During his recent appearance on “The Hook Rocks!” podcast, RATT vocalist Stephen Pearcy discussed the frustration of not being able to reunite with the other surviving members of the band’s classic lineup for another performance. He expressed his sentiments, saying:
“A lot. But you know what? It just goes to show who really has integrity. I mean, Jesus, I think… Put it this way, Bobby Blotzer, the drummer of RATT, he’s ready to go. Carlos [Cavazo, former RATT and QUIET RIOT guitarist], who isn’t an original member, he just jammed with me recently at the Whisky [in West Hollywood]. But I can’t settle for less, and with a bass player who doesn’t even look like the same guy, who’s really… If you’re not into it, you’re not into it. And I can only have respect for Warren [DeMartini, RATT guitarist] for not wanting… He doesn’t need to. None of these guys do. I don’t need to. It’s just a matter of what your drive is, I guess. I have a different drive than my guys, and that’s where the buck stops. I can’t force them. I can just go, ‘You know this is called business.’ Now it’s business. Forty years later, you should be very fortunate. It doesn’t matter how deep your pockets are. It’s the integrity you have for what you created, what you were a part of. That’s what pisses me off. It’s not the, ‘No, I don’t wanna do it anymore. I’m fine.’ It’s not that.”
Pearcy further reflected on the essence of RATT’s legacy, especially with the release of the box set ‘The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991’, emphasizing the significance of the original lineup:
“When we released the box set last year, it was so cool. Besides looking great and it’s a great f*cking package, it was due. It was about time, ’cause that’s it — that was the real RATT right there. ’84 — well, the EP could have been in there — but ’84 to ’90, ’91, that was it. After that, no matter who we had in the band, it just wasn’t RATT without [late RATT guitarist] Robbin [Crosby]. And it wasn’t gonna be, whether it was [Michael] Schenker or whoever. It wasn’t gonna be. And that’s why it never really flew the second time, although it could work now. But you don’t have all the elements, the proper elements. Like, say, MÖTLEY bringing in John 5 — no disrespect — that’s not MÖTLEY CRÜE. RATT without Robbin — I said it when he wasn’t playing, ‘This isn’t gonna work. We can do anything we want, we can try as hard as we want. It’s not gonna be the same.’ And it never was, and never will be.”
Despite the challenges, Pearcy continues to perform RATT classics with his solo band, driven by his dedication to the band’s legacy:
“I go out because I’m the only guy — I’m the singer guy, I write the songs. I have every reason to go out there. I have integrity for the f*cking band I created. So I’m out there having a great time seeing these people. I mean, I’m telling you, the meet-and-greets [at my solo shows] are f*cking nutty. It’s like going to a Halloween party. It is 1984, and I love it. We embrace it. It’s, like, f*cking tell me the stories, number one. I see these old photos and just go, ‘Man, explain that to me.’ I just don’t go, ‘Hey, take a picture. All right, thank you. Get the f*ck out of here.’ No, we hang out and talk and sign. You want a t*t signed, you want this signed — whatever. And nothing’s changed. These people, they go right into 1984 mode.”