Here we are at Edinburgh’s La Belle Angele for the opening night of the Tygers of Pan Tang UK tour to promote their excellent new album just out today Ritual.
Up first on the stage, Danish band Pectora from Roskilde kick off events promoting their fabulous new album Untaken which came out in May this year. We get four tracks from the album with the title track opening the set and you are immediately taken back in time with their old school style reminiscent of early WASP meets Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The band also play “Unkindled Flame”, “The Arrival” and the stunning single “Collide” which was a triumph live with the whole band on fire. A full on guitar sonic attack and definitely my favourite of their set with a lot of the crowd headbanging along. We also had a couple from their excellent 2017 Redemption EP in the form of “Valley of Dreams” and “Going through Hell”.
The band are really enjoying their first visit here and Laurids on Bass is running about like a grinning loony the whole set. Kenneth has a great old school vocal style which, along with the rest of the band, went down really well with the twin guitars of Morten and Søren really shining along with Nicolas at the rear on drums. I know I will be catching them again next chance I get.
The Tygers of Pan Tang open tonight’s set with “White Lines” from the new album Ritual and it sounds huge. Since Jacopo came on board on vocals, the band have never looked back as he gave them that vocal harmony range they really needed. Then there’s Micky on guitar, a perfect foil to the awesome Robb Weir. We get two more from the album in the form of the excellent singles ”Destiny” and “Damn You” before the band follow up with a fave of mine, “Keeping Me Alive”. Tygers then head back to 1981 with “Take It” from the amazing Spellbound album which sounds so fresh with the band keeping the early sound going so easily.
We are then treated to a triple whammy from 1980’s Wildcat album with “Euthanasia”, “Slave to Freedom” and the excellent “Suzie Smiled”. I am loving the early stuff tonight having first seen the band back in 1980 opening for Saxon. A few more from Spellbound appear with “Don’t Stop By” and the excellent “Hellbound” which, for an old school metalhead like myself, is pure heaven. The opening spine tingling guitar can only mean the fabulous ”Raised on Rock” from Crazy Nights, god damn headbanging heaven. I am grinning like a fool, even more as we stay with the same album for the heavier ”Running Out of Time” and I’m reminded of how much I miss the early 80’s. Thankfully, we have bands of this calibre keeping the music alive in style.
After a lone outing from the excellent 2016 self-titled Tygers of Pan Tang album (the fantastic “Only the Brave”), we also get a cover with the excellent “Tush” before closing the stunning display of music tonight with, what else, the awesome “Love Potion #9” with the crowd happily singing along. There are all ages here tonight from the young to the more mature like myself jumping about, singing, headbanging and generally having an awesome night of pure Rock n Roll.
The band have been immense with original guitarist Robb grinning and bouncing around and vocalist Jacopo having one of the best voices in the business. Micky is also a joy to watch on guitar with the rhythm house of Gavin and Craig on bass and drums respectively keeping the engine purring nicely. This was a pure joy to watch and listen to, although a couple more from the new album would have been nice. Not that I am complaining with tonight’s setlist being just fantastic.
This was a stunning opening night of the tour with the band on fine form. Get out there and live music and catch the band on tour.
Photos by Gary Cooper
