In high school, Downe formed a band named The Bondage Boys, and going under the stage name Vaun Hammer, he released a song with this band titled "The Loser" on Northwest Metalfest, a compilation featuring 10 Seattle-area bands.[4][5] Sometime after this, he left Seattle for San Diego and then moved on to Los Angeles.
Downe worked for Retail Slut in Hollywood and ran the stage lights at the Troubadour. Magnus Walker of Serious Clothing accidentally got his start when, walking into Retail Slut, Downe asked where he had got his pants. Although Walker had bought them in Hollywood for less than $10, he replied England, and Downe asked him to source 8 pairs at a price of $25 to sell in the store.[6][7]
In 1985, he formed the band Faster Pussycat. The five-member band released their debut album in 1987.
Downe returned to Los Angeles shortly after and put together the industrial rock band The Newlydeads for which he wrote and produced. Around 1998, he opened his own club, named The Pretty Ugly Club, with co-owner JD Terziu, and the club achieved the same level of success as The Cathouse, the club Downe had run with Riki Rachtman. Taime has also been the promoter of other clubs in Los Angeles, such as Thunder Pussy and Pretty Pussy. He also was the DJ at Metal Skool with Josh Richman as the MC.
The Newlydeads released a remix CD titled Re-Bound, and in 2001, released Dead End. The same year, Downe reunited for a tour with original Faster Pussycat members Brent Muscat and Greg Steele joining him. The re-formed band opened for Poison in 2002.
