During the 1980s Steve was guitarist with the Tygers of Pan Tang on two albums ‘The Wreckage’ and ‘Burning in the Shade’….
Yeah, I’m proud to be part of the Tygers legacy and long may it continue. I contacted Robb (Weir, guitarist) a while back wishing him good luck at resurrecting the Tygers with the new dynamic line up.
Micky McCrystal is a great guitarist and huge asset to the band plus a really nice guy when I met him. I nicknamed him Tyger cub because of his enviable youth (laughs).
Do you often look back on your time with the Tygers ?
I have fond memories of those days as we got to play on live TV, toured Europe and USA. We were playing Mayfair size venues (2,000 capacity). There were some great bands around in the ‘80s and one who supported us were Terraplane. They would later go on to bigger things changing their name to Thunder.
When did you first get interested in the guitar and who were your influences ?
I remember this strange fascination I had with the guitar. My brother was five years older than me, he had an acoustic that he didn’t play very much so I would sneak into his bedroom to play around with the guitar.
I didn’t have any lessons and was self taught listening to other guitarists. Each guitarist would influence me with certain styles. They were then, and still are quite varied.
Kossoff with vibrato, Clapton with never ending solos and Hendrix with flamboyant stage presence and feel. In later years I remember being astounded when I first heard Eddie Van Halen’s finger tapping. Then Malmsteen entered the scene with his fantastic classical arpeggio technique.
I suppose all guitarists are influenced by a mixture of different styles or we would all end up sounding the same.
When did you start gigging ?
My early years were playing covers around the local pub and club scene. This brought me into contact with other musicians in the area.
I remember singer Tony Liddle knocking me out of bed in the early hours asking if he could borrow my Ovation acoustic guitar as he had managed to get a live solo TV appearance on The Tube music show.
Later Tony invited me to join the band Sergeant leading to some bigger shows and venues supporting established bands. We supported Accept on their UK tour playing places like Manchester Apollo, London’s Hammersmith Odeon and Newcastle City Hall. The line up was Tony on vocals, me on guitar, Anthony Curan bass and former Tygers of Pan Tang drummer, Brian Dick.
Did you have a manager ?
At the time we were managed by Carol Johnson, wife of AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson. We recorded demo’s in Lynx Studio around ’83. This was my first real taste of recording in a professional studio environment.
The tracks 24 Hours and Lion Tamer were done there. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure a deal, so the band went our separate ways.
How did the gig with Tygers of Pan Tang come about ?
Brian Dick asked if I would be interested in joining up with him and recording an album. I remember only having a few weeks to learn, rehearse and record the album so it felt like being on a rollercoaster.
We used the Berlin Studio in Blackpool and I loved being in a studio. After recording The Weck-Age in ’85 we took it out on tour of the UK, Germany and Holland.
Line-up on The Wreck-Age was vocals Jon Deverill, guitar Steve Lamb and Neil Shepherd, on bass Dave Donaldson and drums Brian Dick. Also on the album were Ian Curnow keyboards and programming plus Steve Thompson adding keyboards and bass guitar who wrote and co-wrote seven of the tracks. Graham Lee added backing vocals.
I was privileged to be involved with songwriter Steve Thompson co-writing with him and vocalist Jon Deverill on the next album Burning in the Shade which was recorded in Lynx Studios in Newcastle during ‘86/87.
My relationship with Jon Deverill was and still is a good one. I still think he has one of the best and distinctive rock voices in the business. I remember Jon having a passion for opera so it was no surprise he went into theatre and acting.
Like all bands there were some comical moments on stage. I remember Steve Thompson guesting for us playing keyboards on a live TV show and forgetting the chords to the song Desert of No Love. Funny considering he wrote the song (laughs).
What happened when you left the Tygers ?
The demise of the Tygers led me onto a path of the demonic side of the music business. A breach of management contract was filed against me which led to a lengthy court battle that eventually ruled in my favour.
However, it left a very bad taste in my mouth. My appetite for the music business soured so I decided to step out for a while.
What are you up to now ?
Music is still a big part of my life and I play live whenever I can with various bands and still enjoy playing gigs overseas.
I’ve also been reunited with old friend Steve Thompson guesting on his new album The Long Fade. Steve approached me asking would I like to guest on his new album he was putting together.
He wrote a song back in the early ‘80s for the Tygers called Paris by Air and he wanted me to play the guitar parts. This song was a favourite of mine so the answer was a definite yes. He must have been happy with the outcome as he later asked if I would record the instrumental version.
Then he invited me to play a song that he originally wrote for Alvin Stardust called Behind The Wheel. Also performing on the track is a collaboration of guests from Raven and Venom. I was more than happy to be involved with a great bunch of musicians.
What does music mean to you ?
A serious hand injury a few years back made me realise just how fragile a musician’s career can be. Now in my twilight years, guitar playing has been a very therapeutic influence through my life and a constant companion in the up’s and down’s of this mad world. Long may it continue.
Interview by Gary Alikivi March 2019.
Recommended reading:
Jon Deverill, Enter Stage Right, Jan 22nd 2019.
Micky McCrystal, Road Works Jan 3rd 2019.
Fred Purser, Square One Dec 30th 2018.
Robb Weir, Rock City Live Dec 19th 2018.
Robb Weir, Doctor Rock Nov 5th 2017.
Richard ‘Rocky’ Laws, Tyger Bay Aug 24th 2017.
Micky McCrystal, Cat Scratch Fever Mar 17th 2017.
Tygers of Pan Tang, Guardian Recording Studio May 3rd 2018.
Ian Penman, Writing on the Wall, Aug 1st 2018.
ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK 