RATT singer Stephen Pearcy spoke to Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic about his upcoming docuseries, “Backstage Past”, which will arrive later this year on ASY TV (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV). Regarding how the idea for a show featuring his own “house party”-style sessions came about, Pearcy said (see video below): “Since we’re in this situation with this virus and whatever, and who knows about the live shows, everybody’s experimenting. What I’m doing with my girl here is we’ve created a thing called ‘Backstage Past’, and it incorporates going back to the beginning with myself and through your career and up until… What is your legacy at the end of the day? [There’ll] be interviews, live jamming with special guests. We start filming on [February] 23rd, and it’ll go back to my history in [Stephen‘s pre-RATT band] MICKEY RATT, all the way through the RATT years, with live footage going back — stuff nobody has ever seen. And that’s the whole premise of it. We’ve been working on it for quite a while. And it’s gonna be a program that’s gonna show somebody probably every week — once a week, special guest. And it’s way cool… We’re very excited. The first show is gonna be my legacy, and from there, I’ll be interviewing and jamming with guests and ‘Backstage Past’ — the story and lives of as many rock musicians as I can [cover]. And give ’em respect.”
Last week, it was reported by Metal Sludge that Pearcy would film a virtual concert with his solo band over February 26 and February 27, presumably to be released as part of the “Backstage Past” series. The event was reportedly shot at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California and featured a special guest appearance on “a few tunes” by former RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer.
The news of Blotzer‘s reunion with Pearcy 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, guitarist Warren DeMartini and bassist Juan 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.”
During the same chat, Pearcy said that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band’s classic lineup.
“I wouldn’t wanna put a RATT record out there without the original guys,” he said. “I mean, it just wouldn’t make sense. We’ve tried it.
“Look, I accepted it a long time ago when Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] left the band, we lost a big element of direction. He was my right-hand man creating this monster. And I knew it — I knew once he was out, we would be going through motions. It’s all cool, and it’s great, but how many replacements can you have in a band and still consider it legit? So if we’re gonna have something on plastic, so to speak, forever, I’d rather have the original band do a record and just not do a RATT record until that day comes — if it ever happens.”
Stephen also stressed the importance of not letting personal differences get in the way of making music and touring while he and his bandmates are still physically able to perfom the classic RATT songs live.
“Look, we’re not the most dysfunctional band on the planet,” he said. “I’ve said it before, there are bands much more dysfunctional — MÖTLEY [CRÜE], GN’R [GUNS N’ ROSES], you name ’em — but the smart ones make an effort to take care of business. MÖTLEY — I don’t know if they even talk to each other, but they’re getting the business done. And that’s where I’m at. What are you — punishing somebody? You’re getting back at somebody? You’re holding a grudge, vendetta… It’s all bullshit. We’re all gonna die anyway. Go figure it out.”
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 2010’s “Infestation” album.
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 ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on “Infestation”, and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.
