TYGERS OF PAN TANG, Agincourt, Diamond Lil @Roadhouse, Birmingham 2/8/12

It’s not often that you get to see a song called “Sex Injuries” – in fact it might well be the daftest song title in history – but then, if you ever watch Diamond Lil you probably will. Stalwarts of the Brummie basement scene, Lil, you suspect might always be at that level. There’s nothing wrong with their songs, but nothing that makes you desperate to see them again.  “Bottom Of A Glass” is pretty catchy but that is about as far as it goes.

Agincourt are the second support band tonight and they are much, much better. Back in May RTM saw them support rather ludicrous power metallers Stuka Squadron and they were an entertaining and engaging affair. Tonight is no different. The song they are named after is perhaps their best, but their twin guitar onslaught is worth watching.

Time, it seems, has not been overly kind to the Tygers of Pan Tang. Formed in 1978, they were once at the forefront of the NWOBHM movement that spawned some of the greatest bands the world has seen.

However, spin forward 34 years they have reconvened with just one original member (guitarist Robb Weir) and there are barely 20 paying customers here for this gig.

Although this isn’t a reformation that has been a recent affair, indeed the line-up of the five piece has been relatively stable for the past decade (barring last years addition of former Whatever and one-time Almighty bass man Gav Gray) and they appear anxious to play us a lot of their new album “Ambush,” which is out in September. Early indications are that it is going to a pretty decent affair, certainly if CD opener “Keeping Me Alive” and “These Eyes” are anything to go by anyway.

Of course there is an extensive rummage through the back catalogue, set opener “Euthanasia,” “Live For The Day” and perhaps best known song “Spellbound” are enjoyable enough. As is “Don’t Touch Me There” – the problem is that the latter also shows the problem with the concert. Tygers front man Jacopo Meille tries to start a singalong on the chorus line, and there is no response whatsoever. He tries to get clapping started on closer “Rock N Roll Man” but that too dies out.

It's not fault of the bands – or indeed the crowd – it is merely just that evening such as this can never be fantastic, by virture of the fact the tiny audience feels uncomfortable and the band itself can’t be enjoying it too much either. And yet the guitar interplay between Weir and Dean Robertson as well as the class of the new songs, showed the band still have plenty to offer.

It’s a shame, because it had the potential to be fine evening, but ended up not being especially memorable. Pub Rock par excellence, is probably the best way of putting it – which probably isn't what the Tygers of Pan Tang  had in mind.

STUKA SQUADRON, Dark Forest, Agincourt @Scruffy Murphys 25/5/12

When you walk into Scruffy Murphy’s and there are more Manowar t-shirts than any other band you do realise that it’s a Trad Metal night. But at three bands for three quid there is no arguing with the value for money.

Agincourt are the first of the triumvirate and Brummie stalwarts hit all right notes. Kicking off with the song they are named after they are clearly influenced by Iron Maiden and are all twin guitar attack and songs about war. The song “Edge of Paradise” is a much slower piece of light to their shade complete with some fine soloing to boot.

Black Country Power Metallers Dark Forest are up next. Definitely not to be confused with the Canadian Melodic Death Metal band of the same name, these guys have listened to a lot of Manowar records. Like Agincourt they have been knocking around for quite a while and they are a tight little proposition.

Their 40-minute set is an excellent affair. The likes of “Light Years On,” “The Battle of Badden Hill” and “The Green Knight” are mini epics, full of power metal histrionics and pompousness, and are almost the perfect band for this type of bill.

When the headliners were setting their gear up they look like a normal metal band. Five fellas in jeans and t-shirts. RTM was sat thinking, “well this isn’t the band that I’d read about, prompting me to seek out the fine “Tales of The Ost album.” I’d been promised costumes and blood.

Then five minutes later the normal metal blokes have gone to be replaced by Vampires Duke Fang Begley , Gravedigger Cox, Lord Pyre. Baron von Hammerstein ,  and Doktor Suicide (he’s a new Squadroneer for this tour.) Yes, Squadron are one of those bands with a stupid back-story.

You can take that in two ways. One; you can roll your eyes and think its all ridiculous, or two; you can enjoy the nonsense of it. Neither of these approaches would matter if the songs were poor, but that is not the case here. In fact, as soon as they kick off with the title track from their debut record you can’t help but marvel at their quality.

Of course tracks like “On The Volga Bridge” and “We Drink Blood” are ludicrous. And of course there’s no need for Fang to bite the neck of Von Hammerstein and then bite the neck of a lady in the crowd, but these are fine musicians to go along with the bombast – and it never did Slipknot or Kiss any harm did it?

Squadron unveil s new song in the shape of “Desert Fox” which Fang tells us is going to appear on their next album and which hints at more of the same but what is wrong with that?

Even in a venue the size of this the accent on showmanship means they have to play an encore and take a full band bow to complete things. Here is a band with lofty ambitions and great songs, so who is to say they might not succeed?

Tremendous fun.