RATT Frontman: 'I'm Still The Party Director!'

Wisconsin-Music.com recently conducted an interview with RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Wisconsin-Music.com: How have the shows been so far on this tour?

Pearcy: Pretty good. We're touring with POISON until September 3rd, and then we'll start a solo tour. We'll do a few shows here and there before we leave for Japan and other places. That should take care of this year, and then we'll hopefully get busy on some new music. But we're out and about, and ready to piss people off again!

Wisconsin-Music.com: You mentioned new music, what can you tell us about that?

Pearcy: Warren [DeMartini, guitar] and I have been writing as much as we can around the tour. It's coming along. We've got some great ideas, and we have our format. We're going back to basics and we'll see what it brings. When we have some time off we'll get in the studio, deliver the goods and lay it down!

Wisconsin-Music.com: How is it working with Warren again after all these years?

Pearcy: It's no different than it was before. We're just a little smarter and there's less of the band things to disturb the good things.

Wisconsin-Music.com: There's a couple of trends right now with your peers where they will either release their old demos or record a bunch of cover tunes. So from what you're saying, fans can expect all new material from RATT?

Pearcy: Yeah, it's time for something new. We're gonna finish the job we started. RATT's the type of band that takes care of business, but we know didn't finish the job. All the stuff that we had with Robbin [Crosby, guitar], then the band disbanding, then the legal, etc. So right now there's a lot of catching up to do and a lot of things to take care of.

Wisconsin-Music.com: Do you have any label interest for the new CD?

Pearcy: We're on Rhino right now. I'm sure we wouldn't have a problem with them for a label. I mean I have a label myself, and I'd rather us go independently than major. But like I said, we're on Rhino for the "best of" CD and the DVD. We'll see what happens. It's a whole new world out there nowadays; it's not all about record stores anymore. The big labels are now headed towards the one big conglomerate monster. I like the fact that my label is independent. I'm not concerned about a finding a home for the new CD. My concern is getting the right place to do it. We're writing very well right now. If we get the right climate and surroundings, it will be very easy to accomplish.

Wisconsin-Music.com: What are some of the differences to being on the road now as opposed to back in the day?

Pearcy: There are none. It's just what door do you want to go through: A, B or C. When you open the door there's a surprise or your prize. Nothing's changed; it's just that everyone's a little more alert or aware. For most of us there's change, I mean, I have an 11-year-old daughter now. But as far as rock 'n' roll, it's all still there. I'm still the party director!

Wisconsin-Music.com: Before the reunion you were working on a book titled "RaTTails". What's the status of the book?

Pearcy: Still working on it. We now have closure. The final chapter of this book is this tour. Who knows, maybe it isn't the end of everything. But it's quite full of…. Forget dirt (reference to MÖTLEY CRÜE's book "The Dirt"),it's mud! And I've got photos to back all of it. It's quite an experience. It's not just about the rock ‘n roll world. It's about somebody who was into something, me into racing, who got introduced to something else. It takes you into that whole trip, but yet it's sincere. The book's been four years in the making. It'll be an interesting read!

Read the entire interview at this location.