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Probably the most rare and valuable NWoBHM-single is made by Tyrant. Their private pressed "Hold Back the Lightning" 7'' , from 1983, is many collectors dream to have in their own collection. But it's not only obscure and hard to find. it's also one of the greatest single ever made in UK. The music is lovely and the singer Mark Kelser sings great here. We asked some questions to the bass player of Tyrant, Pete Antonius and he answered them happily.
NOVEMBER 2004
When was the band formed?
Sometime early 1980.
Was there any other band name before Tyrant?
No.
Can you write down the first line-up of the band?
The first line up was:
Gary Adkins - Guitar
Nick Burr - Guitar
Pete Antonius - Bass
Mark Walker - Drums
Chris Dawe - Vocals (for a short time)
The next and most long lived line up which was the best was -
Gary Adkins - Guitar
Jim Merritt - Guitar
Pete Antonius - Bass
Mark Walker - Drums
Mark Kelser - Vocals
Had Tyrant any influences?
Yes, early Iron Maiden/Scorpions /Thin Lizzy & vocally melodic stuff such as Journey, Def leppard (Mark K has always been an Abba fan even back in 1980 we took the piss so much out of the heavy metal Abba fan but hey, how right was he !
Who wrote the songs?
The Riffs/chords and musical parts were put together during hours of home Jamming sessions between Jim/Gary/Pete and then with Mark W in his dads barn (the natural reverb in this barn was fundamental in the creation of the gutsy sound of Tyrant). The musical parts were then given to Mark Kelser who would write lyrics and vocal lines. So in short I'd say the songs were written by Tyrant as a unit.
Did Tyrant play much live? Did you play any covers?
Yes, gigs were always packed out (except Fairford American army base where only the caretaker his dog and a sound engineer turned up because someone got the wrong date! We played
occasional covers from the bands mentioned above, we even did Hallowed be thy Name and Transylvania by Maiden.
Describe a Tyrant gig. Which song did you usually open with?
Mike the sound engineer using all the available soundcheck time doing drums and more drums /lots of cider & black/ Martin Imber with his camera & his
Suzuki. Spandex trousers & leather jackets /Pete moaning about the sound/ Garys fur boots/ cringing at the bullshit Mark used to waffle in between songs/But the audience loved it all. Opening song was usually something up tempo but can’t remember.
Did you have many fans? Did many people come to your concerts?
A loyal following of fans and friends who all came to the gigs, the cambridge suite Glos was always a favourite.
Where was the single recorded?
Millstream studio, Cheltenham.Glos,produced by Mike Fisher.
How many copies of "Hold Back the Lightning" 7'' were made?
There were so many we used them as frisbees and beer mats but guess what? I don’t have one now and am desperatly trying to get hold of one.
Did any record company contact Tyrant after the release of the single? Do you think there was a future for Tyrant?
There was some vague interest from various people but we wanted to be independent
because we all thought we had something that could really go far musically.
Were there any more songs except the ones from the demo '82 and the single? If, what was the name of the song(s)?
There were loads of songs but the best were on that 82 demo, although there were some excellent new songs on a demo featuring new guitarists Danny Gwilym & Phil
Vokins. This was after Jim & Gary quit.
When and why did the band break up?
It must have been sometime at the beginning of ’83. Gary left to pursue his BT career which (he was the only one with a' proper job' at the time) seemed a good bet at the time due to all the petty arguments. Jim also left about this time to start playing in a U2 type pop rock act with local singer Andy Norton. Pete and the two Marks kept the band going and recruited 2 excellent replacement guitarists Danny Gwilym and Phil
Vokins. This new line up started out well with new songs written in the same style as previous and things for about 6 or 8 months looked really good, the bands image was also improved with these 2 new guys, but as time went on things started to become a bit stagnant and there seemed to be conflicting ideas as to the bands direction etc. Eventually Pete left the band to join Jim again in the new project and Tyrant finally split for good. The 2 Marks formed
Carerra, Danny went back to London. I
don't know what happened to Phil.
Which five metal albums are your favourites?
Number of the beast – Iron Maiden
Pyromania – Def Leppard
1984 - Van Halen
Blizzard of Oz - Ozzy
Hemispheres - Rush
What are you doing right now?
Musically - I am playing Bass in an Ozzy tribute band (check it out
www.wizardsofoz.co.uk)
Is there any chance that Tyrant will do a reunion?
Very unlikely, but I do think there is a chance that some of these songs will be recorded again in the future.
More photos of Tyrant can be found at the Photo-section!
Thanks to Martin Imber for the photos!
Interview by Pigfeeder and Gorgon.