RATT singer and founder Stephen Pearcy and his solo band will take part in a livestream concert on Friday, April 2 at 7 p.m. PDT from the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. He will be joined by members of ACE FREHLEY, LITA FORD, DANZIG, HELLYEAH, ARCADE and “a very special guest.”
Asked in a new interview with 80’s Glam Metalcast who the “special guest” is that will be making an appearance with him, Pearcy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, I kind of put it out there that my drummer from RATT, Bobby Blotzer, might be showing up, so we can count on that, probably.”
During the same chat, Pearcy confirmed that he will not make a new RATT album unless all the surviving members of the band’s classic lineup are involved: Blotzer, guitarist Warren DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier. “I will not do another record [unless it’s with the original guys],” he said. “There’s no way in hell. I’ve given DeMartini and everybody courtesy. Why would I do that? There’s no reason. We tried with [RATT‘s 2010 album] ‘Infestation’. People go, ‘That’s a great record.’ I’m, like, well, that’s because it was the only thing that we were able to give you. If there was Juan in there, if there was Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] in there, if there was the original guys — the nucleus — you would have gotten a better record. It’s just the way it is; that’s just the way it works. Because as dysfunctional or functional as we are, that’s what makes our music.
“Look, Carlos Cavazo [former QUIET RIOT guitarist] was in the band for a bit. We wrote the first two singles [from ‘Infestation’], Carlos and I. So there you go right there. It wasn’t even really a true RATT record. No disrespect to the guys that played on it. But I just wouldn’t do that to RATT, to the brand. It wouldn’t work. So we will see what happens. But I will not do another RATT record, no, unless [it’s with] the original guys. I put the feelers out there. Who knows? Maybe the doorbell will ring. I ain’t counting on it. But who knows?”
Tickets, merchandise and VIP packages for Pearcy‘s livestream concert are available at stephenpearcy.veeps.com.
The concert will be available on demand through April 5.
Last month, it was reported by Metal Sludge that Pearcy would be joined by Blotzer for the filming of the virtual concert with his solo band over February 26 and February 27.
The rumors of Blotzer playing with Pearcy again came a month after Stephen confirmed to SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that he was back on speaking terms with the drummer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, DeMartini and Croucier over the rights to the band’s name.
“I do talk to Bobby,” Pearcy told “Trunk Nation”. “Bobby and I are — it’s love-hate, brother kind of a gig. We keep in touch and talk about positive things. He still has interest, so there are some things to talk about. And Warren is the same.”
“Look, life goes on,” he explained. “Life’s short. Hate’s not a good thing. There’s communication. But I can’t say anything.”
Pearcy and Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT‘s current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK ‘N BLUE, RATT’S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).
RATT hasn’t released any new music since “Infestation”.
RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by Cavazo, who played on “Infestation”, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.
