Tygers of Pan Tang

Tygers of Pan Tang
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1978 in Whitley Bay, England
Founder	Robb Weir, Richard "Rocky" Laws, Jess Cox, Brian Dick
Defunct	1987 (first disbandment)
Fate	Reunited in 1999 and active
Headquarters	Whitley Bay, England, United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Robb Weir (guitarist), Jess Cox (vocalist), Jon Deverill (vocalist), John Sykes (guitarist)
Products	Heavy metal music albums and live performances

Tygers of Pan Tang is a British heavy metal group associated with the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) era. Originating in 1978 in Whitley Bay, England, the band remained active until 1987 before reuniting in 1999 and continuing to produce music and tour. Their name derives from Pan Tang, a fictional island chain featured in Michael Moorcock's fantasy novels.

Formation and early period (1978–1983)

The band was established by guitarist Robb Weir, bassist Richard "Rocky" Laws, vocalist Jess Cox, and drummer Brian Dick, initially performing at working men's clubs. They first signed with the independent label Neat Records before landing a contract with major label MCA Records. Their first album, Wild Cat (1980), peaked at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart.

John Sykes joined as a second guitarist; he later gained recognition for his work with Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake. After vocalist Jess Cox departed amid internal disagreements, Jon Deverill from Persian Risk took over vocal duties. This lineup released their second album, Spellbound, in 1981.

Following their third album, Crazy Nights, Sykes left to audition for Ozzy Osbourne’s band and was succeeded by Fred Purser from Penetration (band), who quickly adapted for live performances.

Their fourth release, The Cage (1982), was followed by disputes with MCA concerning promotion efforts and demands over cover songs after their success with "Love Potion No. 9". Due to binding contractual obligations preventing termination, the band ultimately dissolved.

In 1983, Jess Cox issued a solo record titled Third Step. Material intended for an album called Square One was rejected by the label; these tracks surfaced later in 2018 under the Purser Deverill name.

Reunion phase (1985–1987)

In 1985, Brian Dick and Jon Deverill revived Tygers of Pan Tang with Steve Lamb (formerly of Sergeant) and Neil Sheppard on guitars, alongside ex-Warrior/Satan bassist Colin Irwin, who was soon replaced by Dave Donaldson. Meanwhile, Robb Weir and Jess Cox formed a side project named Tyger-Tyger.

This reformed lineup released The Wreck-Age in 1985 through Music for Nations and followed up with Burning in the Shade in 1987 on Zebra Records. The latter album was met with unfavorable reviews, leading to another disbandment.

Neat Records and MCA subsequently issued several compilations and live albums, including First Kill (1986), which features live demo recordings from 1979 and 1980 by the original members.

Later years and ongoing activity (1999–present)

A renewed interest emerged when Jess Cox performed with Blitzkrieg at the 1999 Wacken Open Air festival. In 2000, Robb Weir reassembled Tygers of Pan Tang as the sole original member, adding Tony Liddell on vocals, Dean Robertson on lead guitar, Brian West on bass, and Craig Ellis on drums. The group released Mystical via Z-Records but were dropped in 2002 due to disappointing sales figures.

Following this period, they contributed to the split album The Second Wave: 25 Years of NWOBHM alongside Girlschool and Oliver/Dawson Saxon. In 2004, they issued Noises in the Cathouse featuring Richie Wicks as vocalist. Wicks departed later that year and was succeeded by Italian frontman Jacopo Meille. Wicks went on to join Shadowkeep and various tribute bands.

Jon Deverill transitioned into acting under the name Jon De Ville, appearing in productions such as The Sound of Music at London's Palladium Theatre.

In 2007, Tygers released a limited EP titled Back and Beyond, followed by Animal Instinct in 2008—their first album with Meille as lead singer. Bassist Gavin Gray returned in 2011 replacing Brian West. That same year they signed with Rocksector Records and released Ambush in September 2012.

Dean Robertson was replaced by Micky Crystal in 2013. In 2015, Jess Cox launched "Jess Cox's Tygers of Pan Tang," touring across Europe and South America. The band released their self-titled album Tygers of Pan Tang in 2016 followed by Ritual in 2019. Crystal departed in 2020 citing unsatisfactory management conditions; he also expressed concerns about limited involvement from Robb Weir during the making of Ritual. Similar issues had been noted historically by John Sykes.

In 2021, they issued the compilation Majors & Minors. After bassist Gav Gray left, Huw Holding took over bass duties.

Their 2023 release Bloodlines introduced new members into the lineup and was succeeded by the live album Live Blood in 2024. Recent performances have drawn larger audiences, including a notable return to their original venue at Whitley Bay Playhouse scheduled for November 2024.

Members

Present lineup

Robb Weir – guitar, backing vocals (1978–1982, 1999–present)
Craig Ellis – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2000–present)
Jacopo "Jack" Meille – lead vocals (2004–present)
Huw Holding – bass guitar (2021–present)

Jess Cox Tygers of Pan Tang

Jess Cox – lead vocals (2015–present)

Studio albums

Wild Cat (1980)
Spellbound (1981)
Crazy Nights (1981)
The Cage (1982)
The Wreck-Age (1985)
Burning in the Shade (1987)
Mystical (2001)
Noises from the Cathouse (2004)
Animal Instinct (2008)
Ambush (2012)
Tygers of Pan Tang (2016)
Ritual (2019)
Bloodlines (2023)

Compilation albums

Self-titled Tygers of Pan Tang – 1982
The Best of Tygers of Pan Tang – 1984
First Kill – 1986
Hellbound – 1989
Singles – 1992
On the Prowl: The Best Of – 1999
Detonated – 2005
Big Game Hunting (The Rarities) – 2005
Bad Bad Kitty – 2005
Majors & Minors – 2021

Live albums

BBC in Concert – 1981
Live at Wacken – 2001
Live at Nottingham Rock City – 2001
Live in the Roar – 2003
Leg of the Boot: Live in Holland – 2005
Live Blood – 2024

EPs

Back and Beyond (2007)
The Wildcat Sessions (2010)
The Spellbound Sessions (2011)
The Crazy Nights Sessions (30th Anniversary Special Edition) (2014)
A New Heartbeat (2022)

Singles

"Don't Touch Me There" / "Burning Up" / "Bad Times" – 1980
"Rock 'N' Roll Man" / "All Right on the Night" / "Wild Cats" – 1980
"Suzie Smiled" / "Tush" – 1980
"Euthanasia" / "Straight as a Die" – 1980
"Don't Stop By" / "Slave to Freedom" (live) / "Raised on Rock" (live) – 1981
"Hellbound" / "Don't Give a Damn" / "Don't Take Nothing" / "Bad Times" – 1981 – Reached No. 48 UK
"The Story So Far" / "Silver and Gold" / "All or Nothing" – 1981
"Love Don't Stay" / "Paradise Drive" – 1981
"Do It Good" / "Slip Away" – 1982
"Making Tracks" / "What You Sayin'" – 1982
"Paris By Air" / "Love's a Lie" – 1982 – Peaked at No. 63 UK
"Rendezvous" / "Life of Crime" – 1982 – Charted at No. 49 UK
"Love Potion No. 9" / "The Stormlands" – 1982 – Reached No. 45 UK
"Lonely at the Top" / "You Always See What You Want" – 1983
"Only the Brave"* - 2016
"White Lines" / "Don't Touch Me There"* - 2019
"Rock Candy"* - 2024

External links