LNER’s Customer Experience teams look after thousands of passengers every day.
But Customer Experience Leader Robb Weir doesn’t just strike a chord with customers – he is also well known to heavy metal music fans around the world. Because Robb, who is based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is lead guitarist and song writer for legendary British Heavy Metal rock band The Tygers of Pan Tang.
Robb’s love of music and playing the guitar beagn when he was a child. He grew up in a household surrounded by rock and roll, and credits his two sisters for his lifelong love of song writing and performing. In 1978, he decided he wanted to start a band, and so put an advert in the local paper looking for a bass player to jam with. From that ad, The Tygers of Pan Tang were born.
Since then, Robb has toured the world, gigging in Japan, Columbia and Paraguay, rubbing shoulders with rock legends like Ozzy Osborne, Lemmy from Motorhead and the late Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy.
Talking about some of the extraordinary ‘pinch-yourself’ moments he has had with the band over the years, Robb said: “One of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced is when we co-headlined the Reading Festival back in 1982 with Iron Maiden and played to over 70,000 people. It was unbelievable, there were so many people, you couldn’t see where the crowd ended.”
Alongside his music career, for more than 20 years, Robb has also been a vital part of LNER’s Customer Experience team and has found many of the skills he has honed on stage are useful in his LNER role.
Robb said: “I never get stage fright. I’m pretty level-headed and don’t get stressed easily, which comes in very handy in the day job. I love the camaraderie with the people I work with onboard, and I love looking after customers. I enjoy speaking to people from all walks of life, many of whom will share their life stories with you. There’s something about travelling that makes people open up and tell you the most interesting things about themselves. It sounds cliched, but no two days are alike.”
Robb’s love of the railway has also passed to his family, with his daughter recently qualifying as a LNER train driver and his son-in-law also working on board.
With continued support from his LNER team, The Tygers continue to rock. Robb has recently returned from ‘70 Thousand Tons of Metal’ the world’s biggest heavy metal cruise, where The Tygers played to 3,000 fans as they sailed from Miami to the Dominican Republic and back. Speaking about the performance, Robb said; “I love every show we play, from the smallest club to the biggest auditorium, I get such a buzz. To me, music is the heartbeat of life.”
Talking about Robb and his two amazing careers, Kate Davidson, LNER Head of On Train North said: “Our Customer Experience colleagues bring so many varied skills to the role, and Robb is no exception. Not only is he an integral part of The Tygers entertaining thousands with his music, he’s also an important part of the LNER team, looking after thousands of customers as they travel with us.
“We’re really proud of everything Robb has achieved, both onboard with LNER and on stage with The Tygers and wish him continued success!”
