BIOGRAPHY – Tigertailz

Although the glam metal scene of the 1980s was mostly associated with California there were still several successful groups that emerged elsewhere in the world. One of the most unlikely of places was Wales, which at that time was not renowned for producing many popular artists. The history of Tigertailz can be traced back to 1983, when bassist Justin Smith placed an advert in Spillers Records in Cardiff seeking musicians to form a rock group. Smith, under his stage name Pepsi Tate, received a call from a guitarist known as Jay Pepper, and the two were soon joined by drummer Ian Welsh, guitarist and singer Phil Harling and frontman Jim Dovey. The band began recording demos and performing together around Cardiff and soon developed a small following but soon Dovey decided to leave the band and Tate was forced to find a new singer.

Steevie Jaimz had gained some exposure on the club circuit with Treason and Crash KO with drummer Ace Finchum. Welsh was replaced by Tokyo Blade drummer Steve Pearce for an demo entitled Shoot to Kill but, at the suggestion of Jaimz, Finchum was eventually hired as the band’s new drummer. After releasing their first single independently, Tigertailz were signed by Music for Nations, whose involvement in the glam scene had included Poison‘s recently released debut Look What the Cat Dragged In. Tigertailz entered the studio and recorded their own album, which was released in November 1987 as Young and Crazy. By this point, Jaimz had developed a reputation for his excessive drinking and relationships within the band had grown tense. Eventually, Tate, Pepper and Finchum decided that if they were to break into the mainstream they would need to replace Jaimz.

Kim Hooker was a close friend of the band and singer of local group Rankelson but was easily persuaded to join Tigertailz. Their first recording together was a reworking of Livin’ Without You, a song which had appeared on Young and Crazy but which had been rerecorded with a more commercial sound and Hooker on vocals. In 1989 they commenced work on their second album and released another single, Love Bomb Baby, which would finally bring the band to the attention of music channels and magazines. The track would also be included on the new album, Bezerk, which was released through Music for Nations the following year. Bezerk would produce two further hit singles, Noise Level Critical and Heaven, whilst the album would enter the UK Top 40. This would soon be followed by a home video, Bezerk: Live 1990, which was filmed in both Cardiff and London.

Tigertailz continued to tour in support of the album, supporting the likes of Lizzy Borden and fellow newcomers Tyketto. Their greatest success, however, came in Japan, prompting the band to release an album exclusively to that country, 1991′s Banzai!. Soon afterwards, Finchum was replaced by Andy Skinner for the recording of their third album, Warbones, but the troubled production eventually resulted in Pepper quitting. The sessions were completed with guitarist Cy Danhar but the album failed to reignite interest in the band and Tigertailz would remain dormant for several years. During this time, Jaimz and Finchum would begin touring together, which would confuse many fans into believing that they had become Tigertailz, but the group finally returned in 2006 with the album Bezerk 2.0, which would incorporate a similar sound and design to their 1990 classic.

Despite their successful comeback, the following year Tate was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but continued to work with the band, recording the album Thrill Pistol with new drummer Matt Blakout. Tragically, Tate passed away on September 18 2007 at the age of forty-two. The future of Tigertailz for some time looked bleak, until the remaining members decided that they would continue to perform together, eventually recruiting Sarah Firebrand as their full-time bassist. In 2010, Blakout decided to suddenly quit the band and Tigertailz instead recruited Robin Guy.