| Sleeze Beez | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Genre: | Glam metal |
| Label: | Red Bullet, Atlantic |
| Years Active: | 1987–1996, 2010-2011 |
| Current Members: | Chris Van Jaarsveld Jan Koster Don Van Spall Ed Jongsma Andrew Elt |
| Past Members: | Tigo "Tiger" Fawzi Thijs Hamelaers |
Sleeze Beez was a glam metal band formed in 1987 in the Netherlands.[1]
They released four studio albums and one live album over a nine-year career before disbanding in 1996. Their 1989 album Screwed Blued & Tattooed peaked at number 115 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[2] The song "Stranger Than Paradise" was a big hit on MTV and was taken from the Screwed Blued & Tattooed album. In 1992 after a long tour they released the album "Powertool" by Atlantic Records, which contains the ballad "I Don't Want to Live Without You" and was a minor hit.
Sleeze Beez was formed by drummer Jan Koster and guitarist Chriz van Jaarsveld in 1987. The first recordings were made with the Belgian singer Tigo 'Tiger' Fawzi, for the album Look Like Hell. He was briefly followed by Thijs Hamelaers.
In 1989 the Beez got more stability by recruiting the English vocalist Andrew Elt, who previously sang in Gin On The Rocks. They cut the successful Screwed Blued & Tattooed LP which broke them in the US, and they took up as opening act for Skid Row. On the strength of the hit single "Stranger Than Paradise", the band then did 90 headline shows throughout the US and Canada.
In the early nineties momentum slowed for the band, which increasingly found that the musical tide had turned, and there was less demand for glam metal bands. Meanwhile, popularity overseas particularly in Japan remained strong and the band toured there in 1995. A live album was released that same year.
In 1996, Koster, who for years had struggled with a wrist injury announced that he could not continue. At this point the band fell apart. In later years Koster with Van Jaarsveld and Jongsma formed the band Jetland, which focused mainly on punk rock and landed in the Dutch Top 40 with the single "And The Crowd Goes". Andrew Elt and Don van Spall played in The Heavy 70's cover band, and The Moon, a band with original material.
They reformed in 2010.[3] The band supported Aerosmith alongside Stone Temple Pilots on June 23, 2010 at the GelreDome in Arnhem[4] and announced a headlining appearance on February 4, 2011 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam.[5]