Event:	Tygers Of Pan Tang: U.K. Tour
Written by:	Baz Anderson
Published:	02.11.2008
Galleries:	Tygers Of Pan Tang - Grimsby, England, 30th October 2008 by Baz Anderson (15)

Great Grimsby, Europe's food town, a town on the east coast of England, and used to have the world's largest fishing port between the 50's and 60's. The town has a real Viking background, and also happens to be my hometown. Unfortunately in recent years, lets be honest, the town has seen better days, and if heavy metal is your choice of music, the town doesn't provide much to satisfy your urge for live music and other friendly conversation.




Enter the Yardbirds Rock Club, this is a small bar and venue located not in the most friendliest looking areas of the town, but once inside is an amazing oasis for anything motorbike-related and rock 'n' roll. The walls are covered in memorabilia, mainly tour posters from a time most of us wouldn't have been alive and Harley-Davidson posters. It really was like a blast to the past, in a good way, stepping inside the club. The people inside the club always friendly, it is easy to find conversation of heavy metal intelligence you just wouldn't expect to find outside. Having spent eighteen years of my life in the town and not knowing of anywhere like this, you can imagine how this safe haven for rock 'n' roll made me feel.

The lights dimmed down and onto the stage in the corner of the room came The Steve Grimmett Band. Now, Steve as you may or may not know sang for new wave of British heavy metallers Grim Reaper for eight years, as he did for Lionsheart, and also sang on the third Onslaught album. Back now with his solo band he provided a great set mainly consisting of Grim Reaper and Lionsheart songs. The Yardbirds is not a huge club by any stretch of the imagination, and so the audience consisted of about sixty-or-so people, but after each song always made sure to show their appreciation. Steve still has a good voice, and his band played well, they seemed to be having a good time on the stage. The Grim Reaper songs of the night "Rock You To Hell", "Night Of The Vampire", "Wrath Of The Ripper" and "See You In Hell" were the best of the forty-minute set, but not after long time was up and it was time to say goodbye.



A short intermission later and it was time for the headliners of the night Tygers Of Pan Tang to take the stage. Now this band has been through the works a few times after being together and releasing their most successful albums at the very start of the 80's, splitting and getting back together for a couple of years in the mid-eighties, splitting again, and after a brush with Wacken Open Air for two years original guitarist Robb Weir decided to give the fans what they wanted and start the Tygers going again regardless of him being the only original member. The Tygers seem to have a somewhat stable line-up now, and are just releasing their brand new album of which they played a few songs from.

As soon as the band started playing it was clear why these were the headliners of the tour as they played tight and with conviction bringing these songs from the early-eighties kicking and screaming into the present time and giving them new life all over again. The main bulk of the setlist came from the first three albums, songs like "Suzie Smiled", and in particular the fantastic "Hellbound" and "Gangland" that were the real highlights of the night. "Slave To Freedom" and "Euthanasia" were stuck together for great effect and "Running Out Of Time" saw the light of day towards the end of the set as they were running out of time. Tygers Of Pan Tang were professional and seemed to enjoy themselves also, and as always the audience would show their appreciation after each song. This was new wave of British heavy metal with a very hard-rocking kick, new Italian singer Jacopo Meille has a tinge of Robert Plant about him and this does the band very well indeed.



The band played for well over an hour, but eventually time was up and it was time to go home. Thanks to the Yardbirds club however, there is hope for the rockers and metallers in Grimsby. The Yardbirds club is the place to be in Grimsby if this kind of music does it for you. Good bands, drinks and friendly conversation.

Written, and photos by Barry Anderson