In a new interview with Raul Amador of Bass Musician Magazine, Ratt’s Juan Croucier talked about his solo band and its plans with it. Here’s what Ratt’s bassist said:
“I’ve had my own band and various incarnations of it for a very long time, probably in the neighborhood of 26 years plus. So now I’m in the planning stages to move my solo band forward. So we’re starting to book dates. We’re hoping to get some dates in the fall. And just moving on.
“You know, it’s interesting because I have sort of seen both sides of the fence in real time. On the one hand, with a band like Ratt, obviously it commands the brand, and our history of recording and whatnot commands a certain venue and a certain amount of people. And you’ve got your festivals and things like that. And then you’ve got your other band, in this case my solo band, which may not command quite the same audience and quite the same amount of people, but that’s not why I do it.
”I do it because I love music. And if I can get out there and at least cover my expenses — put gas in the van and pay for the flights and hotel and whatnot, I’m good with that, because I love music.
”And when you have that passion, that love for music… It’s great to make a living, and, of course, everybody needs to and wants to and should, but there’s times that it goes beyond that; you’re doing it for the love of music and to share something that you feel people will appreciate and enjoy and will make their lives or their time, if you will, a little better, give ’em a break from the trials and tribulations a life can throw at us.
“So, I know that there are musicians that sort of say, ‘Well, look, if I can’t tour on this level, I’d rather just stay home with my wife and kids.’ And I understand that. But I try to find a balance, no matter where. […]
He went on:
“So I’m planning on doing some shows here hopefully in the fall and continuing from there. I’ve got a great band. I’ve got two great guitar players, Toni Aleman is the lead guitar player; Mike Moore is the other guitar player, a fantastic guitar player.
”I’ve got Pete Holmes on drums, and, of course, I’m playing bass and singing. So we’ve been doing it and sort of stopped to give Ratt some space to do its thing. But from this point on, I’m just gonna focus on things that are musically rewarding to me. So I intend on releasing a lot of new music that I’ve had in the pipeline.
