The influence of substrate-induced perturbations on the band structure of graphene has been investigated by soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) for graphene on Ni(111). The band-dispersion features of graphene on Ni(111) are different from those of HOPG and 'quasi-freestanding' graphene (graphene/Cu) because of the strong interfacial interaction. By comparing the XES spectra excited with energy at the pi* resonance of HOPG, graphene/Cu and graphene/Ni in detail, we find that the spectral shape change can be directly related to the different electronic states hybridization strength of graphene on metal substrates, supplying a feasible way for investigating the graphene-metal bonding strength. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.