Band Of The Week

 
Bassist Tom Hewson formed the band Tailgunner over a period of two years, starting in 2018. He utilized social media and demos he had created, reaching out to musicians across Europe and jamming with various players to assemble the group. The band's name was inspired by the Iron Maiden song of the same title.

Tailgunner's musical influences are rooted in classic NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Motörhead.It is also important to note that although Tailgunner's origins date back to 2018, they identify as having officially formed as Tailgunner on New Year's Day of 2022. The band's 2022 EP "Crashdive" featured former members of the band Midnight Prophecy, including drummer Sam Caldwell, guitarist Zach Salvini, and vocalist Craig Cairns. The EP was produced by Olof Wikström of Enforcer. In 2022, Tailgunner also undertook their 'Hell's Vagabonds' UK tour, which took place between June and July.

In 2023, the band underwent significant changes. Guitarist Patrick Van Der Völlering was fired after four years with Tailgunner. Rhea Thompson (ex-Rïot-Eye) initially stepped in to support live gigs in May 2023 and was officially made a permanent member as a co-lead guitarist in August 2023. Hewson expressed the opinion that this change was beneficial, with Rhea's energetic stage presence and commitment revitalizing the band, from his viewpoint.

In addition, on July 6, 2023, Tailgunner supported KK's Priest for the band's live debut in Wolverhampton, alongside ex-Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno; this was a notable event in the band's history.

The band's debut album, "Guns for Hire", was released on July 14, 2023 via Fireflash Records, and charted at #50 on the UK independent album charts.

By January 2024, drummer Sam Caldwell had parted ways with Tailgunner due to personal circumstances, and in February 2024, Finnish drummer Jani Pasanen (ex-Asomvel) was announced as Caldwell's replacement. Pasanen joined the band just in time for their 'Guns for Hire' tour, which included dates supporting U.D.O. and Riot V across the UK and Europe.

This was a significant period for the band, as they were also preparing for more live shows, including an August 2024 tour alongside Armored Saint in the UK.

Drummer Jani Pasanen departed the band on good terms at the end of 2024, with Eddie Mariotti joining the band on drums in April 2025.
 
Tailgunner will release their second album "Midnight BLitz" on February 5th 2026. The single for the title track was released on November 5th 2025
 
Band:
Tom Hewson - bass
Craig Cairns - vocals
Zach Salvini - guitar
Rhea Thompson - guitar
Eddie Mariotti - drums
 
Facebook:
 
Spotify:
 
Webshop:
 
Source:
Spotify/Wikipedia/Calle
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Previous Band Of The Week

Use this link to see a list of previous Band Of The Week

““Life sucks, but in a beautiful kind of way.”
Axl Rose
““One time we saw some hookers but when we got closer we realized it was Motley Crue.”
James Hetfield
““Jazz, isn’t that just a series of mistakes diguised as musical composition?”
David St. Hubbins
““A kid once said to me “Do you get hangovers?” I said, “To get hangovers you have to stop drinking.”
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister
““We believed that anything that was worth doing was worth overdoing.”
Steven Tyler
““I could never quite understand cocaine, you can’t get a hard on, you can’t sleep and you grind your teeth, what the fuck is good about that?”
Jon Bon Jovi
““I’d rather be dead than cool.”
Kurt Cobain
“"If It Ain't Gonna Rock It Ain't Gonna Roll"
Mike Tramp