STEPHEN PEARCY Says He Has 'Every Reason To Go Out There' And Perform RATT Classics With His Solo Band

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Hook Rocks!" podcast, RATT singer Stephen Pearcy was asked how much it bothers him that he and the other surviving members of the band's classic lineup can't reunite one more time to perform for their fans. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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.

"When we released the box set ['The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991'] last year, it was so cool. Besides looking great and it's a great fucking 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."

Regarding the fact that he still goes out and performs the RATT classics with his solo band, Stephen said: "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 fucking 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 fucking nutty. It's like going to a Halloween party. It is 1984, and I love it. We embrace it. It's, like, fucking 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 fuck out of here.' No, we hang out and talk and sign. You want a tit signed, you want this signed — whatever. And nothing's changed. These people, they go right into 1984 mode."

Earlier in the month, Pearcy told This Day In Metal about the possibility of a RATT reunion: "I've reached out, and I'm pretty much done reaching out, to get the guys [from the classic RATT lineup] together, whether we bring in Cavazo again or Michael Schenker, another guitarist. [They're] still not gonna fill Crosby's shoes ever, ever, ever, ever, but we can actually go out and do something cool for our fans, and that would be okay. But I've tried, and that's about all I can do.

"Look, I created this monster with Robbin as my right-hand man, who's no longer with me to slap people around," he continued. "All I can do is enjoy what we did, what we created, and that's why this box set [last year's 'The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991'] is very important. It's important to me, because it's our 40th year. I'm still here doing it. The other guys might not wanna do it, and some do, some don't. My plans are this year and next year to establish a few entities under the moniker '1980s Sunset Strip Experience', and we're developing some great stuff, a concert series and a residency, and we're gonna keep the torch, pass the torch, keep it going, whether it be with original bands who are still around [from] the '80s, 'cause inevitably you're gonna get older, you're gonna fuckin die. We're all droppin' like flies, unfortunately, due to the decade of decadence. And then even KIX is callin' it quits, [RATT's] Atlantic labelmates. I love those guys; I played with them all the time. So, here you go. What's gonna be left is you're gonna have all these tribute bands. So I'd rather be in charge of the tribute bands representing the RATT brand. Because there's tons of 'em — the MÖTLEYs [CRÜE], the [DEF] LEPPARDs, the RATTs. It's amazing. So there's a lot of fun stuff in store."

Pearcy is celebrating the 40th anniversary of RATT's classic debut album, "Out Of The Cellar", by performing it in its entirety and in sequence for the first time in 2024.

Pearcy performed "Out Of The Cellar" in its entirety with his solo band on December 29, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. It marked Stephen's first time playing the LP from front to back.

RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of "Out Of The Cellar". Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, lead single "Round And Round" hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Out Of The Cellar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with "Back For More" and "Wanted Man". RATT started the tour as an opening act, but by the end of the tour had climbed to arena headliner.

RATT returned in 1985 with its second full-length album, "Invasion Of Your Privacy". Certified double platinum and also reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200, "Invasion Of Your Privacy" also featured the classics "Lay It Down" (No. 40 on Billboard Hot 100) and "You're In Love".

"Dancing Undercover" followed in 1986 as RATT toured North America with a then-brand new Los Angeles band called POISON as the opening act. Lead single "Dance" hit the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned another music video hit with "Slip Of The Lip", while "Body Talk" was featured in a key scene in the Eddie Murphy film "The Golden Child". "Dancing Undercover" became RATT's third consecutive platinum album and reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200.

1988's "Reach For The Sky" saw RATT return to the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 album charts, peaking at No. 17. Driven by the bluesy hit and MTV favorite "Way Cool Jr.", "Reach For The Sky" was also certified platinum and became RATT's fourth album in a row to move well over a million copies. "I Want A Woman" was also a successful single and the video captured the excitement and energy of RATT live.

RATT released its last full-length record of the Atlantic era, "Detonator", in 1990. Music was changing, but "Detonator" was still a success, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and going gold. It was the first RATT album to feature major outside songwriting contributions (Desmond Child, Diane Warren) and guests (Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Schenker). Lead single "Lovin' You's A Dirty Job" hit No. 18 on the rock chart while the power ballad "Giving Yourself Away" reached No. 39.

In 1991, they released the single "Nobody Rides For Free" from the hit film "Point Break", starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.

In January 2021, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.