When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat
Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard
Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It
was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to
music. I've had a few minor epiphanies’ since then, when you come across a band
that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Hi Todd pleased to talk with you and
answer your questions for all your readers. I have had many ‘Special,’ musical
moments. Listening to early Black Sabbath, Rush, Uriah Heep and Status Quo for
a start. Then going to shows and experiencing the whole ‘live’ vibe thing was
very important and interesting for me. I used to marvel at the size of the
backline, how loud the band was, what type of guitars they played, even what
stage clothes they wore!
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you.
What comes first, the idea? The riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into
place?
Well for me I never set out to write a
song. If I did I don’t think I could come up with anything! I take myself off
to my studio just with the aim of exercising my fingers. I call it ‘Having a
play!’ I always play plugged through my studio so if I play anything I like I
can record it and come back to it the next day. If I think it’s ‘Tygers’ I
develop it further by laying down the drums then the bass, another guitar part and
maybe a solo. I mix it and send it out to the boys for their consideration. If
it’s a thumbs up we jam it at rehearsal and develop it further. Its then
recorded on a Mac and sent to Jack in Italy for his input. Craig and Jack then
develop the lyrics and it’s all put together. But we all write in this way so
at rehearsals anyone of us could be sharing ideas.
Who has influenced you the most?
Wow, that’s a BIG question! I’ve tried
to develop my own style but there are certain players that I like. Eddie Van
Halen, Mick Box, Robin Trower, Bernie Marsden and Glenn Tipton. I’m not really
a big guitar hero fan, but all these players play quality guitar lines that
just sit nice, if you get my drift? My eldest son, Steve is a massive hard rock
music fan and he says he knows if it’s me playing a solo in a song because of
my style. I guess that’s a good thing?
Let's talk about the great days of the NWOBHM --
That term wasn't coined until later. At the time, did you realize you
were a major part of a major Renaissance in heavy music?
To be honest, No! The Tygers were young
musicians full of musical testosterone wanting to prove their worth to the
music world! We had been playing the circuit for a couple of years before Geoff
Barton from the Sounds newspaper wrote that famous article about this new hard
rock movement that was happening in the UK. Geoff coined the phrase, NWOBHM.
(New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.) Of
course it was fantastic to be included in that movement and scene!
You were the third single released by the ground
breaking Neat Records based near Newcastle. Seems that Neat mined their
own sound and scene, I've even heard the Newcastle NWOBHM referred to as a
separate sub-genre. Was there a specific Neat or Newcastle sound?
I think that the Tygers helped shape
Neat records sound. We were the first NWOBHM band to record there and I hope
started something great? Many bands followed in our footsteps, Raven, Venom and
I think the Tygers brought the first notoriety to the Neat records label.
What were those early days of the NWOBHM like?
Fantastic, magical. To be honest you
really had to be there to experience it. The friendship between the bands, we
went to Iron Maiden and Def Leppard gigs and Saxon shows and they came to ours.
It was all positive and good. I had a fantastic time, indeed a time I will
never forget.
Who were some of your favourite bands at the time
that we most likely never heard of?
I only really knew of bands that
everybody has heard of! Some of my favourites were (and still are) Blackfoot,
Ratt, Molly Hatchet, XYZ, Winger and so many more.
Wildcat was a seminal work of heavy metal, and
still stands the test of time. Any stories from the making of that album,
and the early days of the band?
Hell, where do I start? I was a bit of
a bad boy back then, always looking to play a joke on fellow band mates or crew
or managers! I’ve tried to blow them up, turned fire hoses on people, actually
parked a car on a crew member’s foot so he couldn’t move and left him while we
(the band) went into the pub for a beer! While we were recording WILDCAT, Chris
Tsangarides, our producer keep blowing up the studio speakers because he played
back the backing tracks too loud!
One of the things I love about the early NWOBHM was
the rawness and punk DIY attitude. But of course that began to
change. Why was the decision made to bring in John Sykes and Jon
Deverill?
We had a meeting with our agent at the
time, Rod MacSween from ITB (International Talent Booking.) Rod told us in his
opinion we should add another guitar player to our line up to make our live
sound much bigger. We agreed and auditioned some 40 guitar players of which
John Sykes was chosen. Then after the Wildcat tour in September 1980, Jess left
the band as he wanted to go ‘solo.’ So we advertised again and picked Jon
Deverill out of 120 vocalists!
Spellbound is also an amazing album, but a very
different sound from Wildcat -- was this an intentional change in direction?
No not really, I think it was just the
style of writing when the two John’s joined. John Sykes and I wrote all the
music for spellbound and Jon Deverill wrote most of the lyrics. Rocky and Brian
of course had their own musical input and our manager Tom always had the final
say as to which songs were to be taken forward to be fully developed and
recorded.
Where'd the band name come from?
From a Michael Moorcock book. In the
70’s Michael was a big Sci-Fi writer and in one of his books, ‘Stormbringer,’
the Emperor had some attack Tygers who guarded the cliffs of Pan Tang which
were the entrance to his kingdom. Rocky at the time was a big Sci-Fi reader and
when we were trying to come up with names for our band he suggested Tygers of
Pan Tang!
You have one chance, what movie are you going to
write the soundtrack for?
The Ambush! Of course it hasn’t been made yet
because it’s in my head! But it’s about a superhero called ‘Tygerman’ who saves
animals who are abused by humans. Could work....what do you think?
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple
Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which
would it be and why?
‘Never Satisfied,’ from the ‘Crazy
Nights,’ album. Why? Well it’s a story of a lady who could never be satisfied...We’ll
leave it there!
Come on; share with us a couple of your great,
Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Just a couple? Well there was the time
we caught a ferry from Sweden and as it pulled out of the dock we were all
standing on the rear deck just gazing back at the port when we saw a person
waving his hands frantically at us? A voice from the back calmly said, ‘Isn’t
that Jon Deverill?’ Jon had only missed the sailing and there wasn’t another
one for four hours! And, we had a show in six hours! Or the time one of our
band members was with a girl who was a bit worse the wear if you know what I
mean? He ‘popped’ over the hotel landing to get another member to surprise her
and as the new member got close to her she came too and broke his nose with one
clean punch! He had to play the rest of the tour with his nose bandaged up, it
was hilarious!
Tell us about playing live and the live experience
for you and for your fans?
Live is the best! There is nothing
quite like it. When the intro goes on and you are waiting in the wings ready to
run on and go crazy. It’s a rush far, far beyond anything you can imagine.
Seeing the fans going mental to songs you have written is a rush in itself. And
afterwards when we get a chance to say ‘Hi,’ to everyone that makes my night
complete.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
Do you know, every song I write that it
makes it onto an album, I’m proud of. I just love writing songs.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your
ass? Why?
Can I be honest? I don’t pay much
attention to song writers. I’m quite difficult to please!
But I did think Bon Scott wrote some
fantastic lyrics.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
Jack Daniels every time. But as we
speak the Box Social Brewery Company, here in Newcastle-upon-Tyne are brewing
us our very own beer to be sold worldwide. It’s going to be called, ‘Tygers
Blood,’ and it’s red in colour! The can will have the new album cover printed
on it and it will be available from October the21st, which is the release date
of the new album.
Tygers are still active and playing. How did
the reformation come about and how's it going?
After coming out of retirement in 1999
to headline the Wacken festival near Hamburg in front of 22,000 people, I got
bitten well and truly by the rock ‘n roll bug again and something inside me
said you got to do this Tyger thing again. So I did!
What's next for the band?
Festivals in, Italy, Spain, Holland and
Belgium. A UK tour in October and the release of our new album through Target
Records on the 21st of October. A New video to accompany the first
single off the album, ‘Only the Brave.’ And to finish off our year a festival
appearance at the Winter Storm festival in Scotland on the 25th of
November.
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share
with our readers, the Waveriders?
Thank you for taking the time to
read this interview. I know you will like the new album, trust me it’s a
MONSTER! Keep supporting live bands in your area by going to their shows, and
most important of all KEEP BLOODY ROCKIN’
Love you all....
Robb.
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