Tygers of Pan Tang

Craig Ellis has been with Tygers of Pan Tang since their return in 2000, besides founding member Rob Weir, he’s the member with more years in the band. We had a little chat with him, to know the latest news about Tygers of Pan Tang.

Q. - Hello Craig, so what can you tell us about your musical beginnings in Heavy Metal particularly? Were you familiar with Tygers of Pan Tang back in the day?

Craig - Hi Paulo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t start playing drums until the age of fifteen but I’d been listening (seriously) to music from around eight or nine year old. My Dad had a reel to reel player and I was infatuated with not only the machine itself, but also the music on the spools. Amongst others there was Hendrix, Foghat, Lynard Skynard, Blue Oyster Cult and Led Zeppelin. Programmes on the television like Top of the Pops, The Tube and of course The Old Grey Whistle Test were like a drug, I never missed an episode! With the pocket money I saved, I bought vinyl. Even back then I had a varied collection of music as my tastes have always been eclectic, however, once I started playing drums, rock and metal was where I found my niche. Drummers such as Cozy Powell, John Bonham, Ian Paice, Bill Ward and Neil Peart and the bands they played in resonated with me hugely and has never left me.

Where I’m from, we were very fortunate to have venues including The Coatham Bowl in Redcar, The Middlesbrough Town Hall, Crypt and Rock Garden and Newcastles Mayfair and City Hall so I got to see almost all my favourite drummers and favourite bands. Like the Tygers of Pan Tang, I’m from the North East of England and so yes, I of course knew of them, but unfortunately were one band I never did get to see live.

Q. - Before you joined Tygers of Pan Tang have you played in some other local bands?

Craig - My first cover band at around sixteen was called Overload. We played rock covers by Sabbath, Status Quo, Golden Earring, AC/DC etc.

There was a huge Working Mens Club scene back then, which I played in most of, in various cover bands. I’ve always had a passion for original music so I took every opportunity presented to me to work alongside musicians creating original music. From very early on I learned a great deal about the recording process both at home and in studios.

Q. - You’ve been the drummer for Tygers of Pan Tang since 2000, what’s the balance of these 18 years?

Craig - Things have changed considerably. Like a jigsaw, there are many pieces that have to fit together to make it possible for a band to function properly. If the business behind the scenes is in hand then the writing and performing will run much more efficiently. Tom Noble taking over as Manager has played an enormous part in getting the machine that is Tygers of Pan Tang oiled and working efficiently on many levels. He was not only instrumental in the making of a great partnership with our record label ‘Mighty Music’, he collaborated with North East Brewery ‘Box Social’ in instigating our own brand of beer, Tyger Blood, Having a record label that believes and invests time and money has made a big difference and CEO Michael H. Anderson is 110% behind the Tygers. Along with the record label, our success is achieved with the incredible dedication of a great people including our Agent, artists, designer/printer, video team and endorsement sponsers. All of this enables the band to concentrate on writing and right now I think we’re producing material that’s better than ever and putting on live shows stronger than ever.

Q. - After some singer changes, do you feel that Iaccopo Meille is the right person for the job?

Craig - Iacopo is the right man for the job for many reasons, yes. He joined the band already knowing a good deal about the band and has a great respect

for the original recordings which is crucial when performing them live. Like each of us, when writing new material, Iacopo focuses on staying true to the style and genre of the music of the Tygers. He puts a huge amount of time and investment into the songwriting process, the results of which which I’m sure you can hear from his performance on this most recent album especially. Iacopo and I work especially close together during the writing process and it ‘just works’! There’s a chemistry that, no matter how long or frustrating it may be sometimes, still gets the job done.

Like all the guys he has total commitment, putting the Tygers first above all the other interests and projects he is involved in which results in a great camaraderie in the band. And of course, he’s a fantastic performer and nails it every time!

Q. - Did you take a long time to compose the album Tygers of Pan Tang or it came out naturally?

Craig - Most of the tracks were written in stages over a 12-18 month period and came together quite naturally, including Only the Brave, Never Give In, Dust, Do It Again, Blood Red Sky and Devil You Know. We’re actually very quick to put a song together once we have ‘the bones’ as it were, its more so the arrangement of a song that takes a long time to develop until we feel its absolutely right.

The Reason Why actually almost made it onto Ambush but it wasn’t quite ready. Making that tough yet sensible decision to not include it and instead develop it further has paid off in what we’ve produced on this album.

I wrote both Praying for a Miracle and Glad Rags a few years ago yet it just felt the right time and place during a rehearsal to put them to the guys. I’d developed and recorded Praying for a Miracle in my home recording studio and we steadily developed it during rehearsals to what you hear now. Glad Rags, on the other hand, came together very, very quickly, I sang the idea, Micky came up with the riff almost immediately and that was that!

Q. - Only the Brave was the advance single for the album, do you consider it a good representation of the whole album?

Craig - As songs develop you inevitably end up with two or three contenders jostling for the opening track position and single for the album. However, once all the parts came together for “Only the Brave” we knew instinctively it was the one! The fast, heavy riff, the power chords, the down-to-earth, in-your-face, catchy lyrics and melodies and an awesome solo makes for a to-die-for formula - its Tygers of Pan Tang through and through, it captures the whole vibe of the band and tips a consummate hat to hard rock! Soren Anderson chose it as the first track to mix as it resonated with him as soon as he heard it. His work across the entire album is absolutely superb and was the final decider to having Only the Brave as the opening track and single as it represented the album perfectly setting a precedent for a powerful, well written and produced piece of work.

Q. - By some form did you try to approach the sound that turned you well known back in the early 80's, a return to the roots?

Craig - Its achieving a balance. We want to stay true to the heritage of the bands sound, to the era and to the genre yet we have to always consider moving forward. Robb can plug his guitar into any shape or size amplifier or mixing desk on the Planet, yet as soon as he starts playing.. it will  sound like Robb! His sound and riffs are absolutely and inherently Tygers and so we embrace those riffs by keeping the playing raw and gritty while also embracing production and mixing techniques available to us in this day and age.

Q. – And how’s it being received by Tygers fans so far, despite the severe economic crisis that affect all of us?

Craig - Response has been incredible! Be it from the Press, from the fans, on social media or at shows. Through excellent promotion and distribution, alongside a very healthy on-line and High Street presence sales have been very good. We are extremely humbled and appreciative of everyone who has bought the album with their hard earned cash.

Q. - Hard n’ Heavy music does not pay bills to many people, is It difficult to make this kind of music today?

Craig - It can be difficult at times yes but its made so much easier through the commitment and passion of not just the guys in the band but all those associated with the band. The gig scene is steadily improving and while we’re being invited to return to many great festivals, we’re also being asked to perform at new festivals and that is nothing but a good thing for any band.

Q. - With so many albums and great songs, is it difficult to choose a set-list to play live? Do you combine the classics with the new songs?

Craig - Oh my! It’s an absolute nightmare!! Naturally, fans want to hear the songs they grew up with yet at the same time we have to move forward, produce and play live, new material. Over the years we’ve honed the choice down to include those songs from the early albums which fans particularly want to hear and combined them with songs from the last three albums. That balance has definitely been the recipe for success with the live shows.

Q. – Being this your 11^th album, is self-titled for any special reason?

Craig - It was quite simply a way of saying it was a fresh start for us.

Rather than giving it a bespoke title or taking one of the tracks from the album as a title we decided to wear our hearts on our sleeves and say ‘this is the Tygers, right now, raw’.

Q. - Is this the album you're most proud of? Normally, is what musicians use to say, is it the same way with you?

Craig - I’m incredibly proud of this album yes, and honoured to have been one of the wheels in a very big cog that got it to where it is now and what it has achieved. But I’m also very proud of Animal Instinct and Ambush, specifically some tracks. We all have favourites, but tracks Rock Candy and Cry Sweet Freedom from Animal Instinct were important to me in developing as a lyricist, as were She and Keeping Me Alive from Ambush are. I’m also proud of my very first attempts at producing music videos, Keeping Me Alive and She being my first two!

Q. - The producer Chris Tsangarides (RIP), was very important producing some great albums for the Tygers, how do you feel about his passing?

Craig - I had the pleasure of working with Chris during the recording of Ambush… a wonderful experience. Working with a man with such a wealth of knowledge and expertise, along with an outstanding catalogue of luminaries, was a fantastic and humbling experience. Chris kindly asked me to do further sessions after completion of Ambush, a particularly great one for me was with a wonderful artist Nick Miller where the session included the incredible bassist Jeff Berlin. 

From the moment Chris and I met we got on really well, like we’d been friends for years, it’s so sad that he has gone and a huge loss, I miss him dearly.

Q. – This year are you going on tour? Do you intend to play some festivals next summer?

Craig - We have purposely decided to play only a few shows until recording of the new album is complete. Those shows are in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. We play the awesome ‘Rock Festival’ in Barcelona, Germanys mighty Bang Your Head Festival in and U.K’s Hard Rock Hell Festival. As shows are confirmed they are added to the official website, it’s the best place to check where we are going to be performing.

Q. - Are you planning to record a live album? What’s the next step for Tygers of Pan Tang?

Craig - Both a live album and live DVD are projects we’ve certainly discussed and would maybe consider doing at some point but right now our priority is in preparing for the new album, recording this year with a release date scheduled for early 2019!

Q. – Besides Tygers Of Pan Tang, do you play in any other band now-a-days?

Craig - I have many colleagues who are professional singers who have developed their skills as tribute performers, and when required (which is quite often!) I perform with them. I really enjoy the variety of styles and what that demands as a player. I am quite often invited to play on artistes recordings, creating something from the ground up is very exciting and rewarding.

Q. – How would you like to end up this interview?

Craig - Certainly to thank you Paulo for the opportunity to have this interview, its been a pleasure. I’d particularly like to say a huge thank you to all the loyal fans of the Tygers who, by coming along to the shows, and by investing their hard earned cash into our music, enable us to continue forward. And to all the new fans who’ve embraced our music and are as excited as us to be along for the ride.

Thank you for your time Craig, and wish you all the best for the future!