RATT - Interview BOBBY BLOTZER

RATT - New Interview With Drummer BOBBY BLOTZER Online

www.KNAC.com recently caught up with RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer after the band's performance at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA to discuss the band's reunion and forthcoming releases. The following is a brief excerpt from the discussion. To read the interview in its entirety head to this location.

www.KNAC.com: The band sounded phenomenal in Boston. The crowd was really into hearing all of the Ratt classic tunes again. Let me tell you, it brought back a lot of memories.

Blotzer: "The shows have been like that every night. All of my family are on the East Coast and have seen the show in several cities. They were blown away. My brother Michael, I can count on him being, the most accurate because he has been around Ratt since we were rehearsing in a garage in Stephen's Moms house. He is like I am critical of our performances and what we do in a good way. Do you know what I mean? So I can bounce things off of him, he can tell me how the sound is. First of all, he is blown away with Pearcy, which I am too. Stephen has been an MVP out here. I am really proud he's working and conducting himself the way he is, in a professional manner that he is doing and the performance level, he is bringing. He has just got me really rejuvenated and pumped up more than I have ever been before up onstage. Plus, I quit smoking six weeks ago. My Mom died of smoking, so I am just throwing that out. It takes so many lives. I have been smoking since thirteen. I have so much stamina on my drums now. It is amazing. I come out completely soaking wet from a fabulous workout. I don't get winded anymore. It is pretty bitchin to be up there. Being out here 26 years in this band and going out and beating the shit out of my kit, and having people come up and having people come up and go you guys are great man. I can tell that they are sincere."

www.KNAC.com: I have seen the band many times, and to me it sounds like 1987 all over again.

Blotzer: "I am thinking 1983 because, in 1987 although we put on a good show. I just feel in 1983 we had more hunger. I sense and feel it, and taste it. There is more hunger up there for us. We have more to prove right now. There is no slack attitude going on. I like that. Stephen is really focused on putting on a good show. He is the ring lead out there man. I have always acknowledge and known that. Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate that."

www.KNAC.com: Yes, I agree. Stephen is a great performer, and a very visual performer. How does this tour with POISON compare to 1987, when you first toured with POISON?

Blotzer: "Yeah, we broke that band in 87. When they came out, they were just puppy?s man. I had no idea who they were. I knew they were from LA. They knew Stephen or something. I remember those guys at Reunion Arena in Dallas, that was November of 86, when the tour started it was us and CHEAP TRICK and then, Poison came out a week or two into the tour. I remember these four dudes sitting in the third row center, right next to each other. They were clapping at the end of every song when we did the sound check. I was like who the hell is that? It was so funny. When we were out with OZZY, we were doing the same thing, because we were so stoked that we were out with Ozzy, we would be clapping after every song."

www.KNAC.com : Who initiated Ratt getting back together again?

Blotzer: I am going to step out and just say on both re-unions, ?97 and this one, it was I calling everybody. Stephen may have made the claim that he did, but he might be forgetting I spent three years talking to him, talking to Warren, talking to Juan. I knew the moment we step into a room, or get on the phone and everybody hears each other and we start with the pleasantries first, and then we dig into the bullshit that is all it is going to take. Because everybody realizes there is a lot more good times, than there were bad times. The bad times tend to outshine the good shit. Fact of the matter is, we had a lot of good times; we made a huge stamp in history.

As previously reported, Ratt return to stores with new DVD and CD releases on July 31: the first-ever DVD release from the band, Ratt: Videos From The Cellar: The Atlantic Years, and the audio collection Tell The World: The Very Best Of Ratt, which features the hard rockers at their studio and live performance peak and includes an unreleased track.

Both of Ratt's previously released video collections will be combined and expanded for the DVD release Ratt: Videos From The Cellar: The Atlantic Years. Featuring singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarists Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier and drummer Bobby Blotzer, RATT released four consecutive platinum records in the mid-'80s. In addition to compiling some of Ratt's most popular videos - 'Round And Round', 'Lovin' You's A Dirty Job' and 'Lay It Down' - the DVD also contains several bonus features, including highlights from the band's triumphant tour of Japan, exclusive new commentary and never before released videos.

The CD Tell The World: The Very Best Of Ratt features standout songs from all seven of the group's albums, including such classics as 'Wanted Man', 'Back For More', and 'Round And Round' from the band's triple platinum-selling Atlantic debut Out Of The Cellar. Tell The World: The Very Best Of Ratt will also include an unreleased song from the Reach For The Sky sessions in addition to tracks from the Sony Portrait release "Ratt" and the independently released "Collage".

Both Ratt: Videos From The Cellar: The Atlantic Years and Tell The World: The Very Best Of Ratt were produced in cooperation with Ratt and will be available at all retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for suggested list prices of $19.99 for the DVD and $18.98 for the CD, respectively.

Ratt:
Videos From The Cellar: The Atlantic Years DVD track listing:

'Wanted Man',
'You Think You're Tough',
'Back For More',
'Round And Round',
'Lay It Down',
'Shame Shame Shame',
'Lovin' You's A Dirty Job',
'I Want A Woman',
'Way Cool Jr.',
'You're In Love',*
'Dance',*
'Body Talk',*
'Slip Of The Lip'.*

DVD extras include commentary with Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini and Bobby Blotzer.

*Never before released on DVD or VHS.

Tell The World:
The Very Best Of Ratt CD track listing:
'Dangerous But Worth The Risk',
'Back For More',
'Lovin' You's A Dirty Job',
'Nobody Rides For Free',
'Heads I Win,
Tales You Lose',
'You're In Love',
'City To City',
' Body Talk',
'Way Cool Jr.',
'Round And Round',
'Lay It Down',
'I Want A Woman',
'Dance',
'Wanted Man',
'Slip Of The Lip',
'Shame Shame Shame',
'Lack Of Communication',
'Over The Edge',
'Steel River',
'No One Can Stop You Now'.*

*Previously unreleased.