4/29: RATT, A7X IN FL, RYCHE, PRIEST, PHILLY, MORE
Jam packed radio show last night! If you missed the interviews they will be On Demand on the SiriusXM app and no doubt online soon. Had Stephen Pearcy and Bobby Blotzer on separately talking about the Ratt situation. It sounds like this is pretty nasty at the moment but also sounds like there could be a possible resolution at some point. Stephen is open to making an album but clearly has issues with Blotzer it seems. Ratt truly was/is a great band that made some great records. Sucks when this stuff happens but we have seen it many times in the music business. From the Ratt perspective all options seem to be on the table so we will see what the next moves are. All I can do is present both sides with equal time and that’s what I did. Everyone can make their decisions from there.
Also thanks to M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold for checking in. I’m about to leave for FL where I look forward to seeing the band live for the first time tomorrow at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood along with Hellyeah and Adrenaline Mob. I will be selling and signing my book outside Hard Rock Live tomorrow starting 6PM. No ticket needed to get to me FYI.
Also thanks to Kip Winger for calling in. Winger has a new album out now called Better Days Coming.
I will be back for a live show on Q104.3 NYC this Friday at 11PM ET.
Not a surprise non Geoff Tate version of the band got the rights to the name. This should alleviate any confusion. What I am waiting to see is exactly what Geoff can bill his band as? That has not yet been revealed and has no doubt been decided as part of the long negotiation. Geoff also retains the rights to Mindcrime full performances in his settlement with the band. More to come and I wish both camps well.
New Priest song sounds cool but I refuse to really comments on music unless I have it sent in a proper way. The song was not made available commercially until today and listening to compressed streams on phones and computers is not how I want to asses and crank new music. I look forward to the album and glad the guys are getting ready to do stuff again.
Been listening to the new Tesla album which is out in June. Really great hard rock as usual from these guys. I’ll play it when the band gives me the green light.
Don’t forget coming to the Troc in Philly this Saturday night with Don and Jim for our live show. Both books available for sale at this event as well. Been a bit since I’ve been in Philadelphia, look forward to seeing you all there or in S FL tomorrow night.
I remember when a friend gave me a cassette of Queensryche’s first record, a four-song affair which included “Queen Of The Reich.” I was thinking, “here’s a Pacific Northwest contender in the hard rock/heavy metal sweepstakes.” Before QR we had Hendrix and Heart. I went on to purchase everything the band put out, and saw them many times. I was ecstatic at the Mindcrime break through to mega-stardom–we’ll always have “Eyes Of A Stranger”–but actually thought that Empire was the pinnacle of the band’s creativity.
It’s tough when the classic line-ups that gave us stupendously awesome soundtracks for good times and bad break due to personal disagreements, but these are human beings, times change, and shit happens.
Same thing with Ratt. MTV flogged “Round and Round” to death, and we liked it, but De Martini’s solo on “Lay It Down” stands in my opinion as one of the classiest microcosms of metal’s early 80s resurgence.
As you learn from listening to ET Rocks, it’s often about the bottom line with the bands. My guess, with RATT’s original bassist returning after 20 years or so, the slice of the pie just got a little smaller.
Bummed on the Ratt break up. It seems simple to me. Stephen wants to play small clubs and do it at his own pace. I don’t think he really wants to play big show anymore. The rest of the band wants the bigger stage. Stephen’s voice is still there but is exposed to much on the big stage. I think he knows he can’t do it anymore. His heart is not in it. He doesn’t like the people he works with. He feels like he’s not getting anything out of it. I bummed as a fan but it’s to be mad at somebody for doing what they feel is best for themselves. The only problem is the rest of the band suffers the most from this. The rest of the band has everything to lose and that is a shame. Nobody is to blame. There are in different places.
Tate will probably wind up using some lawyer-approved tag a la (no coincidence) Pearcy, aka “former original lead singer of Ratt.”
I am s massive Ratt fan…have been since 84…I dont think you can point a finger at just one member. I do know I am on a few of the guys personal fb pages, and from what Ive read, Blotz likes to bad mouth the other guys….whatever…..egos should be put aside, cause we all know they cant do a full blown stadium tour, unless they are with another huge group…aka Scorpions, Vh, Bon Jovi, etc…….I personally think they all need to grow up and make some new great music for the fans!!!