Hard-rock bands of the 1980s had a reputation for two things — excess and dysfunction. Ratt, one of the original bad-boy groups of the Sunset Strip, was no exception.
But what Ratt had that most other bands of the hairy '80s failed to produce was legitimate hard-rock hits. Since the band's self-titled EP was released in 1983, Ratt has sold 16 million records worldwide, including four consecutive platinum albums.
But despite playing packed arenas and being near the top of the rock world for 10 years, the "Ratt 'n Roll" wheels that had slowly come undone during that decade of excess seemed to completely fall off in the '90s.
By the start of the decade, guitarist Robbin Crosby had become a hard-core heroin junkie and later contracted HIV and AIDS through needle-sharing. He died in 2002.
Ratt broke up by 1991 (or took an indefinite hiatus depending on whose story you believe), got back together in 1997, and then lead singer Stephen Pearcy left again.
For a while, there were two groups touring as "Ratt" at the same time — the one that consisted of drummer Bobby Blotzer, guitar wizard Warren DeMartini and fill-in singer Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate), and one put together by Pearcy. Pearcy sued his ex-bandmates in 2001 for using the Ratt name but lost, and a court ordered him to pay royalties to Blotzer and DeMartini.
Despite all of that, Pearcy rejoined Blotzer and DeMartini for his third tour of duty as Ratt's lead singer earlier this year. Speaking by phone during a recent tour stop in New Hampshire, Blotzer said the reunion with Pearcy was something he had been trying to put together for three years, even though both sides had just gotten over the lawsuit.
"That was all history to me," Blotzer said. "The money was Monopoly money. I didn't think about that. I'd rather just put the band back together."
The Pearcy-fronted Ratt made a stop at the Rocky Mountain Raceway during its first reunion 10 years ago on the annual Poison summer tour. Many observers (including this reporter) thought Ratt blew Poison away.
Blotzer said if fans liked that show, they should love the current tour. During the last tour, Blotzer said he was Pearcy's "biggest critic." He said Pearcy was still battling some personal demons at that time and not performing to the best of his ability.
On this tour, however, "He's playing like the Stephen of '83, '84," Blotzer said. "We have a renewed energy that started at the first day of rehearsal. It was just like putting on a glove that fit. It felt right."
The current reunion, however, does not include longtime bassist Juan Croucier, who also did not participate in the first reunion. Blotzer, who has had disputes with Croucier in the past, said Pearcy and DeMartini wanted Croucier to be part of the reunion, but he only agreed to include him because of the fans. But as contract negotiations dragged on, Blotzer said Croucier was "unrealistic and too demanding with things we couldn't give him. He wouldn't play ball."
Croucier announced on his Web site earlier this year that he would not be part of the reunion, and he posted a scathing message lambasting his former bandmates. He claimed that during reunion talks, "ignorant and unscrupulous habits came into focus once again; a stark reminder of our tumultuous and dysfunctional past."
"He's the bus driver of the dysfunction," countered Blotzer. "Juan thinks he is more than he is in his part ... in everything. He has an extreme case of egotism. ... He stirs up a lot of trouble."
Blotzer claims Croucier still holds resentment for the band doing its '97 tour without him and that he wanted an "extremely large amount of money" for the current tour.
The breaking point, said Blotzer, came when Croucier wanted an agreement that if any of the four members should quit or be fired, then "Ratt" would cease to exist. "Then he could have quit and we'd all be out of a job," Blotzer said.
If you go
What: Poison, Ratt
Where: USANA Amphitheatre, 5400 S. 6400 West
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
How much: $20-$48
Phone: 467-8499, 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com