TIGERTAILZ Bassist Hospitalized; Temporary Replacement Announced

Reunited U.K. rockers TIGERTAILZ have updated their official web site with the following message:

"After weeks of struggling with acute stomach pain Pepsi Tate [bass] was admitted into hospital earlier this week. Following a detailed medical examination, Pepsi has been diagnosed with a severe stomach condition that has lead to internal muscle seizure. Pepsi is now being treated with heavy medication but is expected to make a full recovery in a few weeks. Unfortunately, this means that Pepsi will not be able to travel to Spain next week for the shows in Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona (September 28-30).

"Neither Pepsi or the rest of the band want to cancel the shows so all have agreed to go ahead and play the shows using a temporary bass player. Glen 'Nailz' Quinn has kindly stepped up to the plate and agreed to play bass for these Spanish shows. Glen has a long friendship with the TAILZ and was the guitarist in local '80s glam band CITY KIDDS. Pepsi is expected to make a full recovery in time for the Wildside Festival in Nottingham in November."

The rest of the band — Kim Hooker (vocals, guitar),Jay Pepper (guitar) and Matt Blackout (drums) — has issued the following statement: "We would all like to pass on our best wishes to Pepsi and hope he makes a full recovery soon. What's important here is that he gets well as soon as possible. Playing shows without him is going to be totally weird but none of us want to cancel the Spain dates at this late stage and disappoint the fans. We would like to thank Glen for helping us out and we're very grateful to him for stepping in at such short notice. We hope all you Spanish maniacs won't be to disappointed in not seeing Pepsi but we can assure you the shows will be a full-on TAILZ rock 'n' roll party. No question! We'll see you all next week!"

As previously reported, TIGERTAILZ have posted their video for the song "Falling Down" at this location (Windows Media). The band's promotional video in over 10 years was directed by Pepsi Tate and "visually complements the fantastic tune of 'Falling Down' with people falling off buildings, cars, bikes etc.," reads a posting on the band's web site.

TIGERTAILZ's new album, "Bezerk 2.0", was released in July via Demolition Records. The CD is the follow-up to the 1990 original "Bezerk" album, which was a U.K. Top 40 hit record.

As the U.K.'s answer to POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE, TIGERTAILZ were the only U.K.-based band of this ilk to dominate the U.K. charts at the end of the '80s with "Bezerk" hitting the U.K. Top 40 and a U.K. Top 5 live video release filmed in their hometown Cardiff, "Bezerk Live" and "Video Frenzy". With songs that became Top 40 hits and were so catchy you couldn't stop singing them for days, "Love Bomb Baby", "Noize Level Critical", "Heaven" and "Living Without You" all became good time party anthems of a generation, and have influenced some of the contemporary acts of today.