Brian Tatler

Originally trained as a mechanic,[4] Tatler is most famous for his first band, Diamond Head. Tatler founded the band along with schoolmate Duncan Scott, playing on a cheap fuzz guitar and Scott on some biscuit tins. They later enrolled the help of Sean Harris and Colin Kimberley on vocals and bass guitar respectively.

The band played a few local gigs and recorded two self-financed demo tapes in 1979. Although only recorded in six hours on a four-track (a copy was sent to Geoff Barton from Sounds) they gained enough attention to tour as support with AC/DC and open for Iron Maiden in London. The manager paid for the recording of a 7" single ("Shoot Out the Lights") and released it on Happy Face Records (a label owned by the producer Muff Murfin of The Old Smithy studio of Worcester) Although a few record companies were interested in signing Diamond Head, none were willing to offer a big album deal. The manager decided that they would press a thousand white label copies of their debut album to sell mail order though Sounds and at gigs. This album came in a plain sleeve with no title, having on it only a signature of one of the band members and no track listings. Amongst the stand out features of this album were the epic riffs created by Tatler, which prompted Sounds magazine to claim that "one Diamond Head song contains more riffs than an entire Black Sabbath album".

Tatler has cited his early influences to be Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Rainbow. Tatler has stated that the first albums he bought were Led Zeppelin II and Deep Purple's Machine Head, and that his favourite album of all time is Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti, which contains his favourite song "Kashmir".[5] He has said that he inspired to pick up the guitar by his older brother David and after listening to Ritchie Blackmore, Tatler was also inspired by the punk rock movement in 1977 which proved that anyone could form a band and start gigging.[6] Nowadays, Tatler tries not to be influenced by more modern bands to keep his traditional style, although he imagines that "little bits creep into the writing process".[7] "Am I Evil?", Diamond Head's best known and most influential song, was directly inspired by the Sabbath song "Symptom of the Universe".[8] Tatler is also a big fan of AC/DC, Rush, Van Halen, UFO and Judas Priest.

The success of the first album led to a record deal with MCA Records in 1982, and they released the Four Cuts EP. Their "major label" status afforded them a slot on the Reading Festival bill in 1982. Their set was recorded by the BBC, and later released in 1992 through Raw Fruit Records as the Friday Rock Show Sessions.

Their first MCA LP was Borrowed Time, which reached No. 24 in the UK Albums Chart. In many interviews Tatler has stated that 1982 was his favourite year, and found the era to be extremely exciting, trying to guess who is going to be the first NWOBHM band to make it big.[9]

Their follow-up, Canterbury, was released in 1983. Tatler has expressed since that making this album was one of the most stressful periods of his life, and the entire process almost caused him to have a nervous breakdown. He also said that making the decision to fire his best friend Duncan Scott from the band was one of the hardest things he has had to do. In hindsight Tatler has said that its was a terrible shame that Diamond Head split in half during the recording of the Canterbury album (Duncan was fired and Colin quit the band) "We should have said the band is more important than the album, not the other way round."

The band split completely in 1985. Around the same time, Tatler also decided that it was time to retire his signature white Flying V and convert to a Gibson Les Paul. His white 1979 Gibson Flying V broke five times at the top of the neck and Tatler decided it was too fragile to take on the road. He said the Les Paul was a way more solid guitar capable of being dropped and not breaking. Tatler now owns three Gibson Les Paul Standards that are used for recording and gigs plus he uses a black 2016 Gibson Flying V for live work "I take the V if we are driving but if we are flying I will take a Les Paul".

After Diamond Head split, Tatler went on to run a 24-track studio called RPK in Lye, recording and producing local bands between 1985 and 1990. He also formed the band Radio Moscow (not to be confused with the modern American blues-rock band of the same name) Radio Moscow recorded two albums, (World Service and Get a New Life) both of which featured Ritch Battersby on drums, who later went on to perform with The Wildhearts. Tatler co-wrote all the songs and played guitar on World Service but fell out with the studio owner (ex-Diamond Head manager Reg Fellows) and so was replaced in the band in 1990. Tatler played no part in the follow up album.

Pete Winkelman suggested to Tatler that he reforms Diamond Head with Sean Harris in 1990. Tatler signed to Warner/Chappell publishing (who Sean was already signed to from the "Notorious" debacle) and the pair began writing new material. Their fourth album Death and Progress was originally intended to be released on the East/West label but after two years and a lot of complications the album was eventually released on Castle Communications in 1993. Unfortunately the reunion was short lived and the band split again in 1994 shortly after the release of the Evillive album recorded at the MK Bowl.

After the split, Tatler joined Thin Lizzy tribute act, Dizzy Lizzy, before joining up with the Celtic rock band, Quill in 1997. During his time with Quill, Tatler recorded three albums (Out of the Hat, Privileged and Back Intact). Tatler also played with tribute bands Jean Genie and Limehouse Lizzy.

Andy Abberley and Brian Tatler 2008

Tatler played his last show with Quill in November 2000, and teamed up with Harris and Stourbridge guitarist/singer Floyd Brennan to perform and record an acoustic version of Diamond Head songs. Also during this time, Tatler collaborated with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth on an album together. This project was shelved and never released. In 2002 an offer to play the Metal Meltdown IV Festival in New Jersey prompted Tatler & Harris to put an electric band together recruiting Karl Wilcox (drums) and Eddie Moohan (bass). Diamond Head played their first gig in North America. Work began on a new album called Host however it was never released. Harris' reluctance to tour as Diamond Head and suggested a name change. Tatler was not interested in changing the name from Diamond Head to Host so a power struggle developed until Tatler eventually sacked Harris and bought in another singer.

Enter Nick Tart from Cannock in the West Midlands who sang on Diamond Head's fifth studio album, All Will Be Revealed, which was released through Cargo Records in 2005. Tatler stated that his aim was just to try to release a solid rock album, with "punchy" riffs and no fillers.[10] Diamond Head supported Megadeth on their tour at this time, as a favor from Mustaine. In 2007 Diamond Head released their final album with Nick Tart, What's in Your Head?. Tart emigrated to Brisbane in 2008.

In 2009, Tatler released his autobiography, Am I Evil?. "It all started in a bedroom with a biscuit tin drum kit and a cheap fuzzy guitar, and went on to create some of the most exciting music ever written and inspire the biggest heavy metal band on the planet". The book contained forewords by Lars Ulrich and Mustaine. It was re-released in 2017 with it being updated to include new singer Rasmus Bom Andersen and the 2016 album Diamond Head.

In 2011 Tatler co-wrote the song "Black Skies Mist" with rising Birmingham Rock band Voodoo Johnson.[11]