1998-Matt TuckLead vocals, rhythm guitar1998-
Michael "Padge" PagetLead guitar1998-
Nick CrandleBass1998-2003
Michael "Moose" ThomasDrums1998-2016
Jason "Jay" JamesBass2003-2015
Jamie MathiasBass2015-
Jason BowldDrums2017-
Bullet For My Valentine formed in Bridgend, Wales in 1998, originally under the name Jeff Killed John. The founding lineup of Matt Tuck, Michael "Moose" Thomas, Michael "Padge" Paget, and Nick Crandle had all met while studying music at Bridgend College.
After years of gigging on the local circuit, Crandle departed and was replaced by Jason "Jay" James, after which the band changed their name to Bullet For My Valentine. "We basically just brainstormed a load of ideas and found one that fit in with the fictional evil yet loving lyrical content of the music rather than being completely random name,"
explained Matt Tuck to Room Thirteen.
The band's breakthrough came with their debut album,
The Poison, released in October 2005. It was preceded by the single "
Hand of Blood," which caught the attention of major labels and led to a deal with Sony BMG. The album became a word-of-mouth sensation in the UK metal scene, eventually going Platinum in both the UK and the US.
A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Tuck's talents extend well beyond the guitar; he also plays bass, drums, keyboards, recorder, and harmonica. He revealed in 2015 that he had quietly recorded the bass parts on most of the band's studio albums himself, with Jay James credited but not actually performing on the records.
Founding drummer Moose Thomas was a member of Bullet For My Valentine until 2016. He initially took a leave of absence when his wife was expecting their first child but later revealed he had effectively been fired when his emails requesting to return went unanswered. Thomas and former bassist Jay James subsequently formed a new band together called Kill The Lights.
Drummer Jason Bowld had a long history with Bullet For My Valentine before becoming an official member. He first sat in for an ill Michael Thomas in 2010, then co-founded the AxeWound side project with Tuck in 2012, before returning as touring drummer in 2015 and finally being confirmed as a permanent member in December 2017. Prior to BFMV, Bowld had played with Pitchshifter, Killing Joke, Pop Will Eat Itself, Fightstar, and Blaze Bayley.
Bassist Jay James departed the band in February 2015, midway through recording sessions for their fifth album, Venom. The reasons were not publicly stated at the time, but it was later reported that substance abuse had been a significant factor in his exit.
Replacement bassist Jamie Mathias, also from Bridgend, Wales, first came to the band's attention through his friendship with guitarist Padge. "Padge gave me a text that they were looking for a new bass player,"
he told Bear Wiseman. "I played three songs, sent them to the guys and the management, and then they invited me in to do a live audition." He had previously fronted Bridgend rock band Revoker, who had toured with Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne.
Tuck received his first guitar on his 14th birthday, but his first instrument was actually the drums. "My dad bought me a drumkit when I was five, a full-size Premier drumkit,"
he told Hammer. "I had that until I was 15 then I sold it to upgrade my guitar equipment. I was pretty bad-ass [on the drums]."
Seeing Metallica's "
Enter Sandman" video on TV was a life-changing moment for Tuck. "I hadn't heard anything like that before," he recalled to Hammer. "I was brought up on singer-songwriters and dad-rock. [Enter Sandman] was literally a jaw-dropping moment. From then on I was focused on what I wanted to do with my life, though it took 14 years to get there."
Tuck was a talented multi-sport athlete in his youth. "I was a huge sports fanatic up until the age of 18, really," he said. "I played rugby for a local team, did pretty well and got to play for the county at 16."
Standing nearly six feet tall at age 14, Tuck's height made him a natural basketball player, and he played for Wales at 15. He described himself as "one of those lanky kids... very agile, very quick, very light, I could jump."
Music eventually ended his sporting career: "I went from almost like a semi-professional athlete at a young age... to being a proper muso pi--head by the time I was 16. Ha ha ha!"
Matt Tuck is a self-confessed petrolhead. "It's the only love I have apart from music, but it's an expensive passion!," he told Kerrang! "I go to motor shows, and I go on Autotrader every day and look at the market prices. I frequent garages to check out the new models as well. I love the smell, the touch, the colours... I'm a total car geek!"
