Tygers of Pan Tang & Fearwell - Musicon The Hague, 14 July 2024

Tygers of Pan Tang playing Musicon nice. At the time of booking this show I am pretty sure noone relaized that Holland might be playing a Euro 2024 final. So timing moved from evening to potential afternoon back to evening. This as one German referee decided Holland should not play the finals. Just kidding, Holland played poor most of the games and Spain were the only country deserving to win this title.But with the final becoming not of my interest I was glad to be back in Musicon for some good old NWOBHM. Luckily I was not the only one as turnout for a Sunday night was good. Unfortunately Razorbalde Messiah had to pull out on the day due to illness. Expecting to see them anytime soon again.

Now it was up to Fearwell to open up the night. Fearwell are from Leiden and they play a heavy kind of power metal. Actually they play fairly nice. I saw them before in Musicon presenting their only album Well of Fear. They played most of it, but skipped the long epic Battle in the Bay of Matanzas. Maybe good as that song holds the Dutch National amthem and pictures of bored Dutch football players would come to mind. Their stage outfits are somewhat strange as black capes are worn over army trousers and bermudas. The chains on stage apparently come from a game, but not being a gamer myself I did not get that link. Good band from the region and bringing fans along too.

Tygers of Pan Tang played Musicon before corona and they released a new album plus live one since. Willing to pick up the Live CD it was sold out after the show. Being originally an English band they did not need to see the Euro finals themselves. I thought that an English flag was hanging over one amp, but closer look made me realize it was Sardinia flagging caused by guitarist Francesco. With the vocalist Jack Meille being Italian too it is now a mixed band. Robb Weir is the only original band member, but I do like the current line-up. I thought the band playing very tight. Like other shows by them I saw the past decade they do not only focus on their old albums, but blend in songs from later albums too. Yet of course the favorites to many are those from the early eighties. Opening with Euthanasia and Gangland early in the set got us rolling and the atmosphere stayed up throughout. Those who saw Tygers of Pan Tang before know that the encore is always a weird mix for Dutch fans. First their best song Hellbound gives a total party, after which Love Potion No. 9 is a total downer. When Tygers released that song Lee Towers had a hit with the same song in Holland. It was probably the reason why their career was heading for the ground in Holland (see what I did there?). Actually hearing the song and the solo it is not as horrible as we always thought, but after Hellbound nothing stands up really. All in all one fine evening in Musicon again. I told a friend who invited me to watch the football, that I woudl pass for extra time after the match. When I was on my way to him  Oyarzabal decided differently. So Music it was, beating foootball as it is supposed to be.