WRIF Virtual Rock Room with Ratt's Stephen Pearcy
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00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV.
00:02Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast.
00:10We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:12So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts.
00:16And now, to today's video interview.
00:20Yeah, Stephen, Detroit Rock City, I saw you last year with, was it last year or the year before, with Tom Kiefer.
00:25And man, that, boy, you and your band sounded awesome.
00:29Thanks.
00:30Yeah, really good.
00:31Yeah, thank you.
00:32It's getting tighter and tighter.
00:36There's one thing about me doing my solo, besides there not being a rat, you know, I get to play anything from the catalog.
00:45There's no problems with picking songs, a set list, and, you know, I can play a Zeptoon, a priest song.
00:54So I'm having a good time out there.
00:55Yeah, that's good.
00:56And, yeah, and we just got Will Hunt, a new drummer, stepped in for Steppin' In.
01:03He's from Evanescence, that band.
01:06Oh, yeah, you were here with Slaughter last year.
01:08That's right.
01:08And so Will was there, too.
01:10I don't know.
01:10Was Will there?
01:11Now I can't remember.
01:12Anyhow.
01:12I think so.
01:13I think.
01:15Yeah.
01:16Yeah.
01:16Great show.
01:17Boy, the band sounded good.
01:18That's funny you mentioned that.
01:19So when you were with Rat, was there ever a problem picking the songs?
01:23Every fucking day, you know, that was not the highlight of each evening, because even though
01:33we had a set, we actually didn't like playing the same set every night, you know.
01:41So we would do a song here, a song there, but like I say, with my solo band, I mean, even
01:48earlier I'm doing this interview, the guy's talking about giving yourself away.
01:52I'm like, fuck, I'm going to be putting that song in the set now, you know, that wonderful
01:57ballad that we never gave you.
02:02Yeah, that's right.
02:03No ballads.
02:03That's for sure.
02:04By the way, don't be jealous.
02:06I'm here in Detroit.
02:06I know you were down in the Bahamas or wherever, the Caribbean or wherever you were with Monsters
02:10of Rock.
02:10How'd that go?
02:12That was great.
02:13That was, you know, I've done them before, but this was by far a better experience.
02:18I played the theater indoors and I did the outdoor gig and there was no rain out.
02:25Some bands got rained out, which would suck.
02:28I mean, you're there to play and you get rained out, you know, but it was a great, it was a
02:33great event.
02:34Great event.
02:35Yeah, that's a perfect time for me to take vacation down there.
02:37I should think about doing that on one of these days.
02:39Was that was my friend Harlan Hendrickson on the ship with you guys?
02:44Who's Harlan?
02:45Sounds familiar.
02:46All right.
02:47Nevermind.
02:47I thought he was he was with the Monsters of Rock.
02:49But anyways, let's talk about this rat record here.
02:52You got rats classic albums compiled in the Atlantic years.
02:56Now, I need a new one because this is mine from like, you know, 40 years ago.
02:59I think like I think my my animals may have gotten to it here and there.
03:03But yeah, that's from when I was a kid.
03:05But tell us about this box set release.
03:08Well, I'm excited about it.
03:09I don't think the label knew it was the 40th year anniversary, you know, from the EP, which
03:15will all end up giving you later in the year on vinyl, of course, limited.
03:19But I didn't think they even knew it was 40 years.
03:23It's like fucking 40 years later, you know, well, it will be for the seller 40 years.
03:31But it's great.
03:32And I keep saying, you know, it's probably the only rat reunion you're going to get this
03:37year is because everybody had something to do with this box set.
03:41I don't know why, you know, giving them photos and this and a pics and that, you know,
03:47so it's kind of funny, you know.
03:50So everybody did get involved in this then, eh?
03:52Yeah, they did.
03:53Yep.
03:54And I got I did Robin share, you know, I stepped up for Robin, of course.
04:01Yeah.
04:01Was it I was going to say, was it like herding cats?
04:05Well, yeah, everybody kind of.
04:08And then, you know, I'm looking at the final thing going, well, I know where that came from
04:12or I know where this came from.
04:14And so it's it's funny and ironic at the same time, you know, but it's amazing.
04:24I mean, this thing's got this amazing poster pick passes.
04:30It's got a nobody rides for free vinyl single LP.
04:37So we gave you everything but the kitchen sink, you know?
04:40Yeah, pretty much.
04:41Yeah.
04:41Nobody rides for free.
04:42That was a point break, if I'm not mistaken, right?
04:45Correct.
04:46Yeah.
04:46Cantor.
04:47Steve Cantor and Rat.
04:51Yeah.
04:52Yeah.
04:52No, this box set looks amazing.
04:54And of course, the five records, if you had to pick one record out of there to like it's
04:59like kind of epitomize what Rat was all about in the day, could you do that?
05:04Sure.
05:05Out of the cellar.
05:06Out of the cellar.
05:06Okay.
05:07I mean, you know, the band was together, the original guys, probably about a year, you
05:18know, before we got signed.
05:23And besides being one of the last bands in Hollywood to be signed, go figure.
05:27We're selling everything out and we sold 80 to 100,000 EPs.
05:35But once we got our foot in that door, believe me, it was like, well, if Atlantic is good
05:41enough for Led Zeppelin and the Stones, it's good enough for Rat.
05:45And I think we're going to be very happy.
05:48So we were for a while.
05:50Yeah.
05:50So this is coming out on a Rhino records, if I'm not mistaken, right?
05:53Does Atlantic, is that right?
05:57Yeah.
05:57Be Atlantic BNG.
05:58Oh, I got you.
06:00All right.
06:00Yeah.
06:01And so you got the five records, like you mentioned, all the stuff, the, I mean, just
06:04the five studio albums.
06:06This is like the perfect gift for anybody who's a gigantic Rat fan.
06:10And it's funny you mentioned 40 years, because I think I've told you about this before, but
06:13I can't recall.
06:14Round and Round was the first video I ever remember seeing on TV.
06:18Oh, my God.
06:20That's funny.
06:21We actually, Chrissy and myself, we were on the ship.
06:26They had this rock station going on 24-7, right?
06:31It was a loop.
06:33And they had bands from the 80s, like, where the fuck did they come from?
06:37They're probably getting played more now than they did then, fortunately and unfortunately.
06:42They got the timing ass backwards, but they were showing MTV when it first fucking started.
06:54Like, literally, the first video, which is.
06:59Yeah.
06:59Video star.
07:00Exactly.
07:02The second one is.
07:03Oh, the second.
07:04I don't know.
07:05Pat Benatar.
07:06Okay.
07:07And so here we're watching this thing, and it's kind of ironic, because, you know, it
07:13would end up being so important for everybody in the 80s.
07:20I mean, it became old standard around 86, 87, you know, you've got to, we've got to make
07:27a video, and whoop-dee-doo.
07:29Well, back then, it was, like, brand new.
07:32It was like, whoa, 1984 for us.
07:35It was like, what?
07:36We've got to act now?
07:38You know, we've got to become actors?
07:40Okay, let's trip out on this shit, you know?
07:43But it was funny to see that whole incarnation of MTV.
07:48And it did play an important role for a lot of us 80s artists, early 80s artists, so to
07:56speak.
07:57Yeah, because it's kind of funny, because we're almost kind of in the same era as we were
08:00before.
08:01So you got the videos, now bands are continuing to make videos again.
08:04And you got, like, the Rip and the Hip Raider, but it's online sources now, it seems like,
08:09huh?
08:10Sure.
08:11And, yeah, I know both.
08:14Yeah, right?
08:15And it's kind of 360, but with the new technology, so to speak.
08:23But, you know, there's nothing like that good old rags, rock rags, back in the day.
08:30Japan had it down, man.
08:33Everything was all glossy and perfect.
08:35But it was important, too.
08:39Those magazines, Faces, Hip Raider, oh, God, Circus, Rip, you name them.
08:48They were important, you know?
08:50Yeah, Metal Edge, Cream, stuff like that.
08:53Exactly.
08:54Metal Edge, Cream, yeah.
08:56Yeah, because I was a kid, and it's like, did you ever do interviews with those back in
08:59the day and then see them, like, a month later and they, like, you know, took something you
09:03said out of context or whatever the case was?
09:06Of course, of course, you know.
09:08Or you would put your foot in your mouth.
09:10Yeah, of course, you know.
09:12Yeah, yeah.
09:14Well, even nowadays, Bobby came out and said recently that rat-crushed Motley Crue.
09:18When you see that, do you think to yourself, what do you, I mean, do you agree with them?
09:22Do you say, just stop or?
09:24You said exactly what I thought.
09:28What are you saying?
09:29Yeah.
09:30Bob tends to be a little outspoken, and he hasn't been doing interviews, I don't think.
09:37But there are a couple things I can't agree with him on, you know?
09:42I mean, we had no competition.
09:45I mean, fuck, man.
09:46Nobody crushed nobody.
09:48And as far as I'm concerned, or I can speak for Robin, too, we didn't give a shit about
09:53anybody.
09:54We were doing our thing, and that's what we were doing, and just go fuck off.
09:59But, you know, on Bo Hill, I talk to Bo, our producer, all the time.
10:04So, unfortunately, he spoke for everybody, and that's not true, you know?
10:11So, that's where that is.
10:13And a reunion, you know?
10:15I wish him luck.
10:18Because it ain't gonna happen.
10:21And I don't think it's even plausible, or even possible.
10:27It's just, wow.
10:29You know, I've tried, and, you know, I'm not gonna, you know, put out anything to give
10:37anybody any hope.
10:39Not that they would give a shit, but I mean, I would love to see the band do another record
10:44with Bo Hill, you know?
10:47But then, on the same token, there's no Robin.
10:51So, what's the fucking point?
10:54You know, he was a very important part of this band, you know, in every element.
11:01And, you know, I know for a fact, he'd be kicking some ass right now about some other
11:06things, but, you know, without Robin, it's just, I just don't see it.
11:12We stuck around long enough, you know?
11:16Maybe that was just our turn, that box set.
11:20And that's what I love about this box set.
11:22That's the real shit, you know?
11:24So, it's the five original guys.
11:28We did our best on those five records, and we're happy.
11:32They keep giving us platinum albums, and I ain't fucking complaining.
11:37You know, I think it's a good day, a good day in paradise.
11:40And plus, like you kind of alluded to before, it's like, you seem to be just fine on your
11:45own, doing your own thing.
11:48Oh, yeah.
11:48And I have, you know, the voice of whatever.
11:52Look, I started the band, I wrote songs, you know, co-wrote the songs.
11:57And so, I just see it as like, I'm a different type of guy than my own band.
12:05I think Bobby is close, that he wants to go out and play, and we're rats, and that's fucking
12:15way cool.
12:16But it's very volatile.
12:18It's a very dangerous crowd.
12:21You know, we might be just creating this, another implosion, and I don't think that
12:27would be good for anybody.
12:29I got you.
12:29Especially, especially at this time of your life, and this time of your career, and that
12:32you just mentioned, you just mentioned way cool.
12:35When I, when I told my listeners today, I was gonna be talking to you, one of them said,
12:39who is way cool junior about?
12:40They want to know this, the specific answer is, is it about anybody?
12:43No, it's just about a way cool guy.
12:47You know, you know, there is a little trivia in that, when the video was being made, they
12:55didn't even want the band around, because there were so many girls.
12:59So they were like, keep them away.
13:01And, you know, we kind of sketched it to be about just a cool guy, a cool cat, you know.
13:11So that's where that lies.
13:13That song came up earlier in an interview.
13:15I love that song.
13:16And that's Warren, you know, maturing as a guitarist, you know, and, you know, when he's
13:24like whipping out Dirty Job and way cool junior, that's something that I think only rat could
13:32do, that kind of style of music, per se.
13:36I don't know what kind of style of music it is, you know, whatever you call it.
13:43But good song, good song.
13:47Still goes over very well.
13:49Yeah, I was going to say, it was, it's a touch scatty, isn't it?
13:52I'm not a songwriter, but when she's kind of put it like that.
13:55Yeah, of course.
13:56Sure.
13:57And it's loose, you know, it's a loosely tight song, you know, it's got a great groove.
14:04You know, that's something I learned from Zeppelin.
14:07And, you know, listening to them so much, the diversity, you know, ebb and flow.
14:13And not just, bam, bam, bam, bam, you know, take a break.
14:18You know, is there something else?
14:20Oh, yeah, we got this, another side of us.
14:24And that's one thing special about the band is we did, only we could have done that kind
14:31of, those kinds of songs and gotten away with it.
14:34So, I don't think, no put down on Motley, but I don't think you'd get away cool out of
14:41a Motley or a Wasp or, you know, any other front runners from the 80s strip, you know?
14:49So, I'll take that.
14:51It's funny, it's funny you mentioned Wasp, because while I was waiting for you getting
14:54the call here, Blackie just posted about all sorts of dates.
14:58Have you seen Blackie tour?
15:02No, I just, I just played with Chris Holmes, mean man there at, on the ship.
15:09And that was cool, but no, I'd like to see it, you know?
15:15I still dig that band, you know?
15:17We used to hang a lot, too, back in the day, in the strip days.
15:21It just wasn't the Gladiators, you know, Motley and Rat.
15:25I mean, Blackie and Chris, I mean, we all hung out, you know, together.
15:31So, yeah.
15:32I'd love to.
15:33They're doing great.
15:34They're doing great.
15:34And that's good.
15:35It just shows you the sign of the times, you know?
15:38How important the 80s scene was, you know?
15:43It just wasn't a flash in the pan.
15:45Nobody killed, you know, hair, metal, or whatever you want to fucking call it.
15:50I don't care.
15:52If it pays the bills, you know?
15:57But, you know, you don't get that.
16:00Yeah, I agree.
16:00Yeah, no, that Wasp show last year, I saw it in the fall, and it was fantastic.
16:04For anybody that gets a chance to go out and see that.
16:07You know, someone also said the Rocket Roll Hall of Fame was just, they just talked about
16:11their nominees the other day.
16:13And it's like, you know, Kate Bush.
16:15It's like, I grew up in the 80s.
16:17I don't even remember Kate Bush.
16:18I don't even know who that is.
16:19And it's like, you know.
16:20Kate Bush.
16:21Yeah, I know.
16:22Kate Bush.
16:23You know what?
16:23It's all politics, man.
16:25And that's way fucking, that's the worst thing about the Hall of Fame.
16:30It's like, well, how many times, sorry, Dave Grohl, but how many times can Dave be the ambassador
16:37or the awarded for?
16:40I mean, there's so many musicians from the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, and not just, you know,
16:48they don't give a shit about us 80s groups at all.
16:51The Hollywood's, hey, they don't give a shit.
16:54You're not going to see Motley up there anytime soon or Rat.
17:00We're lucky enough to see what Van Halen get in.
17:05Scorpions, are they in?
17:06Priest?
17:07No, Priest.
17:08Miles.
17:10Dude, that was a milestone having Judas Priest in it.
17:14They had to break.
17:15They didn't have a choice.
17:16Well, I thought they kind of gave them like a participation trophy.
17:20Are they, I mean, you know what I'm saying?
17:22That's fucking, you hit it right on the head, right there.
17:25Totally.
17:26They had to.
17:27I mean, it's overwhelming.
17:28It's like, you know, you've given everybody else this award and even guys in the band.
17:34It's like the police have one and then Stink has one.
17:37And then, you know, it's like break it down.
17:40The group or the guy.
17:42What is this?
17:42Does he need two of them?
17:44You know?
17:44Oh, no, no, Ozzy doesn't.
17:50Ozzy's not in it by himself.
17:52And that's, well, at least Sabbath is in there.
17:55Right.
17:56Inevitably, they have to, you know, throw us a bone.
18:00I mean, we made, you know, our genre of music in the 80s made billions of dollars for the music industry.
18:09Billions.
18:10And what do we get for it?
18:12Oh, it ain't cool.
18:13You know, you're not cheesy enough or cheeky enough or whatever the fuck, you know?
18:18It's like, well, fuck you.
18:20I have awards in my office that mean more to me than having a, you know, a Grammy or something because it's from the hardcore fans.
18:31It's from the heart.
18:32It's not a political, hey, fill out this ballot and we'll change it on the day.
18:39Kind of like the presidency.
18:43That mess.
18:45Yeah.
18:45But that's politics.
18:46We say that's another thing about rap.
18:48We always fade out of politics and religion.
18:50And thank you.
18:51And you're welcome.
18:54Well, the box set comes out, the Atlanticers, that's coming up on June 9th and it's got five of the records.
19:00And like you said before, the, I mean, the singles, the tours, I mean, it's got so much stuff here.
19:07Posters.
19:08I mean, I guess.
19:09Oh, yeah.
19:11Yeah.
19:11It's got the pic, a tour book.
19:13I mean, I don't even know what's in it.
19:15I just look at it.
19:15I'm expecting it any day.
19:17I just want to hold it.
19:20Okay.
19:20This is cool.
19:21Oh, yeah.
19:22No.
19:22Seen the final product yet?
19:25No, no.
19:26We helped, obviously, put it together in the art director.
19:29And I did.
19:31But, yeah.
19:33Soon enough.
19:34Matter of fact, I might have to make a phone call right after this.
19:38All right.
19:38Tell them your friend Meltdown in Detroit at WRIF wants one.
19:41So, anyways.
19:43But, hey, listen.
19:44Steven, thank you so much, man.
19:46Well, I'll tell you.
19:47I'm out on the road with my 1980 Sunset Strip experience the next year or two.
19:53Then we'll see what happens.
19:54Other stuff going down that are going to be way cool.
19:57People will dig.
19:58I'm embracing this and taking it to where it should be.
20:01I'm out on the road.
20:04You can go to officialstevenpeercy.com.
20:07See the dates.
20:08Way cool stuff there, kids.
20:10But the box set, get it.
20:12It's way cool.
20:12And, you know, this is actually the first time we've really ever put out a box set like this.
20:19You know, we've had greatest sets, greatest sets, this set, that.
20:22But this is pretty much our banner.
20:28You know, the rat.
20:31The five of us on that five records, you know.
20:33Yeah, this is the collection you want.
20:35And, by the way, I've got to give props to whoever takes care of your website.
20:38Because there's a lot of bands out there that don't take care of their website.
20:42Like, yours is actually pretty decent.
20:44Yeah, well, that's Christy doing what she does.
20:46She works pretty aggressively.
20:49And it's nice to have a partner in business also, you know.
20:53And, yeah, well, thank you so much.
20:55I'll tell her.
20:56She'll love that.
20:57She'll love that.
20:59Steven, thank you so much.
21:01Thank you, brother.
21:02I appreciate it.
21:03Keep in touch.