The Tailgators

The Tailgators were a UK band connected to the psychobilly and rockabilly underground scene that was active mainly in the late 1980s and very early 1990s. Like many bands from that era, they never really broke into the mainstream and stayed firmly underground, which is why information about them is pretty scarce today. Most of what we know comes from record collectors, old vinyl listings, and niche music databases rather than interviews or official band histories.

 
They released a self-titled album, 'The Tailgators', around 1990. It originally came out on vinyl in the UK and later saw a CD reissue years after the band had disappeared. The record fits right into that late-80s British psychobilly sound: fast, raw rock & roll mixed with punk energy and a strong rockabilly backbone. It’s not as aggressive or horror-obsessed as some psychobilly bands, but it still has that rough, underground attitude.

 
Musically, The Tailgators sat somewhere between classic 1950s rockabilly and the harder UK psychobilly scene that bands like The Meteors helped define. You can expect twangy guitars, driving rhythms, and that straight-ahead rock & roll feel, rather than heavy distortion or extreme imagery. Because of this, they sometimes appeal just as much to rockabilly fans as to psychobilly diehards.

 
There isn’t much solid information about the band members, where exactly they were based, or how much they toured. Like a lot of small UK bands from that time, they seem to have released their album, played some gigs, and then quietly faded away. Still, their record has stuck around and gained a bit of cult status over the years.

 
Today, original vinyl pressings of 'The Tailgators' album are fairly collectible among psychobilly and rockabilly fans, especially those into late-80s UK releases. While they’re far from a household name, The Tailgators are one of those bands that pop up when you start digging deep into the scene -a reminder of just how many solid, lesser-known acts were active during psychobilly’s peak years.