The first order of business when being considered to join Steel Panther is quite obviously physical appearance. But it’s what you can do with that appearance that matters most, which is why Satchel requested a couple poses from Li. “You get more likes just posing than you do playing,” said Satchel. “This is what has driven my career, Herman.”

Li quickly demonstrated his posing capability and then it came time for the real test, which was to engage in a guitar solo duel while satisfying certain demands from Satchel.

“I want you to give me at least two kicks up in the air. I want you to spin around once during your solo,” the Panther six-stringer requested. Li, however, noted that he did not have a wireless setup and was playing with a traditional guitar cable, which would make the spin requirement tricky.

Unwavering, Satchel declared, “I don’t care. Figure it out. This is your audition, don’t mess it up!”

Li managed to get a couple kicks in, multiple spins and even played the guitar behind his head, which dazzled Satchel so much that by the end of the performance, Li was crowned the new guitar player in Steel Panther.

Obviously, it’s all a joke, so don’t worry — Li is still in DragonForce!

Watch the full video below. To learn more about the fundraiser for Becker and to make a donation, head here.

Herman Li “Auditions” For Steel Panther